UniBond League Division One South
Sutton Park, Quorn
Saturday, 4th April 2009, 3.00pm
So Close For Rovers
Gresley Rovers are still looking for that elusive win since the re-forming of the side back in November.
Recent performances have given to the hope that it isn't too far away and again against Quorn Rovers looked well worth a point against a side that sit comfortably in midtable.
With not too much action in the first ten minutes things woke up a minute later when Jamie Barrett almost gifted Quorn the lead.
The defender's back header was well wide of Simon Baldwin with the keeper having to scramble back and diving to get a hand to the ball to push it away but Barrett managed to recover and block Phil Miller's attempt on goal.
With the home side applying the pressure Justin Jenkins went close spectacularly volleying a long high ball just wide of the near post.
The action swung to the other end with Chris Knight hustled the ball off Adam Wigley. The young striker strode forward and hit a low shot that Quorn keeper Craig Jones managed to get a hand to giving defender Anthony Marriott the chance to clear off the line.
Rovers were left to rue that miss as Quorn took the lead seconds later with a soft goal. A corner from the right by Paul White on 18 minutes was flicked on a couple of times to the diminutive Miller who headed in from close range.
The lead lasted just over ten minutes as Ryan Spittle netted his first for the club. On 29 minutes a long punt up field by Baldwin found Spittle on the edge of the penalty area. The striker took one touch and blasted a shot past the stationary Jones and into the top corner.
Rovers had a half chance to grab the lead just before halftime when Carl Slater easily robbed Sam Wood of the ball but the final shot cleared the bar.
The visitors had the first effort on 51 minutes. Knight made a good run down the right before sending in a low cross into the box that the onrushing Spittle almost got a toe to.
Quorn took the lead again in controversial circumstances when a cross picked out Jenkins who looked two yards offside but with the visitors appealing play was allowed to continue and Jenkins managed to hold off the attention of Chris Mawbey and poked a low shot past Baldwin.
Rovers almost levelled things on 70 minutes when James Davies' corner from the left needed to be scrambled off the line as Carl Timms homed in for the vital touch.
Quorn could have added to their tally as the game drew to a conclusion with Adam Brown shooting over the bar and substitute Alex Johnson getting onto a long ball but again the ball flew over the bar.
Slater had one glimmer of a chance but the midfielder's shot from distance missed it's mark.
Manager's View
"It's a shame that we just couldn't snatch an equaliser like we did last week. I was more than happy with the performance today and I thought that any neutral looking at the two sides today would have thought they were both quite even.
"It was a very good first half from a footballing point of view. There was good football played by both sides with chances and half chances created. In the second half it was more a battle of attrition really. Two sides, hardworking sides with not too much football played in that second half and unfortunately they managed to convert probably one of the only clear-cut chances of the half.
"It was a shame because I believe we deserved at least a point today. We played well but we didn't really create anything in the second half. There was plenty of huff and puff but no real chances created.
"In the first half the two front lads Chris Knight and Ryan Spittle linked up very, very well and we had some decent chances and half chances. Ryan, Bubba, as we call him took his goal fantastically well - great strike into the top corner for the equaliser.
"We were disappointed in conceding the first goal from a set play. We were not tight enough on the previous two and it resulted in us going behind. We seem to like going behind because then we start to play a little bit.
"Their number seven found that little pocket of space and there are two or three players not tight enough. It's a shame because we shouldn't be conceding goals like that.
"We bounced back well from it and we showed a fair bit of character but unfortunately once we'd conceded the second - there was plenty of time left - we couldn't manage to fashion a clear-cut chance to snatch an equaliser but I felt we deserved a point today.
"The side's more balanced now which is a good thing and it's possibly contributed to the fact that we've had more solid performances of late. There are very few changes to the side week in week out as there were previously for various reasons injuries, illness, work commitments and players not being able to make it from week to week or every other week we were chopping and changing.
"But of late we had a settled side last week, okay we started the game sloppily but it was an unchanged side from the previous week. Today we've made a couple of changes forced through injury. Jonny Shales picked a little bit of a knee up this week and ideally we wanted to rest him today. We made a change up front as well as Callam Keenan has not been quite at it how he has been over the last couple of weeks so he dropped out today and we put Carl Timms back in there and Bubba up front.
"At the moment we are making changes for tactical reasons or performance reasons rather than forced through injury or unavailability and with just four games left, fingers crossed, long may that continue.
"For their second goal we thought that Jenkins was offside. Chris (Mawbey) is a big strong land and so is Justin (Jenkins) and I've been a long time admirer of Jenkins for a long time, and he's a strong lad anyway and not the easiest to push off the ball, but he's muscled Mawbey out and got his goal but we felt in the first place that he was offside, maybe a yard a yard and a half but the linesman's not seen it and he's tucked the goal away and we just have to get on with it. We are not going to moan and groan. Maybe Chris could have done a little bit better but we hope he will learn from that the next time.
"Bubba's come off with a slight hamstring problem. We're hoping it's not a pull but he felt it so we did the sensible thing and brought him off and put Paul Edwards on. Jonny Shales hasn't really felt his knee so we'll see how that settles down over the next day or so.
"Touch wood we are fairly clear. We've got Brian Woodall hopefully to come back next week. His ban was up today but unfortunately he'd got a pre-arranged family commitment today, so if Bubba is out next week with his hamstring we've got Brian to come back as an option as well.
"We've had Paul Edwards on the bench the last couple of weeks who will give you an option anywhere on the pitch so thankfully for now the physio table is not too busy.
"There's been a headline in the Derby Telegraph regarding Jamie Barrett and I'd like to clear that up now. I don't know how Dick (Pratley) has portrayed it to the Telegraph but Dick called me a week or so ago and he told me that in the last week of the season they will be playing Saturday, Tuesday, Thursday , Saturday and we hadn't got a midweek game so would I allow Jamie Barrett to sign because he's played for them before and they are obviously doing very well so would we allow him back to sign him in case of him being need in the midweek.
"Obviously the signing deadline was last week but if we needed anything at Grantham I'd be a bit reticent to let him play on Tuesday or Thursday. I'd allow him to sign but review it week to week. I don't know how it was put across to the Telegraph but it was implied that he was leaving to join Mickleover for the remaining games but that's not the case. Either Dick's explained it wrong to the Telegraph or they've misconstrued it and I'll certainly be putting that right when I speak to the Telegraph on Thursday just to clarify that Jamie is our player and he will only play for Mickleover with permission from me in that midweek.
"I want to help the local sides but sometimes my good nature causes me problems as people will take that and tread all over us but I think this has been a genuine misunderstanding. We haven't got a midweek game and as long as we don't need anything at Grantham I'm happy for Jamie to play and help Mickleover out."
