East Midlands Counties League
The Moat Ground, Church Gresley
Saturday, 20th November 2010, 3.00pm
Gresley Leapfrog Leaders To The Top
In front of the largest home league crowd since their formation Gresley leapfrogged their visitors Borrowash Victoria to take top spot in the East Midlands Counties League.
A close fought first half was brought to life with a Richard Butler free kick on 43 minutes but Gresley hit three more second half goals through Gareth Langford, Rob Spencer and substitute Brian Woolley to take all three points.
The Vics came out looking determined and Gresley were being pinned back before Spencer curled a fine shot just around the far post. A spell of corners in quick succession failed to give Vics any rewards for their efforts.
On 34 minutes a late challenge from Barry Woolley resulted in a twenty one man melee. Woolley had reacted to visiting keeper Danny Tollerfield spilling a shot but the big defender was a little late and accidently caught Tollerfield who'd managed to grab the ball on the ground.
The Borrowash players reacted angrily and soon the referee Mr Richardson was surrounded in a ruck of players and ended up being pushed to the ground. Sending Woolley away to await his punishment the referee eventually calmed the situation down and showed the Gresley defender a yellow card. Mr Richardson then indicated that Sam Kellogg should also approach him and to the player's surprise and the Borrowash bench's anger the referee brandished a straight red car for whatever had happened in the melee.
Tempers were still up when David Blenkinsopp cut in from the right but fired wide but a foul seconds later saw David Leigh receive a yellow card.
Another tackle on the right that could or rather should have seen at least another caution resulted in a free kick for the home side. Butler took the kick and Vics keeper Tollerfield was caught out as the ball floated over his head and into the far top corner.
Gresley should have doubled their advantage on the stroke of half time when Spencer was hacked down by David Leigh but this time in the area and Mr Richardson pointed to the spot. Blenkinsopp took the kick but his shot hit the inside of the left post and flew across the face off the goal and away towards the corner flag.
The homeside where almost to rue that miss because on 54 minutes a free kick on the edge of the area by Steven Banks picked out Andy Mottershead who powered a header towards goal and was unlucky to see his effort clip the top of the bar.
Gresley began to take advantage of the extra man and their second goal came from a superb footballing move. Woodall who had replaced the Royce Turville played a glorious couple of moves with fellow substitute Mickey Lyons on for Blenkinsopp, before Woodall picked out Butler wide on the left. Butler then sent in an inviting ball that was met by Langford who powered home his header at the near post.
The game was virtually ended when Spencer scored Gresley's third. Woodall made a fine run through the middle of a tiring Vics defence and played the ball through for Spencer racing down the left flank who continued his run before slotting the ball past Tollerfield and into the far bottom corner.
Seconds later Gresley almost grabbed another goal when Langford fired in a cross from the right that a visiting defender almost put into his own net but thankfully for him the ball spooned over the bar.
Borrowash were providing very little threat up front with keeper Gary Hateley a mere spectator for large parts of the second half.
Woodall was pulling the strings and almost scored when his short corner was returned to him and he looped a shot towards the far top corner of the net that Tollerfield did very well to turn the ball away for a corner.
The final goal of the game came with only two minutes remaining of normal time and again it was a result of a fine footballing move. Lyons dribbled his way into a position where he could put the perfect ball through for Woodall who strode forward and then slipped the ball past Tollerfield and into the net.
Manager's View
"Without doubt this was a massive three points for us. A big three points for whoever managed to pick them up today and fortunately it was ourselves and by doing so we've opened things up a little bit because if we'd have lost the game today and Borrowash won their game in hand the gap would have been eight points and if they win their game in hand it's down to two and they've still got to win that game in hand. It's opened things up so yes it was a huge three points for us.
"The sending off turned the game. Prior to that there was very little between the two teams no inch asked or given. It was a very bitty game in which neither side got the ball down and created clear cut chances. The keeper made a smart save, the ball was there on the rebound and Barry Woolley slid in to get it. In my own opinion I thought Barry was late. Whether is warranted a straight red card, which their manager Mark Wilson is aggrieved about, is another matter but from my own biased opinion I was glad it was only a yellow. But, you never know with referees. We were preparing for the worst and we were having a talk on the bench as to what we were going to do.
"There was something that went off in the melee only seen by the officials and a number of people near to the incident. The lads are saying in the dressing room that something naughty has gone on which deserved the red card. From my personal point of view I didn't see it but I'm sure the referee wouldn't have sent him off if he hadn't have seen something clear. You can't send anyone off if you haven't seen anything clear in a melee like that.
"Clearly it turned the game and we got the goal just before half time. I thought we'd spurned the opportunity with the penalty when David Blenkinsopp hit the post but it clearly turned the game and who knows how it would have turned out if it had remained eleven versus eleven.
"I made the change bringing Mickey Lyons and Brian Woodall on because even with ten men they were working tremendously hard and if you'd have been watching the game having come in late you wouldn't have thought it was ten versus eleven. Tremendous work rate from Borrowash and you always get that with any of Mark's (Wilson) sides.
"We felt that the extra man they had in midfield, they played very narrow but with the three in midfield, they just seemed to be picking up the second balls and putting the pressure back on us. We had the little let off from the set play that scraped the top of the bar so I felt I wanted to go back to the system we know very, very well with the main striker and Mickey (Lyons) just off him and Mickey's job when they had the ball was to be the extra man in midfield and level it up.
"By virtue of that we were then going to try and get the ball out wide because they weren't playing wide with any width at all and yes the substitutions changed the game."
