Match Report  |  Stretton Eagles vs Gresley FC

Gresley manager Gary Norton fielded a strong side in the final of The Steve Hackett Memorial Trophy against Stretton Eagles at The Hawfields but it was Eagles who went home with the trophy.

It was a game of two halves with enough missed chances from both sides to have won several games but the only converted ones went to Stretton.

Stretton had the better of the first half and to be honest could have been out of sight by halftime but a saved penalty and some woeful finishing somehow kept the scores all square at the break. Phil Whieldon got on the end of a cross but was denied by a great block from Darren Keeling from close in.

Gresley's Richard Hanslow then saw Eagles keeper Andrew Beeston also make two good blocks and Lee Barrow head a Marc Goodfellow corner wide.

Eagles then had an effort cleared off the line by Matt Hill and minutes later Keeling had to react quickly to make a block but Whieldon blazed the rebound well over the bar when well placed.

With two minutes of the half remaining Stretton should have taken the lead when Richard Butler brought a player down in the area. Tom Liversuch chose to take the kick but it was a soft one and Keeling chose the right way and diving to his right made the save.

In the closing seconds of the half Stretton hit the bar and Whieldon was guilty once more shooting wildly over the bar from a good position.

Gresley arguably had the better of the second half bit couldn't get the ball in the net. Barrow had a free kick well saved by substitute keeper Ben Gough and Hanslow saw his effort crash against the bar.

A poor playing surface was not helping either side to try and string some decent passes together with the ball getting caught up in the stubble on the pitch as players tried to play football.

Goodfellow had a shot held by Gough and Carl Slater fired his volley wide of the far post. A cross from Rob Spencer fell for substitute Aaron Dillon but he miskicked his shot and then the same player got on the end of Gareth Langford's free kick but his header was held by Gough.

The game was wound up with two goals in sixty seconds. Wheildon's overhead kick on the edge of the area fell nicely and the chance was tucked away into the far corner by Marcus Sheppard. The second should not have been given when a blatant hand ball was ignored by the referee although just a yard away and Carl Chatfield was allowed to finish the move curling the ball into the top corner amongst many protests from players and supporters alike.