UniBond League Division One South
The Moat Ground, Church Gresley
Saturday, 31st January 2009, 3.00pm
Gutsy Rovers Just Miss Out
Play-offs hopefuls Glapwell were made to scrap for their three points at the Moat Ground as Gresley Rovers shook off their lacklustre performance against Brigg.
The visitors, in their first season at this level, are lying in sixth place in the league table and if they thought they would only have to turn up to take the points they got a rude awakening.
Rovers were without midfielder Carl Slater who turned an ankle in the week with manager Gary Norton bringing Carl Timms in as his replacement.
With Chris Mawbey on the bench Paul Edwards was dropped back into central defence alongside Martyn Rowntree with young striker Matt Weightman playing up front.
Glapwell forced two early corners but it was Rovers who had the first chance of the game. Keeper Lawrence Matthewson missed a cross from the right by John Shales but Lee Fell at the far post could only direct his header just wide.
Minutes later the visitors made a good run down the right and a great cross by Matt Roney was cleared by Edwards for a corner. The corner was slung over by Pat McGuire and headed goalwards by Steve Kenedy only to see the ball headed off the line by Jordi Gough.
On 25 minutes Glapwell had their keeper to thank for staying on terms. Shales' free kick from the right was met by a powerful header by Weightman but Matthewson somehow managed to get a finger tip the ball away as it headed towards the back of the net.
Fell went close again when this time his cross clipped the top of the near post but action went down the other end where Rovers' keeper Simon Baldwin made a fine save from veteran Neil Grayson pushing the header over the bar.
Rovers took the lead on 36 minutes as a result of a fine move down the left flank. Shales drove a shot across the penalty area beating Matthewson and allowing Weightman, at the far post, to stab the ball home for his first senior goal for the club.
Glapwell went close to levelling just before the break but a superbly timed last-ditch tackle by Gough denied Ian Brown his chance as the frontman looked through on goal.
Rovers could have gone in at halftime two up as right on the whistle Liam Hebberd noticed Matthewson off his line but the lob agonisingly drifted fractionally wide of the post.
As was to be expected Glapwell came out strongly looking to get an early goal and it should have come just five minutes after the re-start.
Lewis Trimmer was sent on his way by a fine through ball but with only Baldwin to beat managed to screw his shot wide of the far post.
Rovers did get the ball in the net again but a raised flag from the assistant referee denied Weightman his double strike.
On 57 minutes Trimmer made up for his earlier howler when once again the midfielder was put through by Varley but this time he made no mistake slipping the ball past the on rushing Baldwin.
The goal seemed to rock Rovers back on their heels and ten minutes later they found themselves behind.
Rovers failed to deal with pressure from the visitors and the ball fell to substitute Michael Fox on the left standing in an offside position disappointingly missed by the assistant and his cross picked out Grayson who, after a couple of touches, drilled a shot past Baldwin.
The homeside hit back almost immediately with Weightman firing a shot straight at Matthewson but it was Glapwell who could have extended their lead but for Rovers' keeper. Trimmer made a good run down the right before picking out Matt Roney who looked to have the time to pick his spot but Baldwin did well to block the shot with his leg.
Rovers deserved something from the game for all the endeavours and could have grabbed a late point when Weightman powered a header but unfortunately straight at Matthewson.
Manager's View
"It was a marked improvement on last week and I've just said to the guys in there (the dressing room) that if we'd have put a shift in like that last week we'd have got at least a point or maybe three.
"It's a frustrating thing. We've lost again today but I've got to keep the guys motivated, keep them coming to training every week and to the game every week. Whether we've lost two-one narrowly or four-one I'm not particularly bothered about that because I want to win football matches.
"It's frustrating at the minute because, last week apart, almost every week they've turned out for us and put the shirt on and have given everything. We've made another play-off side come here and scrap for the three points.
"Our old side went to Glapwell and got beaten comprehensively three-one in October. We go to Belper around a similar time and get beat four-nil - granted we played with ten men for most of the game and yet both sides who strong sides in terms of contention for the play-offs have had to come here and scrap for a one goal win.
