East Midlands Counties League
Crompston Road, Anstey
Monday, 30th August 2010, 3.00pm
Hanslow's Hot Hat-Trick Helps Gresley Home
A rapid second half hat-trick from young striker Richard Hanslow helped Gresley to their highest score since forming just over twelve months ago. Other goals were added by Brian Woodall (2), Gareth Langford, Chris Bate, Jordi Gough and a fourth goal for Hanslow at the end of the game.
Gresley started in the best way possible by scoring after just three minutes when Liam Hebberd's run down the right ended with a perfect cross for Langford to powerfully head past the stunned Nomads keeper Ryan Simmonds.
Further pressure from the visitors saw Bate fire well over the bar from distance but a slight hesitation from the keeper led to Gresley's goal. The ball was rolling towards the edge of the area and Simmonds seemed to be caught in two minds and Woodall took advantage robbing him of the ball and coolly jogging the ball into the empty net.
On 19 minutes Tom Land was unlucky to see his header from Woodall's corner fly just the wrong side of the far post.
Although two goals down Anstey to their credit continued to play good flowing, passing football but unfortunately with no end result as their moves broke down in the final third.
It was Gresley who looked the more likely to add to their tally with Woodall curling a shot just wide but on 26 minutes the Nomads' cause was not helped when their skipper Jimmy Latham, lying on the floor, kicked out at Mickey Lyons. Unfortunately ten minutes earlier Latham had received a yellow card for a tangle with Langford who was also booked, and so his second yellow from referee Dan Tracey saw the midfielder trudge off the field with a red card to his name.
Simmonds was by far the busier of the two keepers but he couldn't prevent Woodall claiming his second goal of the game when he met Hebberd's superb cross from the right heading in at the far post. Unfortunately this was the last action for Hebberd as he retired injured with three minutes of the half remaining to be replaced by Hanslow.
Jamie Barrett was the provider of the cross that saw Bate at the far post who headed past Simmonds to send Gresley in for the break four nil up.
Within 10 minutes of the second half starting Gresley went close three times with Carl Slater having his effort well blocked by Simmonds , Woodall's delicate chip slip wide and Adam Betteridge's shot deflected over the bar.
Hanslow's first proper touch of the game was a poor one but he certainly made up for that by rattling in three goals in as many minutes.
The first came on 59 minutes when Hanslow was picked out by Woodall and the young striker turned his marker on the edge of the area and slammed the ball past the keeper.
Within the next two minutes Hanslow similarly added two more goals in an incredible spell of football that saw Gresley almost untouchable.
Anstey were rocked back on their heels and on 64 minutes to add to their misery Gough added goal number eight. His first attempt on goal was blocked but he followed up quickly and fired home.
Gresley did have the ball in the net again six minutes later through Lee Sutton but it was ruled out for an offside.
Land again went close with a volley that screamed by the far post and on 80 minutes Simmonds made two very good blocks in succession to deny both Sutton and Hanslow.
Hanslow topped off a good performance with the final goal of the game and Gresley's ninth on 89 minutes. Receiving the ball with his back to goal just outside the area it looked as if he couldn't find a team mate to pass to so he turned and tricked his way past two defenders and dinked the ball home past Simmonds.
Manager's View
"I'm very delighted. It was important that we got off to a good start today and we did just that. We got an early goal and that seemed to give the confidence and the lift to the lads carrying on from Saturday's performance.
"The only criticism we had of the Greenwood game was that we didn't get going on a bobbly pitch. It was a similar pitch today although it had a bit more give in it because of the dampness in it but we managed to get the ball down and prove that you can play football on not the best surfaces but that's not a criticism of the pitch because it's very hard to keep pitches in good condition.
"In the warm-up you could see one or two bobbling around but we got it down and tried to play some good stuff and it's important.
"Gareth Langford adds that bit of bite. We've missed that while he's been away on holiday. Martin Rowe, Martyn Rowntree and myself have been chatting about in certain games how we might set up the team a little bit differently away from home particularly for the first period of the game because last year - and I hate to keep comparing it to last year - but that's the only yardstick we've got in this league, there were a number of times when we went away from home and we were slow starting in games and found ourselves chasing games early.
"We are going to have off games and we had one the other night. There have been plenty of great days in the last season or so and some good football played but we are going to have off days like the other night. It's a case of trying to grind something out of those games and can we get a point out of similar circumstances when we're not performing.
