UniBond League Division One South
Look Local Stadium, Stocksbridge
Friday, 10th April 2009, 3.00pm
Steels Too Sharp For Rovers
Gresley Rovers UniBond One South survival is now in danger as they slumped to a heavy defeat at high-flying Stocksbridge and bottom club Brigg Town pulled off a surprising win over Sheffield.
Stocksbridge are in a strong position to grab one of the play-off places and on this performance will challenge any team they come up against at the end of the season.
Rovers knew they would be under pressure from the start as the home side wanted to keep in touch with the top two in the League and so it proved.
Almost from the start Steels almost grabbed the lead when Jamie Vardy made a good run down the right cut inside but his shot was blocked at the near post. Again Vardy caused problems down the right but this time fired wide of the far post.
The visitors managed to break out of their own half and had chances of their own. A corner from John Shales was only half cleared and Carl Slater just outside the area hammered a drive that Steels keeper Ben Scott could only parry.
Unfortunately the ball was missed by Lee Fell but Carl Timms pounced but again the effort was parried by Scott.
They say a decision by a referee can alter the outcome of a game but it's doubtful that this one seriously affected the result but who knows, it may have done.
On 10 minutes a corner from the right by Alvin Riley was knocked back to him and he tried again crossing the ball over to the far post. With the danger cleared the referee Mr Haycock amazingly penalised Jamie Barrett for apparently holding on to a player. All the players including those from the home side were left bemused at the decision as the referee pointed to the spot leaving Rovers management extremely angry.
Carl Fothergill chose to take the kick, which was superbly saved by Rovers' keeper Simon Baldwin, but he couldn't do anything to prevent Riley from stabbing home the rebound.
With Rovers visibly reeling over the nonsense of a decision Steels almost scored again. First Vardy hit a volley over the bar and then the same player headed just over.
Steels doubled their advantage within a couple of minutes of the start of the second half. Vardy yet again was allowed to get into a good position down the right and sent over a cross that Fothergill managed to get a foot two sliding into the box.
It was all pressure now from the home side and they added to their tally on 64 minutes when a long high ball over the Rovers' defence enabled Vardy to beat the offside trap and once more race down the right before putting over an inviting cross to the far post to Andy Ring.
The substitute's header was cleared off the line but the rebound fell nicely to Fothergill who fired into the net.
On 74 minutes Rovers managed to get out of their own half and Fell made a good run towards the Steels goal and Brian Woodall hit the shot that was cleared off the line by Scott.
Two minutes later another chance fell to Rovers as Shales' cross from the left picked out Fell who glanced his header just wide of the far post.
Another penalty seven minutes from time kept the home side in play-off contention. Ring was racing into the area when he appeared to have been tripped by Barrett giving the referee no alternative but to show the Moatman a straight red card adjudging him to have denied a goal scoring opportunity.The spot kick was taken by Riley who sent Baldwin the wrong way.
Steels could have added to their score when the impressive Vardy once more got into a good position down the right and fired in a low cross that Vil Powell struck but the ball somehow hit the underside of the bar and bounced away to safety.
