UniBond League Division One South
The Moat Ground, Church Gresley
Tuesday, 1st April 2008, 7.45pm
Unlucky Rovers
Gresley Rovers can consider themselves unlucky not to have taken a share of the spoils in an entertaining game at the Moat Ground against runaway leaders and champions elect Retford United.
Rovers' manager Gary Norton had to reshuffle his pack again as midfielder Lee Mellon (hamstring), Tom Groves (personal reasons) and Jordan Nadat (who was rested owing to an important game for the youngster playing for his college) all missing.
The home side still had David Blenkinsopp (foot), Carl Slater (groin) and Danny Blair (back) sidelined.
After impressing at Grantham on Saturday the 17-year-old full back Andy Roberts was handed his home debut.
Retford, looking for a win that would almost certainly hand them the league title, can out of the blocks quickly and were soon threatening Rovers' goal with former Moatman Ryan Ford testing keeper David Clarke with a low shot.
Rovers hit back when a pass from Tony Hemmings was helped on by Brian Woodhall to Stefan Marshall whose stinging shot was expertly tipped over the bar by visiting keeper Ross Turner. From the flag kick Woodhall had a chance but fired well over the bar.
The play swung to the opposite end and Clarke did well to make a save down near the foot of his post after Steven Owens has burst into the area - Ryan Hindley could only put his header wide from the corner.
Rovers almost took the lead when Badgers defender former Burton Albion player Michael Simpkins flicked Hemmings' free kick towards his own goal and just skimming the bar with his keeper beaten.
Simpkins was involved again minutes later when Marshall's shot deflected off the hapless defender and back to the striker. This time the shot flashed across the face of the goal.
Marshall again beat Simpkins before laying the ball on for Woodhall who then again fired over.
Whether that was the final straw for Badgers manager Peter Duffield because he hauled off his skipper on 24 minutes but Simpskins was not amused, childishly throwing his armband to the floor, kicking a gate and having an angry exchange of views with a supporter has he stormed towards the dressing room.
Minutes later the visitors could have sneaked a goal when Hindley's cross from the left looked to have been dealt with by Roberts but as the youngster dwelt on the ball Owens almost poked the ball home as he nipped in at the far post.
As the end was drawing to a finish Woodhall hit a lovely bending free kick that Turner managed to hold on to after scurrying across his line.
The experienced Micky Godber must still be wondering how he didn't score on 50 minutes. An inviting cross from Ford on the left found Godber totally unmarked in the centre of the box but somehow he managed to force his header into the ground and the bounce took the ball over the bar - it should have been far easier to have score than miss!
Retford's class was beginning to show as they took possession of the game and Ford was once more involved when he again got into the area and fed his team mate Neil Harvey but the striker fired wide from a very good position.
Rovers' defender Miles Chamberlain made a very brave challenge denying Harvey but in doing so came off the worst and later had to be substituted after courageously trying to carry on.
Whether Chamberlain's lack of mobility had a hand in the Retford goal, as Norton speculated in his after match interview, is anyone's guess but the visitors were in front moments later.
Just on the hour Retford made a good break down the left and Hindley hit a long-range shot. With the ball swerving wildly Rovers' keeper couldn't hold on to the shot and the rebound fell nicely for Harvey who had the easy task of slamming the ball into an empty net.
Chamberlain succumbed to his injury and Norton brought on Chris Sleath as his replacement.
To their credit Rovers didn't give up and tried their hardest to get back on terms with substitute Paul Edwards firing Woodhall's cross just wide.
The homeside were awarded a free kick 25-yards out and Martyn Rowntree hit a low shot that just went the wrong side of the post.
With Rovers pushing forward Retford had another couple of chances with Clarke superbly tipping over Hindley's viciously dipping shot and Harvey firing wide.
Retford are worthy winners of the league title but their hosts deserved a point after matching them for much of the game.
Manager's View
"It's the difference why Retford are the champions and we are where we are. Countless times they've ground one-nil results out.
"I can't be anything but proud of the players for their attitude again tonight on the back of the Grantham performance.
"There's been a few times recently when I've not been able to stand here and say that we deserved something out of a game we've lost. Sometimes it a lack of quality, sometimes a lack of concentration and mistakes but tonight it was a great effort by all involved and unfortunately we just fell short tonight.
"We can take great heart out of tonight's performance and start to think about Saturday.
"Shaun (Ridgway) owed us a shift really. In the little run we have had Shaun has looked a little bit tired and the last couple of games I felt he is coming back to the fore.
"Stefan (Marshall) on the back of having a good game on Saturday - he been out injured for a while - did a great shift up at Grantham and he's continued that tonight. Brian Woodhall looked quite potent at times especially in the first half.
"I felt we more than match Retford in the first half but second half their little bit of class that they've got began to show and obviously they had more possession and more half opportunities and it was a little bit more on the break for us in the second half but we were still in the game even after going one-nil down. We still had plenty of half opportunities or plenty of possession to try and get that equaliser that I felt our performance deserved on the night.
"Miles (Chamberlain) put in a fantastic tackle in the second half. He came from nowhere to get a block in. Unfortunately, it was knee on knee and obviously he's going to be a doubt - he's on the table now as we speak. He's got a little bit of a problem moving it but to his credit he tried to carry on, I think it was just before the goal when he picked it up. Perhaps had he been a little more free because obviously he was marking Harvey. Harvey has reacted quickest for the ball. The ball was moving in the air no end and lot of people might look at Dave (Clarke) on that but I was right behind the flight of the ball and it's move no end in the air and he's got a good hand on it but Mr Harvey was ready to pop the rebound in.
"Had Miles not picked that knock up he may well have been there to get to the ball first but we'll never know that. Miles will obviously be a doubt for Saturday but we'll see how it settles down over night and we'll speak tomorrow and see what the situation is.
"I didn't sit in the dugout because I've not been the best today and had to have a day off work so I didn't want to pass anything on to the lads so I've been a lonely figure in the stands and it's a bit frustrating at times but I don't want to risk passing on anything to the lads.
"Young Andy Roberts made his home debut tonight. He came on at half time at Cammell Laird again a 17-year-old who we've picked up from Hednesford's youth team and he had a fantastic performance again tonight against the league leaders and you couldn't have asked for any more from him.
"As we chased the game late on we decided to push him a bit further up the pitch and he's been more than a match tonight and I'm quite excited about having another look at him again on Saturday so that's been a plus tonight as well".