"It was very harsh on Anstey having the guy sent off and to then concede the amount of goals they did and when you're standing on the side lines at six or seven and still encouraging the lads and trying to get them to do the right habits I felt embarrassed about it but it was important that we kept trying to do the right things and kept trying to play the right football.
"Liam Hebberd came off just before halftime as a precaution. Liam put a good shift in on Saturday and by the very nature of the makeup of his body he's always going to be tight and to play so soon after a high tempo game there were one or two lads who were tight today.
"Brian Woodall called me today to say his groin and hamstrings were tight and he needed a fitness test before the game and Liam in the first half hour or so looked as if his movement was restricted a little bit and we took him off as a precaution when it was three-nil but had a hand in all three goals. He'd had a cracking half hour and not really opened himself out. Being in a comfortable position we took the sensible decision to get him off and he's got the rest of the week to recover and get himself right for Saturday.
"Before Richard Hanslow scored his hat-trick he missed an easy chance by his standard. I've been saying all along that the kid can finish; fifty plus goals in the league below us we saw something that we wanted to bring to Gresley and it's just frustrating for him that he hasn't just got the base fitness in from pre-season and we've already had interest in him from other clubs and that interest has now expired and it's two games past and he's still with us.
"Richard has come on today and we wanted to get him on the pitch as soon as we could and he came on in the first half. He had a little purple patch and you won't see finishes like that at even a higher standard very often and everyone of them and particularly the fourth when he waltzed through the box with four or players around him and he managed to find the space to twist and turn and put it away and that's what he can do. We're mindful of that but also mindful of the fact that he's not as match fit as he could be and we're trying to ease him into it. It's important that we don't just throw him on there and he just blows up. He was brilliant and I'm very pleased for him and he thoroughly deserves it and he's been very patient and it gives us a good headache.
"It's still silly season. I thought holidays were over but Tom Betteridge flew out on Sunday for a break; Mickey Lyons is at a wedding this coming Saturday that he can't really get out of being it's his sister and Brian Woodall goes away a week on Sunday as well and will miss four games including the FA Cup. It is frustrating but I've always said at this level of football that when you're only paying expenses you can't dictate when they take their holidays and like myself you can't dictate when your family decide to get married so it's difficult. I've asked the lads in the dressing room if there are anymore holidays - I think Jordi Gough's away a little bit in September but I think we'll be through the back end of it when Brian's holiday is over.
"I spoke to Royce Turville on Friday and he ruled himself out for Saturday and Monday and pleasingly we've come through both games and won them. In retrospect with Brian being away for the FA Cup game we are going to give Royce as much time as we can to try and get him fit but we're also mindful of the fact that if we leave him out too long he's going to lose that match fitness that he's struggled to build because he hasn't hit the ground running. We'll have a look at that and probably do some specific work with him so we don't open him out on hard pitches and get him on a bike, swimming pool and things like that and do things that won't harm his calf.
"It's similar with Oliver Hancock and we need to get him right. He thinks he's in with a chance for Saturday but we'll assess that at training on Thursday and just see what shape he's in and depending on the players we have a round and whose fit we may give him that little bit longer as well. It's frustrating not just for the player but for the club when they keep breaking down because they are big players for us.
"Rob Spencer was working today. He came in last Saturday and put a man-of-the-match performance in and then not available at Greenwood, put a good shift in on Saturday by all accounts and he's not available today. The one thing is when Rob is available you know what you'll get from him whether he's on the pitch or off the bench he'll give you one hundred and ten percent. We've got enough cover at the moment within the squad to cope with things like that.
"We didn't have enough to fill the bench today. Someone spoke to me about the number of players we're supposed to have signed on yet most games this season we've struggled to fill the bench but if anyone can remind me of anyone else we've got available - brilliant!
"Rob is an important player for us and it is frustrating for Rob and for the club. Obviously you pay your bills and put food on the table with your job and sometimes it's difficult for him to change shifts.
"We have two important games coming up on Saturday and Tuesday. I'm looking forward to Saturday to renew acquaintances with Mickey Galloway who with Craig and Glenn at Heanor are probably the three guys I'm closest to in this league. I've know Mickey since he got the job at Gedling and he's done a great job. They knocked us out of the league cup last year so I'm looking for a bit of revenge on that one and Mickey will be looking to put one over us again but off the pitch we are in regular contact during the season.
"Craig and Glen at Heanor will have learnt from last season. They've assembled a good side this season. I went to watch them against Borrowash in the FA Cup and they were unlucky to get knocked out."
