East Midlands Counties League
Plains Road, Mapperley, Nottingham
Saturday, 19th September 2009, 3.00pm
Miners Steal The Points
Gresley left Plains Road wondering just how they managed to come away with nothing from a game they dominated for large parts.
Despite the visitors having a hatful of chances Gedling managed to score from both of theirs to send Gresley home shell-shocked.
Gresley started brightly and had three good chances to take an early lead but Stefan Marshall could only head straight at the keeper Curtis Holmes, Brian Woodall's shot saved and then Woodall also headed straight at Holmes when well placed.
Marshall should have been awarded a penalty when Holmes brought the forward down in the box but the referee Mr Tracy waved away the appeals.
On 24 minutes Woodall went close again hitting a great shot on the turn fractionally wide. Gresley just couldn't get the ball in the net with Marshall heading straight at Holmes when well placed.
However, a minute later Gedling were down to ten men but it nearly wasn't so. Holmes came rushing out of his area and as the ball looked to have cleared him for Marshall to run in the net, the keeper punched the ball away.
The referee bizarrely only showed a yellow card for a clear prevention of a scoring chance but his assistant indicated differently and the Mr Tracy changed his mind after a discussion and showed a fully deserved red card. Woodall went very close from the resultant free kick.
Replacement keeper Lance Walker made the save of the match tipping a superb volley from Woodall over the bar just before the break.
Within 7 minutes of the second half Gedling took the lead against the run of play. A high ball played into Gresley's area was, for some reason, left by the visiting defence and it found its way to the far post where Barry Payne was waiting to tap the ball home.
Gresley levelled 5 minutes later when a great move through the middle ended with Woodall flicking the ball on for Mickey Lyons who slotted home.
It only looked a matter of time before Gresley added to their tally as they pounded the home defence. Marshall headed Tom Betteridge's cross wide and Jamie Barrett fired Woodall's pull back just wide of the far post.
With Gresley pressing forward they were caught flat on 73 minutes when Gedling scored with only their second attempt on goal. A ball through the middle was expertly flicked past a defender by Warren Hatfield who then continued his run and slotted the ball past an exposed Simon Baldwin.
Gresley continued to apply the pressure but couldn't find the killer touch. The nearest they got to levelling was when Rob Spencer crashed his shot on the turn against an upright with ten minutes remaining.
Manager's View
"I'm disappointed that we dominated the game so much but didn't get anything but that's football! I struggle to remember a defeat where we've been on top of the game so much but you have to finish sides off.
"Credit to Gedling they went a man down and even before they had the keeper sent off we'd had five or six really good half chances maybe clear cut chances but not taken any of them.
"The debate on the bench was as to whether we'd have preferred the goal or the man sent off. I don't like playing against ten men and for the second time already this season we've dropped points. It was slightly different today because we rode our look at Radcliffe and got a point there.
"But, today you can't play much better than that and lose a football match. The difference today was in and around the box, the chances we had - good chances in both halves but it was the final ball that let us down.
"I can't hammer the lads for that performance and I'm not going to. The level we were at is almost where we want it to be all the time.
"The first half was probably the best forty five we've played this season so far but they (Gedling) dug in there and defended resiliently. Bits didn't drop for us in the box or we haven't been moving in the box looking for bits and bobs and we've ended up losing the game. I'm disappointed definitely but not in the performance.
"Although we have a game on Tuesday I want to go away for ten minutes and reflect on what's happened with the staff and have a little look at things. Mark Blount will not be available as he goes on holiday tomorrow so there will be a change there. We've got the skipper (Carl Slater) away at the moment and we've got to decide whether to bring him back in or have him on the bench.
"I'm not going to make wholesale changes because overall I thought it was a good performance. If people see this result and weren't at the game may sit up and say 'oh what's happened there?'
"Gedling are a good side, they've got the same points as us in the league but we've got no God given right to come anywhere and win games.
"Anyone who was here today will think that we have come away without a point or even three points is harsh but that's football and that's why we all love it.
"It'll hurt and it'll hurt me until I start thinking about Tuesday's game. Credit to Gedling because they've grafted for three points and apart for the two goals I don't think Simon (Baldwin) had a save to make and we are guilty of wastefulness in the other box.
"It's all about getting the ball in the net. We've played games were we've been dominated and come out with a draw or a win and it's happened today. I can't have a go at the lads' overall performance but what we can have a go at is that we were very wasteful in front of their goal. We are averaging three or four goals a game but we've only got one today. On another day we would have won that game, yes we wasted three points today but there is a long way to go!"
