UniBond League Division One South
Victoria Pleasure Grounds, Goole
Saturday, 21st February 2009, 3.00pm
Vikings Pillage The Points
If Gresley Rovers' plight in the lower regions of the league was bad enough, manager Gary Norton's selection problems were made all the more difficult when two of his strikers Matt Weightman and Liam Hebberd withdrew from his threadbare squad on Friday due to work commitments.
Norton filled the vacancies with two more youngsters from the reserves and the youth team.
Nathan Rolph a youth team defender and Chris Burnham the reserve team striker were both given their first team debuts and both impressed with Rolph giving an assured showing in the back line and Burnham scoring on his debut.
With many of the regulars missing Justis Hayden kept his spot alongside Paul Edwards in the heart of defence with Ashley Justin and James Manley both given a place on the bench.
Norton dropped Mick Lonergan into the right back slot allowing Carl Timms, who had occupied that position previously, to be given a strikers role alongside Burnham.
The visitors started well and for the first 15 minutes or so looked the better side with Edwards and Burnham going close.
At the other end Hayden kept his side in the game clearing Danny Buttle's effort off the line.
On 18 minutes Goole took the lead. A cross from the right by Steve Rollinson picked out Karl Rose who was unmarked in the area. His downward header went wide of keeper Simon Baldwin and into the corner of the net.
Goole scored again 10 minutes later when Rovers failed to deal with a set piece. A corner from the right by Buttle was not cleared and Rob Constable managed to smash a low shot home from just inside the area.
Rovers were finding it hard to breakdown the stubborn defending of the home side and almost found themselves further behind but a linesman's flag denied Rose his second of the game.
With five-minute left of the half Baldwin was called upon to tip over an in swinging corner.
The visitors started the second period poorly with Baldwin almost handing Goole another goal when he managed to fumble a long throw-in but thankfully Brad Hill could only fire wide.
Baldwin could not be faulted for the next attempt on target as he made the save of the match diving to his right to push away a stinging shot from Rollinson.
Rovers got themselves back into the game with a goal on 62 minutes. Hardworking John Shales robbed Chris Siddall just inside Rovers' half and made a fine run towards the Goole end. Luke Jeffs missed his cross and Burnham finished well with a low shot past Tom Osborne.
However, any thoughts of Rovers grabbing something from the game were extinguished 10 minutes later.
Ben Spilman got the better of Edwards down the right, cut inside and hit a tremendous shot past Baldwin and into the top far corner.
Manager's View
"It was definitely a more spirited performance than the previous two games.
"The result was not what we wanted, but in the dressing room we have got 14 knackered lads who have given their all.
"We have been down to the bare, bare bones today and the lads who were here driven on and kept going.
"We have players injured, two strikers who have had to work and have been let down by Keith Harrison, who failed to turn up at his pick-up point so will not be playing again."
Added Norton: "The lads showed character and the big positive was the performance of Nathan Rolph.
"I thought he looked very composed and looked to play when he could, but also tried to do things simple, like put the ball out of play when under pressure and when nothing else was on.
"Ironically, he slipped over for the first goal, but Paul Edwards has held his hand up as the lad (Rose) has had a free header.
"The second goal was equally as poor, but we got back into it and Chris Burnham got the goal his performance deserved.
"Chris tried to do things simple, hold the ball up and do the right things. On that showing, he may get another chance.
"We showed character and kept battling, but it's another defeat for us."
