Gresley Rovers vs Corby Town
Marvellous Marsden - Andy Parker - Burton Mail
Tony Marsden grabbed another priceless goal last night as Gresley Rovers wrested victory from Corby Town at the Moat Ground.
The midfielder - scorer of his team's late equaliser at Gloucester on Saturday - was again the man of the moment when he dived to convert a 69th minute Richard Denby free kick with a spectacular close-range header and put the Steelmen to the sword.
It was a sweet moment for watching boss Steve Dolby who said afterwards: "I was particularly pleased that the goal came from a free kick. Corby stopped us playing by giving away a lot of niggly fouls but football has come out on top. It was a good free kick and a great finish by Marsden.
"I was disappointed with our first half performance. They closed us down quickly and in the end we resorted to knocking long ball over the top, and that's not our game. We said at half time that we'd got to match their aggression and start playing football. We did that and we got our rewards."
Rovers with two up front, had started well with Mark Hurst and Simon Osborne each carving out a half chance for the other in the opening exchanges but Corby then assumed control of midfield, former Forest winger Calvin Plummer sending a header just wide of Bob Aston's post after a 20th-minute short corner routine.
When Mark Hurst shot straight at the keeper 10 minutes later it marked Rovers' first direct goal attempt but as the half eased to a conclusion Marsden and then Osborne brought another encouraging crowd to life with dipping efforts that former Rams trialist Chris McKenzie tipped to safety.
That set the trend for an attacking second half display with Osborne again going close early on, Hurst's superb reverse pass putting the striker clear only to shoot disappointingly wide with only McKenzie to beat.
Undeterred, Osborne then set up Hurst for a diagonal shot that was too close to the keeper before Town's skipper Doug Keast responded with a 30 yard effort that flew just off target.
Moments later only a superb save by Aston kept the scoresheet blank, the keeper arching to tip away Dave Hofbauer's close-range shot after Plummer had nodded on a left wing free kick.
Rovers survived the scare, though, to score the decisive goal. Dave Swainston made a dogged run along the left only to be upended near the touch-line and when Denby whipped in the free kick Marsden ignored the flying boots to crash the ball past McKenzie.
Corby, disappointingly, did little to try and claw back the deficit and substitute Chris Moore could have added a second for Rovers with his first touch after Denby had set up Marsden for a fierce cross shot but the youngster failed to turn the ball over the line from close range.
Gresley Rovers (0) 1
Corby Town (0) 0
Scorer: Marsden 69.
Gresley Rovers: Aston, Dick, Swainston, Denby, Land, Stanborough, Wardle (Moore 79), Marsden, Osborne, Elliott, Hurst (Weston 88).
Corby Town: McKenzie, Rettalick, Devine (Walker 82), Keast, McElhinney, Gunn, Rayment, Archer, Hofbauer, McInerney, Plummer. Sub not used: Collins.
Gresley man-of-the-match: Richard Denby.
Referee: D Shadwell (Bromsgrove).
Attendance: 765
