UniBond League Division One South
The Moat Ground, Church Gresley
Saturday, 29th September 2007, 3.00pm
Last Gasp Edwards Grabs The Points
Gresley Rovers kept their un-beaten home record intact with a victory but the three points came very, very late.
The home side found the early going difficult and did not cross the halfway line for the first ten minutes of the first half.
Brigg Town, only one off the bottom of the league, belied their lowly position by putting Rovers under the cosh forcing two early corners and Jamie Hood having to clear a dangerous cross from Tommy Spall.
Hood gave Rovers their first chance on 11 minutes when his long throw found David Blenkinsopp on the right of the area but the strikers shot flashed across the face of the goal and just wide of the far post.
Rovers went close three minutes later when a Shaun Ridgway free kick took a slight deflection making Damien Steer change his direction and saving well by pushing the ball away.
On 21 minutes it was the turn of Rovers' keeper David Clarke to make a good save when Martin Altoft's pass was flicked goalwards and the keeper did very well to hold the shot down at the base of his near post.
Blenkinsopp was involved with the next two chances for Rovers. On 30 minutes Stefan Marshall flicked on a cross that Blenkinsopp headed narrowly over and then two minutes later the striker chased after the ball beating Brigg keeper to the ball. He laid the ball back for Carl Slater who put his volley just past the junction of bar and post.
The prolific striker didn't have long to wait to open up the scoring. On 41 minutes he produced a moment of magic when he was played in at the far side of the area, controlled the ball superbly, turned his marker, went round the keeper before drilling the ball home.
However, a moment of rashness by Rovers keeper Clarke allowed Brigg back into the game just a couple of minutes later. A cross landed on the far side of the area and instead of knocking the ball out for a throw in Clarke tried to sidestep the attention of Steve Housham on the bye line but the Brigg skipper robbed him of the ball leaving him stranded and laid the ball back into the area for Spall to knock home despite an attempt from Rovers defender Miles Chamberlain to clear the ball off the line.
Rovers almost grabbed back the lead on 49 minutes when Martyn Rowntree's great ball through the middle left Blenkinsopp with only the keeper to beat but this time Steer made a good block denying the front man.
The homeside were to rue that miss because two minutes later Brigg went in front from another defensive slip. Rowntree lost the ball in his own half allowing Spall to race down the right and after beating Chamberlain the midfielder sent over a high cross to the far post where John Borland was waiting unmarked to nod home.
On 61 minutes Brigg should have stretched their lead when Dan Douglas's defensive header only went as far as Borland who flashed his shot inches past the far post.
Rovers were back on terms on 65 minutes and it was that man Blenkinsopp again. Clarke's long punt up field was neatly flicked on by Marshall to Blenkinsopp who coolly slotted the ball under the keeper and into the net.
On 76 minutes it looked as if Blenkinsopp would complete his hat trick when Steer fumbled an attempted back header but the striker was after the loose ball like a flash and after beating Steer was unfortunate to put his shot into the side netting from an acute angle.
Steer was looking a bit suspect and again he dropped Slater's cross but there were no Rovers players on hand to take advantage of the slip.
It was all Rovers now and if anyone was to steal all three points it was to be the homeside as Brigg looked to have settled for a point.
Marshall, still looking for his first Rovers goal, tested the keeper with a good shot on the turn that Steer did well to block.
However, the winner came deep into injury time. Another fumble by Steer from Blenkinsopp's shot was picked up by Hood sliding in at the far post and back to Blenkinsopp who sent the ball across the area for Paul Edwards to stab home.
It was a little harsh on the visitors but if Rovers could defend as well as they create chances up front then this game would have been an awful lot easier for players, officials and supporters alike!
Manager's View
"If I'm honest we didn't deserve that - we just can't defend! It was only one of the few times this season we've been ahead. The only other league game we've been ahead was against Belper.
"We got ourselves ahead and we hadn't played particularly well and a bit of individual brilliance from Blenko (David Blenkinsopp) got us the goal and then we may as well kicked the ball in our own net!
"We were absolutely livid with Dave Clarke in that situation. He knows better than that and to be fair to him he did put his hand up straight away. He shouldn't have even been in that situation the ball should have been at the other side of Swadlincote.
"Four minutes to half time and you've just gone into the lead the goalkeeper is out of his box and thinks he's Maradonna and wants to take players on and he got punished for it and that just sums us up defensively at the minute.
"Although we played a little bit better football in the second half again the manner of the goal was ridiculous. Martyn Rowntree is an experienced defender and not only did he give the ball away when he's chested it and his first touch has got away from him instead of heading it we've then got three players in the box.
"I'm screaming from the bench to pick up to pick the guy up at the far post - the guys are saying he was offside, but offside or not there were three players in there ball watching and one of them needs to pick up the player and we can defend the situation then.
"If we are going to carry on defending like that we are not going to win many football matches.
"The only positive to come out of today is the fact that the lads showed great character in getting back on level terms. It was a bit fatuitous; we thought David (Blenkinsopp) had taken the ball a little bit too wide and we got a bit of luck for the equaliser.
"But character in the end in injury time and not for the first time this season has gotten us three points we barely deserved.
"Blenko and Stef (Stefan Marshall) as a pair today didn't quite function as well as they did the other night but they are a work in progress. Having said that David could well have had his hat trick today. Stef's had a great chance when he turned his defender inside and the keeper has made a smart save. There's lots of promise there.
"Dave in particularly really is carrying us at the minute with his goals and we are delighted. He epitomises what work rate and endeavour will bring you if you put it in.
"Today, all across the pitch, we were flat footed and heavy legged. We gave the players a Thursday night off because we'd had a tough game on Tuesday night and we had them in early this morning to work on one or two things - nothing heavy and then we go and put in a performance were we looked flat and lethargic all over the pitch so I won't be giving them a Thursday night off again in the near future.
"It was a massive boost to have Jamie Hood and Shaun Ridgway fit. Jamie has been instrumental in things for us this year and there aren't many games where he's made mistakes or had many average games never mind poor games. He's been influential to us and he's icing up his ankle after a bit of soreness which you'd expect.
"I called him on Wednesday and we thought he was rated as extremely doubtful in fact the physio had ruled him out but Jamie being Jamie we decided to leave it to the last minute. He's played with a lot of strapping and pain and he's got through it today and we needed him.
"We were pleased that Shaun Ridgway was also available. All across midfield we had a poor first half but I thought that if anyone who came out with any credit in the second half was Shaun.
"Quality wise there were many negatives today. We didn't get the ball down and work it with tempo, endeavour and quality like we did in patches the other night. The inconsistency continues and we've got to get to the bottom of that but unfortunately we are away next week so we'll have to wait and see!
"I feel sorry for Dave McClean (Brigg manager) as he's under a lot of pressure at the moment. I've got a lot of time for him and I was heart broken for him to lose in the manner they did and not get anything from the game but on the flip side of things I'm relieved and pleased that we managed to get three points.
"Brigg's going to be a tough place to go because we've never won there and it's the FA Trophy. We badly need a little run in the FA Trophy to compensate for the early exit from the FA Cup and the League Cup so friendship will be put on one side again next week and I'm sure Brigg will be surging up the table soon and I hope it's with Dave McClean at the helm because he's a honest guy, a very experienced guy and I've got a lot of respect for him.
"When I was having a torrid time a season or two ago he was on the phone to me telling me to keep my chin up and I've told him to do the same because he didn't deserve to lose that game today."
