East Midlands Counties League
The Moat Ground, Church Gresley
Saturday, 7th August 2010, 3.00pm
Woodall Wonder Goal Sets Gresley On Their Way
A wonder goal from Brian Woodall got Gresley off to the perfect start in their first game of the new season. The Moat Ground favourite added his second from the spot at the end of the game.
Richard Butler in the first half and Lee Sutton in the second had added to the score to make it a comfortable start for the Moatmen.
Gresley were soon putting Blackwell under pressure and former Moatman Gary Castledine was fortunate not to have been penalised when he appeared to push the ball away from inside the area for a corner with his arm which referee Mr Howard missed.
The opening goal on 16 minutes was worth the entrance fee alone when Woodall caught Blackwell's keeper cold with a sublime effort. Woodall received the ball wide on the right just inside the Miners' half and noticing that the keeper John Stryring was well off his line hit an audacious lob that sent Stryring scurrying back but although he got a hand to the ball couldn't prevent it from nestling in the back of the net much to the delight of the supporters and Woodall's team mates alike.
Gresley were well on top but just could not find the killer punch to add to their total. They went close 22 minutes when Mickey Lyons' corner from the left found Jamie Barrett whose header was cleared off the line. A Woodall shot from the right fizzed past the post with the Blackwell side chasing shadows.
The second goal that looked certain to have arrived earlier in the game came with just two minutes of the first half remaining.
An inch perfect pass from Tom Betteridge sent Butler racing down the right. He cut into the area and coolly chipped the ball past the helpless Styring.
Within two minutes of the second half starting Gresley should have added a third goal but Lyons somehow managed to spoon his shot over the bar when just a couple of yards out.
Blackwell's first effort on goal came on 55 minutes but striker Christian Harrison was wayward with his shooting and the shot went well over the bar.
Harrison had another half chance five minutes later but this time his tame effort went straight at Hateley.
Sutton then fired a shot across the face of the visitors' goal but on 65 minutes the goal Gresley deserved came.
A slick footballing move saw Woodall pick out Lyons who in turn found Jordi Gough wide on the left. The youngster beat his marker before unselfishly squaring the ball for Sutton to smash into the net from close in.
Substitute Richard Hanslow within a couple of minutes of coming on but his shot went straight into the midriff of Styring.
The visitors were visibly beginning to wilt but Carl Slater, full of running, powered his way into the area but disappointed himself by putting his shot over the bar.
Somewhat against the run of the game the Miners scored their consolation goal. On 80 minutes Lewis McGuiness was given far too much time and space to make a run down the left and he subsequently picked out Oliver Ridgeway who scuffed his shot into the empty net much to Hateley's annoyance.
With six minutes of the game remaining Tom Land went close heading Lyons' corner from the right just wide of the far post and then Lyons made a fine dash into the area and the keeper managed to get a hand on the ball slowing it down sufficiently for a defender to clear off the line.
On 87 minutes Gough bust into the area only to be pulled back by Matthew Herrett. The referee getting confirmation from his assistant pointed to the spot. Mr Howard surprised everyone in the Moat Ground by showing a yellow card to Herrett instead of the warranted straight red as he was the last man. However, the defender had already been shown a yellow earlier in the game and the referee subsequently flashed the red card to give him his marching orders.
Woodall, who had been waiting patiently, picked up the ball placed it on the spot and blasted the ball past Styring.
Blackwell had one final chance when Land got the wrong side of Harrison but once more the final shot was a poor one and the ball rolled well wide of the target.
Manager's View
"I'm always pleased to get off to a three point start and a win and it was important for us to do that. It's hard to make any judgements with the first game.
"We knew from last year when we had a convincing win in the first game and the expectation levels went up and people thought we were going to run off with the league by Christmas with some of the comments coming out.
"We knew we were going to face a hard working Blackwell side today and so it proved but concentrating on ourselves which is the important thing we've got a four one win but there were a lot of areas of improvement in that.
"We are not fit enough yet, we've had a disrupted pre-season with several players not quite match fit yet so we'll work on that.
"I was frustrated that Royce Turville had to pull out during the warm-up. It really is frustrating as it's not the calf he's got a problem with it's the other calf which is a real concern for us now. Hopefully we can get him right for next week and we'll have a look in midweek.
"The disappointing thing for me throughout the whole ninety minutes was the ease we gave the ball away at time in good positions and I think that took the gloss off it a little bit, we controlled the game and we could have been a little bit more convincing.
"T he gilt edged chances we missed we can't afford to miss because there are going to be many games when we can't afford to sky over the bar from underneath it and sloppy offsides and the last final third balls straight into the keeper's hands when not under a lot of pressure.
"So, there are lots of things to work on but a big pat on the back for the lads because they've won the game and got three points but if we can improve on those things we'll be fine.
"The goal we conceded disappointed me. I thought our back four worked fairly hard today and restricted them to half opportunities. We got the ball into wide areas and put some crosses in and never fell to a red shirt. They put one cross in and it fell to their forward and he put it in very smartly. It's just a shame that we're not so clinical up the other end.
"It is disappointing not to have kept a clean sheet and Gary Hateley is beating himself up in the dressing room because he really wanted the clean sheet and the back four wanted it but that's how it goes sometimes. But, we scored four at the other end and got the three points."
