Midland Football Alliance
The Moat Ground, Church Gresley
Monday, 29th August 2011, 3.00pm
Students Are Taught Lesson
Gresley manager Gary Norton made just one change to the starting line-up that won at Highgate on Saturday with Carl Slater replacing Gareth Langford in midfield. Royce Turville took a place on the bench after coming through a fitness test prior to the game. Ashley Day also filled a substitutes slot after returning from holiday.
Loughborough University are known for their style of football and so it proved in an entertaining game at the Moat Ground. The visiting side's style also allowed Gresley to get the ball down and play the sort of passing football they are best at.
It was a cagey first period with both sides testing each other but without opening up the defences. On 28 minutes Gresley went close to opening the score when a cross from Tom Betteridge was helped on by Aaron Dillon to Slater who just couldn't reach out enough to get the ball.
Tom Betteridge was in the thick of things minutes later and after getting the better of his marker Thomas Nadin sent over a cross that Dillon blazed over the bar.
The Students' Daniel Denderfield went close shooting just wide but the half ended with Gresley pressing forward and Jermaine Gordon hitting a shot on the turn also wide.
Gresley got off to a good start in the second half forcing three quick corners all taken by Mickey Lyons one of which came to Jamie Barrett who hit a tremendous volley that was cleared off the line.
A superb long diagonal ball from Lee Barrow picked out Tom Betteridge on the left who then crossed a ball into the area where Gordon managed to get his head on the ball but unfortunately straight at The Students' keeper Brendam Hazlett.
Gresley were now on top and Richard Hanslow got on the end of a long kick from keeper Gary Hateley which was flicked on by Gordon but the young striker could only fire his shot well over the bar.
On 71 minutes Gresley were in front. Awarded a free kick just outside the left side of the area, Lyons sent over a tremendous ball to the back post where Barrett was waiting to head the ball home.
Hanslow then had a chance to double the advantage but again hit his shot high over the bar after a good inter passing move between Lyons and substitute Ashley Day.
The Students' cause was not helped when on 84 minutes they were reduced to ten men. Turville who had replaced the hard working Gordon was shielding the ball when Matthew Roberts lunging studs up tackle earned him a straight red card from referee Mr Dadley and Turville stud marks down his calf. That tackle was an exception in what had largely been a good clean competitive game.
Hanslow could quite easily have got three or four goals if his aim had been more accurate as two more chances went begging. The first when he cut in from the right only to hit his shot well over and then minutes later when his shot was well saved by Hazlett diving smartly down to his right to deny the striker.
Gresley secured all three points with two minutes remaining of the game. A corner from the left by Lyons found Barrett a similar position to the first goal and the defender accepted the inviting ball to head home at the far post.
Loughborough's attacking prowess had been largely snuffed out by some great defending by Adam Betteridge, Barrow, Barrett and Matt Hill with Slater and Lyons solid in midfield.
The only save of note Hateley had to make came deep into time added on. A through ball found Matthew Collino in space but Barrett closed him down quickly. However, he managed to get his shot off which was deflected by Barrett but Hateley reacted quickly to block the ball with his outstretched leg.
Manager's View
Martin Rowe
"I was very impressed with that performance. I felt first half we held our own and defended very well and looked to break quickly and it was a very good first half.
"Second half the game opened up and we could have won the game by a lot more goals. Richard Hanslow at the moment is just not hitting the box like he should be doing but I thought we played really well today against a really good side. Loughborough are the best team we've played so far. They are well organised, well drilled but you'd expect that. They are at university so they'd be training and together most days.
"Defensively Matt Hill, Jamie Barrett, Lee Barrow and Adam Betteridge have all done extremely well for the past four games and that's one of the reasons why we're winning games at the moment.
"We'll have to make changes for Saturday again which is difficult but since we've come back this season that's all we've had. We've never had the same squad to pick from with people going away but that's life as it gives other people opportunities.
"Marc Goodfellow will be back for Saturday and we'll also have Richard Butler and Rob Spencer back. We still don't know about Barry Woolley but we'll assess him at training on Thursday and it'll be nice to have a few players back.
"We've not had Shirebrook watched and don't know anything about them. All we've got to do is concentrate on ourselves and don't worry about the opposition. If we do things right we know we can win games - there's still a long way to go yet.
"Since we had the defeat against Rocester we've kept four clean sheets. We've had disappointments before and we've asked the players to go on a bit of a run and that's what we're doing at the moment. I think we've won four on the trot but the players know that in the first game and the Rocester game they let themselves down and let the supporters down and they know what they've got to do.
"Since we've gone up into the Midland Alliance the crowds have been absolutely superb and even when we've gone away to games they are still there and it's a great encouragement to the players particularly away when we're winning one-none and the supporters are there egging the players on to do better it's great!"
