EastMidlands Counties League
The Moat Ground, Church Gresley
Tuesday, 22nd September 2009, 7.45pm
Gresley Back To Winning Ways
For the third game on the trot Gresley could have taken an early lead as Rob Spencer blasted a shot just over the bar with barely a minute on the clock. Barrow also went close 6 minutes later when Dave Hollis headed Phil Garner's cross wide.
Gresley were handed the lead on 15 minutes when Brian Woodall was put through but inexplicably The Riversider's keeper former Moatman Tom Allen raised his foot when collecting the ball hitting Woodall in the chest.
Referee Mr Storer had no alternative but to point to spot and Allen was fortunate to be showed only a yellow card. Jamie Barrett scored with the help of the underside of the bar.
On 26 minutes Stefan Marshall was unfortunate not to have registered his first goal of the season but the assistant referee somehow adjudged the big striker to be offside.
Allen then atoned for his earlier mistake by making a very good block as Marshall was again put through on goal.
On 33 minutes Gresley doubled their score when a cross from Mickey Lyons was headed past Allen and into the far corner by Rob Spencer.
Woodall almost added the third as he stole the ball on the edge of the area only to see his stinging shot come back off a post.
Blackwell went very close to reducing the deficit almost on the halftime whistle when a superb shot from Ade Adelukan seemed to heading for the back of the net but Gresley keeper Simon Baldwin somehow managed to get a fingertip to the ball and push it onto the post. Then seconds later after Baldwin had parried a shot Adelukan blazed his shot over the bar when very well placed.
Within four minutes of the re-start Gresley added a third when Woodall superbly controlled the ball on the edge of the area, turned and fired an unstoppable low shot past the static Allen.
Marshall then scored number four when Ian Whittall slipped just inside the area and the striker took advantage strolled in from the right and virtually walked the ball into the net at the near post.
The Riversiders got a consolation goal on 62 minutes when a corner from the left was not dealt with by the home defenders and Stuart Wilson was allowed to head the ball home.
This seemed to encourage the visitors has they had two decent chance minutes later. First Ash Wignall shot wide and then Dave Hollis fired wide with the goal gaping.
Woodall was once more denied by the woodwork when he curled a great shot past the stranded Allen but this time saw his shot come back off the bar.
A moment of indecision in the home defence handed Adelukan a golden chance but the striker could only head wide from a good position.
The final goal of the game came as a result of a fine move down the left. Adam Betteridge picked out substitute Royce Turville with a terrific cross field pass. Turville, instead of trying his luck, saw fellow substitute Matt Weightman in space in the area and unselfishly squared the ball for Weightman to slot home.
Turville himself almost got on the score sheet deep into time added on but Allen made a fine save to deny him.
Manager's View
"I'm pleased we got the three points but very disappointed we didn't keep a clean sheet but saying that how we defended for large chunks in the second half it was inevitable we were going to get caught.
"They had some clear-cut opportunities and we just stopped working collectively, not just the back four, but as a defensive unit from the front two onwards we weren't holding it upfront.
"They were banging bodies forward and when we had the opportunity to hold the ball up front while they were throwing bodies forward we didn't and the ball was coming back and for twenty minutes we took a pummelling but fortunately we were four nil up at the time.
"We've got to make sure that the soft underbelly that sometimes shows itself as it did on Saturday - you can't pummel a side like we did and let them score two goals and expect to win football matches. Fortunately tonight we'd got the comfort of a few goals lead.
"We missed Mark (Blount) tonight at the back organisationally and it didn't help when we had to bring Gareth (Langford) off because he was feeling unwell. He looked unwell before the game and at half time so that didn't help.
"I don't know if they took their foot off the pedal when we went four nil up but we stopped working and they visibly grew and credit to them they didn't stop running right until the final whistle even though they were five-one down in the end.
"That's what we've got to instil in our players and the commitment and desire Barrow showed tonight regardless of the score line, we've got to show the same hunger and desire. If we do and can get that we will do okay but if we don't we will do well some weeks and not so well other weeks.
"Going forward ordinarily isn't going to be a problem. Saturday was a one off. Ninety nine times out of a hundred you play like that and you will win the game, we didn't and that happens time to time.
"We have got goals in us but our concern is we need to get a little bit more solid. There bench for a lot of the time were on about the pressure the home crowd was putting on the referee. There might be something in that in some respects but we've got to make sure that when we play away from home we make sure that we can be more solid than we are.
"The last goal typifies our mentality. We've got Adam Betteridge bombing down the left wing when we want him to keep his shape as we were being pummelled but he put a great cross in and we scored from it.
"But, I'd rather be winning game one or two nil looking more solid. But having said that we were two nil up at half time. I'd be a livid as they were if we'd have had a penalty like that against us. All Tom's (Allen) done was to protect himself and lifted his knee up as you see all keepers do all the time. Now whether the referee has seen him rake down on Brian Woodall or not I don't know but I'd have been livid if that penalty had been given against us.
"It was a key decision at a key time and it lifted us but having said that we had Stef's (Marshall) goal disallowed from a cross when it's arguable whether he was offside or not. We've had Brian go one-on-one and hit the post; we've had Stef go through on a one-on-one so I think we deserved the three points tonight.
"We nearly didn't score from the penalty spot again, we nearly messed it up but we didn't. I think the score flattered us to some extent if you look at the balance over the ninety minutes but we deserved to win.
"It was an entertaining game, end to end. A neutral would have gone away happy with his money's worth but we've got to improve defensively. We'll work on it and we'll work on fitness as they are not fit enough yet,
"Carl Slater was on the bench because I didn't want to change things much. Mickey Lyons and Jamie Barrett did well in midfield on Saturday; overall we played well as a team. If we'd have been beaten and played poorly then yes, we may have made one or two changes but we didn't. Yes, we lost the game but I don't think anyone who was there would say we played poorly because we didn't. The game should have been won convincingly but that's football.
"I didn't think it fair to penalise the lads by making knee jerk reactions and changes. I thought the lads in there, for most part, did well again tonight. We'll have to see as we've got some good options now as a squad for the first time in a long time and I hope that will stand us in good stead and we can go on a little run again because we've been a bit stop start so far this season and put us in a good position."
