East Midlands Counties League
The Recreation Ground, Radcliffe
Saturday, 29th August 2009, 3.00pm
Points Shared At Radcliffe
Gresley made their first trip to The Recreation Ground to play Radcliffe Olympic last season's Central Midland League Supreme Division champions.
The ground is very exposed as a parks pitch and this made the blustery conditions difficult for both sides.
The visitors made the better start and took the lead after 11 minutes. Reiss Morley did well to hold the ball up before laying it back to his skipper Carl Slater who unleashed a terrific dipping shot from 25 yards that beat keeper James Mountain despite him getting a hand to it.
Radcliffe's best opportunity came six minutes later when another long-range shot from Wes Spencer was pushed away for a corner by Gresley keeper Simon Baldwin.
Olympic were putting in some robust challenges that referee Mr Brooks eventually had to penalise with a raft of yellow cards.
Just after the half hour Olympic went close to levelling when a corner from the right was headed back across the goal by Wes Spencer to Alex Haughton whose header sailed over the bar.
Right on the halftime whistle Gresley was the width of a post from doubling their lead when Jamie Barrett's header clattered the woodwork with Mountain beaten.
Gresley went close just seven minutes into the second half when a free kick from James Davies ended just inches in front of the inrushing Brian Woodall. Woodall went close once more on 54 minutes firing substitute's Oliver Hancock's cross just wide.
Olympic's tackling was getting what it deserved as more players went into the referee's book and their constant arguing with the officials looked certain to be punished and so it was when skipper Craig Anderson received his second yellow for a cynical tackle on Slater.
However, this seemed to spur the home side on and Gresley came under pressure although it was the visitors who had the best chance when Barrett's free kick found Woodall who lashed a vicious shot that went straight at Mountain and the ball stuck in the keeper's hands.
On 66 minutes Olympic levelled when a cross from the right was not cleared and substitute former Moatman Nicky Kennerdale was on hand to scramble the ball home.
Bizarrely Olympic had another red card but the player wasn't on the pitch at the time. Alex Haughton had been substituted a few minutes earlier but something he either said or did towards the assistant referee saw him receive a red card.
Olympic went very close when Kennerdale yards offside was allowed to run into the Gresley area. Baldwin made a fine block at his near post and the ball flew into the air and Kennerdale headed past the far post.
Well into time added on Gresley had one last chance to take all three points but Tom Betteridge's shot hit the bar.
Manager's View
"From the position we were in one-nil up and them going down to ten men you've got to look at it as probably two points dropped.
"Having said that after going one-nil down Radcliffe were positive and got the ball forward quickly and the scrapped a goal out which was disappointing.
"The manner of their goals was disappointing because we looked a lot more solid today and we restricted them. Simon (Baldwin) has not had too many saves to make today.
"The difference for us was that we are not clinical enough in the final third. We've had some good chances today and we've either not hit the target or their keeper has made a couple of good saves.
"On balance of play a draw was a fair result but we just edged the more clear cut chances and didn't manage to take them but from a defensive point of view we looked a little more solid today so we've got to take the positives from that.
"We've got to learn and learn quickly that coming to some of these sides they get stuck in and are very physical and we've got to learn to accommodate that.
"The pitch didn't help in trying to get the ball down and getting the ball moving as quickly as we would like but overall it's a point and the confidence dropping in the last couple of games this was a step in the right direction but we are nowhere near where we want to be yet.
"I was pleased with the whole of the back four in many respects. Gareth Langford was struggling a little bit his hip flexor was a bit tight and he twisted a knee up there near the end but overall the back four looked fairly solid but obviously we just lapsed once and allowed a sloppy goal. We've not reacted and they reacted quickest in the box to stick the loose ball in.
"Apart from that I can't remember too many clear cut things that Simon has had to deal with; he's not had many saves to make.
"In contrast offensively we had some offensive players who weren't quite at it today. Brian (Woodall) wasn't his usual bubbly self although he did cause problems when we moved him over to the right but I still feel at times that we try to walk the ball into the net instead of being more clinical.
"Tom Betteridge had two really, really good chances but snatched at them and maybe a little bit more composure and maybe we'd have snatched the win.
"I can't be too critical of the lads because they worked really hard but we've just got to be that bit better in the final third.
"We are quickly learning that some of these sides out here, with due respect to them, are very, very physical. I don't know what they put in the water around here but the substitutes came bigger and bigger and bigger. Nicky Kennerdale's come on; he had a few games for Gresley a few years ago.
"We've got to match sides like that and then we've got to make sure that we then play our football. They (Radcliffe) have won their opening three games and won in the cup so they are no mugs. That's been proved in the last week and they are on the up. They came up this season and they are developing the site and we are not going to have it all our own way this season and it's been proved this week and today was a continuation of that. We are learning quickly and we've got to get better quickly.
"We come back here in the league cup and it's a tough place to come and maybe we will have the chance to go one better and I'm sure they'll be looking to do the same.
"I thought with ten men they were as good as us with eleven and they put us under a lot of pressure. They are no mugs and we've got to ensure that we improve the next time we visit.
"We held Royce Turville back and he trained with Sam Macgregor our physio on Thursday and we were quite confident having him off the bench all the problems were over but we seem to be back to square one with Royce.
"Reisse (Morley) has picked a foot injury up that is a concern. He was available for Monday but he'll be struggling and I don't think he'll be fit, Royce certainly won't be! Gareth Langford's twisted a knee near the end. We could only put four on the bench today.
"Stef (Marshall) is not quite right, his hamstring still keeps concerning us so we're back to where we were maybe a couple of weeks ago when we needed to get players back so we'll have to have a look at it over the next twenty four hours and see if we can draft one or two players in to join the squad for Monday!"