"It's frustrating but for a ten minute spell again similar to Willenhall we conceded a goal and then we conceded a goal quickly after that. It was similar today we conceded two goals fairly clearly in a spell where the opposition where having a bit more joy and that's the difference between us getting anything and not.
"John Shales knows that in recent games he hasn't been performing to the standards. I felt for an hour he did okay and there were several good things and there were also some poor things, not just from John but from many of the lads. But, they keep plugging away and you can't keep good players down. Compared to some of the previous performances I was encouraged with that today from John.
"Mick Lonergan was feeling a muscle in the top of his leg so we decided to not risk it as we've picked a few injuries up recently so we had him on the bench.
"We've got to perform at a consistent level week in week out and that's what we've just been telling the lads. Most of the lads today had decent games and I really couldn't say that last week.
"Paul Edwards was head and shoulders for me man-of-the-match. I thought Paul read the game superbly well playing against an experienced competent striker for much of the game and everything he did came off. He read the game well, he intercepted well, and he talked and organised and justified our decision to play him at the back today.
"I felt today we needed Paul back there, Martyn (Rowntree) has been struggling of late and particularly with their front line of Grayson and Brown who got a couple at their place I felt tucking Harley Hollinshead in there might have been a little bit too much of an ask so we put Paul back in there.
"That gave Matt (Weightman) the opportunity and I felt Matt, if it hadn't been for Paul today, may have shaded man-of-the-match. Although second half he was feeding off scraps I thought the kids done really, really well for us. He's only seventeen years of age and had a very good game and got his first goal for us as first team level.
"Simon Baldwin has done well today. A big save in the second half, I can't remember what the score was at the time, but it was a big save with his feet. He's kicked fairly well today, he's talked and organised really well and I don't think he's had a lot to do each side of the goal to be honest. I think in the first half they had a couple of half opportunities when we were a little bit sloppy at the back. I think the header in particular we got away with when he headed it wide but either side of the two goals he didn't have a great deal to do.
"Glapwell haven't opened us up haven't really given Simon too much to do other than that save so yes we'd expect that sort of performance off Simon week in week out.
"Zak Callaghan was not available today and he was not available to train on Thursday so that was another reason to have Harley out there today. We'll have to check his availability for next week.
"It will be an interesting game next week against Shepshed hoping we can build a little on the green shoots we've seen today and get something from that game - we'll keep trying.
"Hopefully, Carl Slater will be back for that game. It's frustrating because we're not getting any luck at the moment. Carl is working away at the moment during the week over at Basingstoke and he was trying to keep himself ticking over and he went for a run in the week and turned his ankle on some cobble stone so hopefully it's not too serious and he'll be back next week.
"Having said that, I don't know whether he'll get in because of the effort and spirit Carl Timms and Callum Keenan showed today it would be harsh to leave any of those out. Having Carl back would give us another option on the bench. Obviously playing Paul at the back at the moment who also can play in there if we picked a knock up we would be very limited so it would be nice to have Carl back fit.
"We are hoping that Chris Mawbey can build on the twenty minutes he had today. It was a risk putting him on and we hope he's got though the gate without any further problems with the groin but we just felt at that time we needed a little bit more of an injection in the back four, pace wise and strength wise. So we chucked him in there to see if we could stem the tide and I thought we competed really well after that although we really didn't create anything at the other end.
"I'd like to get Nathan Tate on from the start. In the last two performances he benefitted from the couple of reserve team games he's had. If I'm honest against Alfreton the poor lad was breathing from his proverbial backside and he's had a couple of reserve games and he's worked very, very hard in training and his attitude has been spot on.
"Last week he's come on and made a difference and today he's come on and made a difference as well. We are a little bit concerned about him because the work we do on the training pitch where he needs to be in certain situations we are working with him on that. Nathan would be a good option to maybe give a go from the start in the coming weeks and as long as he keeps doing what he's doing when he does come on he even more coming into our thoughts for a first start.
"I don't think Glapwell thought they'd have had to work so hard for their win. I'm looking forward to next week and see if we can get one over on our local rivals Shepshed."
