Pre-Season Friendly
The Moat Ground, Church Gresley
Tuesday, 19th July 2011, 7.30pm
Lions Tamed
Heanor Town left The Moat Ground reeling after receiving quite a pummelling from a rampant Gresley side in the first pre-season friendly at home.
Town found themselves four-nil down at halftime through three goals from Royce Turville and a first Gresley goal from Jermaine Gordon only to have their agony compounded in the second half as the home side rattled in four more this time substitute Richard Hanslow scoring a brace with Rob Spencer adding another and Town's Brett Peel heading past his own keeper. David Moon managed to get on the score sheet for the visitors.
Heanor started well with Ash Grayson drawing out a superb save from Darren Keeling but Gresley slowly began to take charge with some fine flowing football. Marc Goodfellow made a good run down the left but his shot was pushed away by visiting keeper Jack Harvey as Gresley started to look threatening.
They took the lead on 24 minutes when what appeared to be a shot from the right by Gordon was steered into the net by Turville with a diving header. Four minutes later Gresley doubled their lead and Gordon was involved again. After making a good run down the left the big striker finished the move by looping a shot over Harvey and into the far corner of the net.
On the half hour Town should have narrowed the gap when Dan Williams blazed shot well over the bar after his first was blocked.
Gordon was having a good game and was involved in Gresley's third goal. A run down the right ended with him sliding a pass inside which Turville met with a vicious volley that gave Harvey no chance.
Turville completed his hat trick on the stroke of half time. Goodfellow tried to cross the ball from the left only to have the ball blocked by the arm of a defender. At first the referee Dan Andrews allowed play to go in only to have his attention brought to his assistant who had his flag across signalling he'd seen an infringement in the area and after a brief few words the referee pointed to the spot. Turville took the kick easily beating Harvey for goal number four.
Several changes were made at the break and it was one of those changes that added goal number five. Tom Betteridge made his way down the left and crossed for Hanslow to finish with a low shot.
Hanslow almost added another two minutes later but his shot was well blocked. The rebound fell for Spencer who conspired to smash the ball against the top of the bar from a couple of yards out, a feat he couldn't have repeated even if he'd have stayed at the Moat trying all night or possibly all year!
Heanor went close on 58 minutes with Williams flashing a shot just wide of Keeling's far post. Gordon then went close to adding to his tally when he was put through one-on-one but he delayed his shot long enough for Harvery to dive bravely at his feet taking the ball off his toes.
Town did chalk one off with a superb strike on 66 minutes from substitute Dave Moon that left Keeling rooted to the spot as the ball flew past him.
Almost from the re-start Gresley added number six but this goal came from the unfortunate Peel who, under pressure from Gordon, headed over his advancing keeper.
Hanslow added number seven on 76 minutes after Mickey Lyon's low cross from the right was helped into Hanslow's path by a defender and the invitation was cheerfully accepted as he smashed the ball past Harvey.
The final goal of the game came two minutes later and was arguably the best of the lost. A superb long diagonal pass from Ash Day found substitute Aaron Dillon who raced down the right before sending a low cross into the box for Spencer to knock in from close in.
Gresley could have rubbed salt in the very raw Heanor wounds by adding two more goals late on but Jack Coulson headed Dillon's cross narrowly over the bar and Hanslow running onto a great through ball shot over the bar with only the keeper to beat.
Heanor will certainly play worse than they did tonight and win because they are a good side but if Gresley can take this form into the new season, then we are in for an exciting nine months.
