UniBond League Division One South
The Moat Ground, Church Gresley
Saturday, 1st March 2008, 3.00pm
Badgers Bag The Points
Gresley Rovers manager Gary Norton had to again re-shuffle his squad as striker Stefan Marshall succumbed to illness just before the game.
Tony Hemmings was put upfront to partner Paul Edwards with David Blenkinsopp still not having recovered sufficiently from an ankle injury to make the starting eleven.
However, Blenkinsopp was named as a substitute to be used in an emergency should the need arise as Norton's side was down to bare bones with Jamie Hood (suspension), Jordan Lambert (knee) and Danny Blair (back) also missing.
Playing against a very stiff wind and Rovers still not settled Retford took a very early lead. A corner swung in by Ryan Hindley was flicked on by Dan White into the centre of the box where Mick Godber powered home a close range header unchallenged.
To their credit Rovers hit back almost immediately when a long free kick picked out Hemmings inside the area who hit a first time shot on the turn just past the far post
The home side threatened with Godber having a header cleared off the line by Tom Groves and Hindley firing wide.
Hemmings was at the centre of things again with keeper Ross Turner having to push his attempt away for a corner.
Almost on the halftime whistle Retford went close to doubling their advantage but Rovers' keeper David Clarke made a superb save tipping Godber's effort over the bar.
The hosts had the first chance of the second half when, with the wind at their backs, they caught Rovers cold early on. Godber picked out Ollie Chappell but the final shot from just 8 yards out went straight to Clarke.
Retford looked dangerous and Mick Goddard almost got on the score sheet when he flicked the ball just the wrong side of the far post.
They went even closer minutes later but Steve Owens somehow managed to miss an open goal however, the winger made up for that embarrassing miss on 70 minutes. Godard comfortably held off the attention of Martyn Rowntree before chesting the ball down and pushing the ball through for Owens on the right. Owens controlled the ball well before firing a low shot past Clarke and into the far corner of the net.
Edwards was picked out by a long free kick but the striker couldn't get his shot on target and the ball flew past the far post.
With only minutes remaining Rovers had one more scare when Clarke failed to connect with a Hindley corner and the ball went across the box with no player from the homside available to tap in the gift.
Manager's View
"At halftime we very much thought we could get something out of the game. We were really disappointed going a goal down so early and from a set play which we do try to work on to make sure we are organised in terms of picking players up.
"I thought we responded fairly well in terms of getting back into the game and not letting it affect us. We had two or three half opportunities Tony (Hemmings) in particular up front had two or three good efforts on the turn and one that flashed wide as well that he took early.
"Second half I really felt that with a bit of luck and application and a bit better quality on the ball with our passing and final ball which was disappointing in the first half, we might have got something from the game.
"It was an excellent second goal from their point of view, excellent timing as it kept us at arms length.
"It was disappointing but for different reasons than in the defeat against Sheffield. Today we worked hard and we didn't play brilliantly but we were fairly solid and we weren't being pulled apart and ripped apart every few minutes and we had a big chance to equalise when Craig (Hanson) came on, had an impact and had a one-on-one which the keeper saved with his feet.
"Then a few minutes later you find yourself two-nil down.
"You can't fault the lads effort and application at the moment. We are very stretched at the moment with a number of players out - stretched to the limits.
"Martyn Rowntree, who had his first start for a while today, I though did exceptionally well in circumstances. I thought one or two others - Hemmo (Tony Hemmings) did a superb shift as well, but you've got to keep going it's a tough time at the moment playing all these top sides and it's a demonstration that we are not quite good enough to infiltrate the top sides.
"But the games keep on coming thick and fast - Goole on Tuesday night who have play-off aspirations and then Nantwich at home on Saturday so it's a big week for us.
"It's touch and go as to whether we will have anyone back. I don't think we'll have Danny Blair back, Blenko (David Blenkinsopp) was fit enough to make the bench today and it was only going to be in an emergency that we would have used him. It will give him an extra few days and we'll see. It's only a bang not muscular or anything like that so I just erred on the side of caution today and hopefully he'll have a better chance of making the starting line-up.
"I'll be Jamie's (Hood) final game of his suspension on Tuesday which can't go quick enough for us but Dan Douglas has been a huge positive again today - exceptional - he's done really well and if anything in this little blip against the top sides when we've had all these injuries the big plus has been Dan at centre half.
"Jordan Lambert is a big miss for us at the minute but we'll take it on the chin today. We've not been quite good enough against Retford. It's no disgrace I felt today. Obviously they are top of the league and top of the league for a reason and I think the results have gone their way today as well.
"They will see it as a job well done but we've got to go back to the drawing board and see what we can do to beat one of the top sides.
"Retford's strength is their spine of the side. They've got two big centre halves - one of them is a man mountain, he's huge! Middle of the park they are very, very busy, very effective and they had Carl (Slater) and Shaun (Ridgway) stretched all day long although I felt they coped fairly well.
"And then upfront you are not going to meet two strikers with the level of understanding those two guys have got. I remember them from their Alfreton days when they were banging goals in for fun; they know each other inside out. They are very physical guys - Mick Godber in particular is very, very physical but fair and as I said to Miles (Chamberlain) and Dan there are not going to be many physical pairs that pull you around and batter you as much as those two in this league.
"They've got a very strong spine to the side complimented by the likes of Ryan Hindley on the wing and the kid who scored the second goal, a lovely goal and a very solid full back as well so it's a solid side similar to the likes of Sheffield who weren't very inspiring but they grind results out and they are very effective and do the basics well which we need to aspire to."
