Steve Hackett Memorial Trophy Semi-Final
The Hawfields, Newhall
Thursday, 23rd July 2009, 7.00pm
Three Goal Turville Puts Swans To Flight
Gresley played their third pre-season game in the Steve Hackett Memorial Trophy semi-final at The Hawfields, home of Newhall United.
The competition is to raise funds for the British Heart Foundation after the tragic early death of local young referee Steve Hackett.
Gresley manager Gary Norton was able to name a strong side with keeper Simon Baldwin, Adam and Tom Betteridge, Jamie Barrett, Stefan Marshall, Callum Keenan, Nathan Rolph and Mickey Lyons, who all missed last week's trip to Sutton, all back in the squad.
Norton also ran the rule over a few trialists, one of who impressed with a three-goal haul.
In between some very heavy showers, Gresley eventually took control of the game and restricted the young Stapenhill side to very few chances.
Gresley went close to opening the scoring on 9 minutes when Marshall headed a corner from the left by James Davies just over the bar.
Trialist Royce Turville opened the scoring on 16 minutes hitting a shot that beat Swans keeper Steve Beeston.
On the half hour Gresley almost made it two when a quick free kick by Tom Betteridge was slung into the area where Marshall connected but a superb save from Beeston denied the striker by clawing the goal bound header out of the top corner and away. The ball eventually found itself back into the area but Barrett placed his header wide of the far post.
Gresley did double their lead with four minutes of the first half remaining when Turville latched onto a through ball and poked the ball past the onrushing Beeston.
Turville scored his third goal on 45 minutes when he superbly controlled the ball on his chest before lifting the ball over the stranded keeper.
The young striker was causing the Swan's defence all sorts of problems and went close in the early second of the second half when he shook off the attention of the Stapenhill back line but was hacked down from behind a yard inside the area by a defender. Surprisingly, referee Roy Burton waved play on much to the annoyance of the Gresley players, management and supporters.
However, Gresley did get the goal their play deserved on 54 minutes. A good move ended with Turville running into the right of the area but instead of trying his luck he unselfishly squared the ball to Marshall who rammed the ball home from close in.
Marshall went close again just three minutes later but after rounding the keeper the angle was just too tight and his effort hit the side netting.
Gresley's final goal came when substitute Callum Keenan ran onto a through ball and with a defender in close attention and the keeper rushing out, coolly slipped the ball under Beeston.
Stapenhill got their consolation goal on 73 minutes but it was a Gresley player who scored it. With the assistant referee flagging for an offside in the build up, a cross into the box was headed into the net by Gresley defender Gareth Langford, but the referee allowed the goal to stand.
Gresley had chances to add to their score in the final moments of the game with a cross from Adam Betteridge eluding the outstretched foot of Andy Elliott, Langford's cross being headed fractionally over the bar by Elliott and finally a terrific dribble into the box by Lyons ended with his shot flashing wide.
Gresley now face local rivals Newhall United, who beat Rocester in the other semi-final.
Manager's View
"It was a good work out for both sides. I went to watch Stapenhill on Saturday play Borrowash and Justin (Goodchild) has done some good stuff with them. They've got one or two lively young players and in fairness to Justin and Adam (Baldwin) they are a work in progress.
"They gave us a good work out tonight and hopefully they've not picked up any injuries; we've been fortunate not to have picked any up.
"It was full blooded and there weren't any people pulling out of tackles which is what you want in a friendly. In some respects you want it as near to a game situation as possible.
"Obviously I was pleased with the win but disappointed that we didn't get the clean sheet which I felt the lads at the back and Simon (Baldwin) deserved and the whole team to be honest because we forced them into not having too many chances.
"We were disappointed collectively in the first half hour because we felt it was a bit scrappy, it was bitty, we were forcing things and we weren't getting the ball down and trying to play the football we've been talking to the lads about. In fairness to the lads we have just been talking about it, we haven't done much shape, possession work and functional work in training because of the fact we've been trying to build our fitness up.
"I was pleased with the fitness of a number of the lads but not so pleased about the fitness of some others. It was very evident that there is still a lot of work to do so when we next get the opportunity to train maybe we'll bias the fitness side of things still. But we need to start working a little bit on the functional play and the phases of play.
"Second half a little bit different. We got hold of the ball a little bit more in the first ten or fifteen minutes and obviously scored a couple of early goals. Mickey (Lyons) was instrumental in that he did all right. The changes in the second half disrupted the flow a little bit but over all a good work out.
"Mickey was pulling the strings towards the end. He's just moved jobs and he's just working for this week over at Milton Keynes. We spoke yesterday and he said he couldn't get over here for kick off so we said come on in the second half. If he'd have been here he's an integral part of our team. It's not guaranteed he'll play he's got to earn that right but on what you saw in the second half in terms of what he can do it bodes very well for us.
"Mark Stryzewski left me a message on Wednesday I think it was and he was going to talk to me on Thursday but it appears that he's only just got back this evening so either me or Martin (Rowe) will be on the phone straight away to him. We are very, very keen to get him but we have got other irons in the fire even within the squad. You saw Jamie Barrett, who would be a reluctant centre half, head and shoulders above most players on the pitch. He talked, he organised us and he assured us at the back.
"We put Jamie back in there for the second half because Chris Mawbey goes off on his holiday tomorrow for a week so won't be available for our next two games and if the answer from Mark isn't positive then we may well have to play Jamie in there on Saturday whilst we try and get confirmation of another signature. At the moment our preference is Mark but if he does decide to join Mickleover then we'll be trying to persuade one of the other options we've got to join us.
"I wasn't going to leave Jamie on for the whole ninety minutes to be honest but he seems fine. He's had two good training sessions. The training on Tuesday despite the fact we had a match on Thursday two days later was a lot of fitness work because even if one or two of the lads got leggy late today we weren't fussed about that. It's all about fitness in the legs but he seemed to come through okay and he's fresh and I'm pleased about that.
"Callum Keenan has also been ill with swine flu. He went on for half an hour and got his goal and impressed the coaching staff Martin and Simon who haven't seen him play before so I was pleased with that.
"John Shales is struggling midweek with work and cricket commitments which we knew about so I've not put too much pressure on him in that respect. We've got bodies about at the moment that we want to have a look at and we know what Johnny can do and once the cricket season has finished then I'm sure he'll be fighting one hundred and ten percent to get himself in the frame.
"The advantage some of the other lads have is that they are a little ahead in terms of match fitness and overall fitness as well. John's played in one of the games out of the three and he'll have work to do. John will get his head down and work hard and try and force himself into the plans.
"We are looking to sign eighteen, twenty players as we normally do in the squad. Obviously sixteen in the squad and if you get a couple of injuries like we have at the moment with Jordi Gough and a couple of people unavailable like John Shales and when the games start coming thick and fast you are going to get injuries and be unavailable. We've operated off that sort of squad and we'll go from there.
"Tonight was a last little look at one or two trialists. I've firmly made my mind up on two in terms of not offering deals with the club and the other two are in the balance who played tonight. I've made an offer to one, no guesses to who that was, and he's going to have a think about it over night and let us know.
"I've told them all that they've got to fight for their places come August 11th. One or two have got a bit of work to do while others have had a good start.
"The only disappointing game in pre-season was Sutton last week when even the regular players the five or six that were in the squad didn't do themselves any justice so from my point of view tonight was a great opportunity - the fight for shirts starts here for everybody."
