East Midlands Counties League
The Moat Ground, Church Gresley
Tuesday, 11th August 2009, 7.45pm
Radford Hit For Six
Gresley FC began life in the East Midlands Counties League with a resounding win over Nottingham side Radford.
The visitors plight was not helped by the dismissal of their central defender Keith Henstock for his second yellow card early in the second half but by then they were three-nil down as Tom Betteridge and two goals from skipper Carl Slater had given the home side a comfortable lead at the break.
In front of a good midweek crowd Gresley pressed from the start with Jamie Barrett firing wide but on 7 minutes history was made as Tom Betteridge blasted the first league goal for the new club.
Brian Woodall did well to hold the ball up before laying it back for Betteridge to score in the far corner.
Radford had a rare attempt on goal but Chris Page's volley went well wide but a few minutes later Gresley had doubled their lead.
Woodall was involved once more when he cleverly back heeled the ball to Slater who still had a bit of work to do side stepping a marker before arrowing a low shot past keeper Mark Rolleson from the edge of the area.
On 35 minutes Slater added Gresley's third and his second with a low shot into the far corner that Rolleson almost got a hand to.
Gresley could have added to Radford's misery with Betteridge, Lyons and Matt Hill all going close before the break.
Radford were reduced to ten men within three minutes of the restart. Henstock who had been booked in the first half for a foul then booted the ball away as the referee had blown for a foul giving the referee Philip Astle no alternative but to show a second yellow and in turn a red card.
A superb move down the right lead to the fourth goal on 64 minutes. Substitute Callum Keenan picked out James Davies on the overlap. The right back flew down the flank and squared the ball for Woodall to blast into the net.
Three minutes later a carbon copy led to the fifth goal only this time it was Slater who laid the ball on for Lyons to score.
Tom Betteridge, who was later to go off with a slight thigh injury stole the ball off a dithering Radford player and picked out Woodall who sent a sublime chip over the stranded Rolleson for goal number six.
Manager's View
"It was a dream start. To get a win under the belt in the first league game of the season is pleasing and the most important thing.
"I felt as though it came a little easy for us in terms that we didn't really have to work to be three nil up. I wasn't happy with that and the lads had a bit of a lashing at half time.
"We didn't pass the ball and move the ball as fluidly as we could and have done in recent games. We seemed a bit nervous even with the cushion of the early goals two nil up without really having played.
"It was very scrappy the first opening period of the game but we just didn't get it down and move the ball as we could.
"Key players like Carl Slater and Mickey Lyons pulling strings in the middle of the park today it wasn't quite happening for us.
"Nonetheless we can work on those sorts of things. I think there were nerves all around and even when they went down to ten men I didn't feel as though we really moved the ball and penetrated and created the chances we could have done if we'd had been a little tidier with our passing and movement. But, ultimately we got the win and pleasingly the clean sheet as well so we're up and running.
"We've got one or two injuries. Stef (Marshall) had a fitness test before the game and was passed fit as he came through it okay but we still decided to put him on the bench with Saturday in mind but he's gone for a couple of warm up's and felt something in his hamstring and that's without him being on in the first half and on the pitch so obviously that's a blow for us.
"We lost Rob Spencer last night with a broken toe for two or three weeks. Tom Betteridge has a tight hamstring; well I hope it's tight. We were going to take him off as he was looking a bit short of match fitness but he found another gear from somewhere to be fair to him and did really, really well for the last period of the game. We finished with ten men because we didn't want to risk it.
"As we were making that substitution Royce Turville came to the bench feeling his thigh a little bit. He's got ice on it and we're hoping it's not too serious because obviously we'd be struggling in the front man department then.
"We've got Jamie Barrett in the dressing room with ice on his thigh as he had complained for some time of some tightness in his thigh so the physio is having a look at him now and hopefully it's not too serious. We'll have a light session on Thursday in preparation for Saturday.
"The level we are at the FA Cup comes early. Last season most teams started with the FA Cup games. It's strange starting on a Tuesday night but obviously that was down to us and Radford having freindlies arranged.
"Saturday is going to be tough. We had Heather watched on Saturday as perhaps they've been here tonight or last Saturday watching us. We've got a game plan for that one - it's going to be a tough one, there's money at stake and it's important we get through it.
"We are looking forward to it and hopefully we haven't picked any serious injuries up today that will rule one or two people out for that game.
"I must say I was really pleased, as I'm sure the chairman was, with the crowd today. It was an excellent crowd - 261 for a midweek game and hopefully we will see most of those people back and maybe a few more for the FA Cup game."
