UniBond League Division One
The Dovecote, Shepshed
Friday, 26th December 2008, 3.00pm
Gresley Rovers put up a brave show against their high-flying neighbours Shepshed Dynamo fielding yet another different side.
Manager Gary Norton was missing Martyn Rowntree, Lee Fell, Oliver Hancock, Pat Lyons, Matt Weightman and Simon Baldwin.
Into the side came reserves team players Craig Tucker and Tom Allan with Paul Hollis called onto the bench. Assistant manager Tony Hemmings was also named as a substitute although being ill on Christmas Day as Gresley found themselves down to bare-bones.
The first chance of the game fell to Rovers after just 5 minutes when a cross from the left by John Shales was too high for Kevin Lock but a defender only partially headed the ball away but Liam Hebberd's volley just cleared the bar.
A second half chance fell four minutes later when former Moatman Matt Millns' back header almost fell into the path of Lock.
As to be expected Dynamo began to take control of the game with Rob Norris shooting wide. It was Norris who five minutes later set up the home side's first goal.
Norris sent over the perfect cross from the right and Shane Benjamin, unmarked at the far post, was able to nod the ball past keeper Allan.
Dynamo almost doubled their advantage in the 24th minute when Sam Saunders flicked the ball on to Benjamin but his shot was a poor one and it flew wide.
Rovers almost levelled when a ball over the static Dynamo defence saw both Lock and Paul Edwards race for the ball. Edwards having got to the ball first was unable to capitalise and put his shot straight at keeper Gary Hateley.
A fine pass from Edwards early in the second half gave Hebberd another half chance but his final shot lacked any power to test Hateley.
As in the first half Dynamo began to take control of the game and extended their lead in somewhat fortunate circumstances.
On 54 minutes a corner from the right by Norris came over to Ian Robinson who took a chance by firing into the crowded area where after a couple of deflections the ball landed in the net with Allan wrong footed. It was impossible to say who had the last touch from the stands with most people thinking Benjamin had but the UniBond site having skipper Ian Screaton as the last man to touch the ball.
Four minutes later Benjamin looked to have had a great chance to add to his tally but a superb block by Allam prevented the prolific frontman from scoring.
A free kick from the right was headed on by Millns and looked to have been heading into the net but Harley Hollinshead had done well to get back on his line to clear the' attempt away.
Some in the Dovecote thought Dynamo had scored again when Ewan Clarke's pass to Benjamin was thumped on target but a deflection by a Rovers defender put the ball into the sidenetting.
With time almost up Tucker tried his hand with a lob that almost caught Hateley out but the ball sailed just over the bar.
Manager's View
"We are beginning to sound like a broken record. The one pleasing thing is that we are competing and making sides work for their three points, making sides work for things.
"The task was made even harder today due to the unavailability of quite a few lads. We've had to really dig deep into the bare bones of the bare bones just to put a side out today.
"We only had two bodies on the bench. We'd named Tony Hemmings on the bench he's been ill, he was in bed yesterday so there was no chance of him even appearing for us.
"We had a couple more debuts today. Craig Tucker, who came off the bench for ten minutes or so against Alfreton the other night, has started and Paul Hollis had a late call to make the bench for us.
"We've competed well today and we've battled hard but I think once Shepshed went ahead, although at half time it was pleasing to still be in the game, you could tell the difference between the two sides.
"We were more workman-like relying for some stuff on the break, long balls and stuff like that when maybe a bounce would fall favourably for us.
"When they got the second goal, a little bit fortuitous, we're not that happy with the way we closed down in the first place to let them get a shot off but having said that it looked like it took a couple of deflections and bobbles on the way in and the keeper's gone past it and it's bobbled in.
"Once that goal had gone in I think it was going to be Shepshed throwing the game away rather than our play that got anything.
"They (Shepshed) deserved their day. Obviously we are in our situation and it's been a leveller. The last five we did the treble last year and won the year before so you can't keep having the luck.
"At the moment Shepshed are very much in the ascendancy. Looking at the league table, they are very much pushing for the play-offs, they've a good squad of players. You look at the bench and you look at the team they had out there and you look at one or two players who didn't make the squad for Shepshed today.
"We look on enviously, but our time will come again to be challengers but at the moment we're just digging deep. We're proud of the performance but frustrated that the losing streak carries on and we are looking forward to the next game on New Year's Day."
