East Midlands Counties League
The Ron Steel Ground, Dunkirk, Nottingham
Saturday, 20th March 2010, 3.00pm
Lyons Sees Red As Gresley Falter
A dubious decision from referee Mr Guise sending Gresley's Mickey Lyons off late in the first half turned this game on its head and in favour of the home side and possibly ended any hopes of Gresley winning the league title for this season.
Lyons had two minutes earlier put his side in the lead when a poor tackle wasn't helped by the very wet surface as he slid in was harshly adjudged by the referee as a straight red card much to the annoyance of the Gresley players and officials.
Up until that point Gresley had been comfortably in charge of the game and deserved their one goal advantage.
Gresley manager was forced to make several changes to his squad bringing in Ravi Sangha, Paul Friel, and David Williams from the reserves and veteran Micky Lonergan to bolster his side.
Stefan Marshall had a glimmer of a chance on 11 minutes making a good run down the right before firing his shot over the bar.
Gresley were caught flat footed seven minutes later when Aiden Brady found himself one-on-one with keeper Gary Hateley but hit a poor shot well wide of the target.
Marshall was unlucky not to have given his side the lead on 22 minutes. A good run down the side ended with a shot that cleared Dunkirk keeper Nick Ivanov but unfortunately clattered the bar and went over.
Dunkirk's Shannon Grant forced a superb save out of Hateley was the keeper managed to get a fingertip on the ball to push it onto the bar.
The visitors took the lead on 42 minutes when he finished a run through the middle with a low shot that beat Ivanov and into the bottom corner of the net.
Lyon's red card just two minutes later virtually handed the game to their hosts.
Dunkirk started the second half looking to take advantage of the extra man and soon had Gresley on the back foot forcing three successive corners.
On 49 minutes Lee Day found himself with just Hateley to beat but embarrassingly shot well wide. However, three minutes later Dunkirk found themselves level. A ball down the right was not dealt with by Richard Butler and a cross was handled by Jamie Barrett in the area as he tried to clear the ball.
Day took the spot kick and blasted the ball past the helpless Hately. Just two minutes later the home side took the lead when again the Gresley defence was caught flat footed and Grant was in on goal and he coolly slotted the ball past the exposed Hateley.
The game was as good as over on 57 minutes for Gresley when Dunkirk added their third goal in just five minutes. A farcical decision yet again from Mr Guise lead to the goal when he chose to book Dunkirk's skipper Andy Frawley for a dive in the area and although the home side clearly put the ball over the by-line the referee bizarrely awarded a corner which was swung into the area and Lee Beck was able to poke the ball home from close in.
Gresley looked a beaten side and a superb save from Hateley saved his side another goal pushing Darren Garmston's stinging shot away for a corner.
On 64 minutes Jamie Barrett was inches away from reducing the deficit planting his header just wide of the far post.
Gough then caused panic in the home defence when he hit a great shot that deflected off a defender and over the head of Ivanov but also just over the bar.
The keeper was in action again making a fine save from Gough but with time rapidly disappearing for Gresley, Dunkirk added a fourth giving the score-line a somewhat unjust look about it.
Dunkirk substitute Ben Middleton sent over a cross-cum-shot that Hateley did well to tip over the bar. The resultant corner was taken by Garmston from the left and the ball came into the box and hit Anthony Gregory who knew nothing about it and the ball ended in the net.
As the game drew to a conclusion a foul on Gresley substitute Lonergan by Beck illustrated the inconstancy of the officiating as just a yellow was awarded when the tackle was no better than the one that saw Lyons heading for the dressing room.
