Midland Football Alliance
The Moat Ground, Moat Street, Church Gresley
Saturday, 8th October 2011, 3.00pm
Gresley Unpick The Lockmen
Manager Gary Norton made several changes to try and get his side back into winning ways and it seemed to have worked as Gresley got their first league win since the end of August against Loughborough University.
Back into the starting eleven were Matt Hill, Lee Barrow and Mickey Lyons with the pairing of Rob Spencer and Royce Turville chosen to lead the front line and things couldn't have started better as Marc Goodfellow unpicked the Lockmen's defence with just 26 seconds on the clock. A good flowing move ended with Lyons finding Tom Betteridge on the left who then lifted his cross into the box where Goodfellow was waiting to head home past Town's keeper Liam Flynn.
Gresley were two up nine minutes later when Lyons did well to hold the ball up before laying it back to Turville who cracked a superb volley from the edge of the area into the top corner leaving Flynn a mere spectator.
Just has the home side were looking in charge Willenhall began to come back into the game and they deservedly reduced the areas on 13 minutes. A free kick by Tom Wright just cleared Lyons' head and fell nicely for Richard Gregory to smash into the net. They could have squared the game seconds later but Jan Trapszo fired over from a good position.
The visitors were on top now and Gresley keeper Gary Hateley needed to be alert to push Gregory's shot away.
The goal that Gresley needed to settle the nerves came on 35 minutes from the penalty spot. Adam Betteridge had sent Tom Betteridge down the left and received the return ball as he sprinted into the area where he was tripped by a defender. Referee Mr Gould, after a moment's hesitation, pointed to the spot. Turville made no mistake sending Flyn the wrong way.
Gresley came out looking for more goals and Turville went close firing Spencer's pass over the bar and then Spencer putting a overhead kick just wide.
Goodfellow had a shot cleared off the line as the home side regained control of the game and they added a further goal on the hour. A corner from the left by Goodfellow found Barrow on the far post who headed the ball back into the danger area and Turville ended the move heading into the net from close in to complete his hat-trick.
It looked almost certain that Gresley would add to their tally with Goodfellow hitting a superb shot on the turn which was blocked and the rebound struck well by Turville looked to be heading for the back of the net until it was deflected away for a corner. Goodfellow then had another attempt deflected for a corner.
If the crowd thought it was all over Willenhall showed they were still fighting with Matt Whitehouse putting a header just wide and then Hateley having to make another good save palming Gregory's well struck shot away.
The hard working Spencer almost got the goal his efforts deserved but after collecting a good pass from Turville sprinted down the right but his shot came back off the bar with Flyn well beaten.
Turville went close to adding a fifth goal but his glancing header from Goodfellow's cross flew the wrong side of the upright.
With seven minutes remaining Town chalked another goal off and what a good one it was. Seconds early they'd threatened with substitute Ryan Ward bringing out another good save from Hateley but this time Michael Williams volleyed an unstoppable shot from 25 yards that gave Hateley no chance.
The final chance fell for Willenhall when Williams made an excellent run down the left but the ending was a little embarrassing as he hit his shot well over the bar with just Hateley to beat.
Manager's View
"There's still room for improvement. After witnessing that performance last Saturday things needed a shake up and whether we made the right decisions today it's probably a bit too soon to say.
"We got the early goal and apart from being pegged back when we gave a sloppy goal away we haven't really looked in trouble all afternoon and we kept them at arm's length.
"I was quite impressed with Willenhall going forward they had some good players, the eleven in particular who got the second goal who was a constant threat and there were some others as well. Their skipper number eight put himself about a bit and they look a better side than the league table would suggest perhaps.
"Some of the players that were left out were not happy but I'd be concerned if they were happy with it! We've made one or two decisions this week. We've released one player today and we did say we were going to shake thing up and with us bringing new players in some have to leave the club. We haven't been able to do that up to yet. One or two of the players we left out today could have been left out a game or two ago but with the injuries and unavailabilties we could do that. I think it was two games ago that we only had three players on the bench and one of those was injured but as we get bodies back the decisions we've made due to the inconsistencies we able to start making now.
"As of today Jermaine Gordon has left the club. It hasn't quite worked out. He's a lovely lad but for what we want he's been too inconsistent which is a shame and I'm sure he'll be back and score goals against us no doubt. I'd have preferred to have spoken to him after the game but he wanted a quick chat before the game having been left out today and it's a decision we've made so we wish him well and there may be one or two more to follow.
"It's important to have the likes of Royce Turville back because that's the quality we are missing. He did well the other night when he came on against Rocester and helped change the game around. He's not quite one hundred percent fit yet but you can see the quality he's got. He holds the ball up for us and there was a different dimension in the game today having the pace of someone like Rob Spencer up front with his work rate and getting behind sides as well and sometimes he turns bad balls into good balls. The amount of times he closed people down and nicked things or forced mistakes. Rob Spencer is one of the fittest players at the club and leads by example.
"I've just said to the lads in the dressing room that some of them are not fit enough and that's a concern. I though Willenhall ended the fitter side and some of our guys can't last more than sixty minutes at the pace that they need to but if anyone is an example of the fitness you need at this level with the work rate that's Rob. He deserved a goal for all his effort today and he was unfortunate with one or two particularly the one that hit the bar.
"I don't think Rob and Royce have played together too many times up front unless we've made a late change in the game so it was pleasing to see that and hopefully it's something we can see again.
"It was a bonus the other night having Jordi Gough on the pitch and he's continued his return today. We've got to be careful with him. We have a bit of a training game on Tuesday against the reserves with the likes of Jordi in mind and one or two other players who need a little bit of fitness and to look at one or two other new recruits. It was a big bonus having Jordi back and hopefully we can get him back firing on all cylinders and fighting for his place in the starting eleven.
"Richard Hanslow is due back from holiday tonight so again that adds good competition in an area that we need it. It will depend on what he's been up too over the last couple of weeks and whether he's kept himself fit whilst he's been abroad. He was best man at his brother's wedding and more and more couples are going abroad to get wed and make holidays out of it as well. Richard is a sensible lad and I'm sure he's done a little bit so hopefully he hasn't got too much work to do when he gets back so hopefully he'll be back in contention next week.
"Jamie Barrett thinks he'll be back in a week or two but the physio thinks four to five weeks so hopefully it's somewhere in between. You know what players are like they want to play tomorrow! Dean Oliver withdrew at the last minute today with a groin problem that we thought he'd recovered from enough to take a place on the bench but it flared up again in the warm up. What was pleasing that he was honest and said it was not quite right but hopefully another week and he'll be there or there abouts.
"Every game is a test at this level and I've just said to the guys that some of the things we been able to get away with for the last season or two at East Midlands Counties league you are not going to get away with in this league so we are trying to adapt after the shaky few weeks we've had trying to improve and recover from that and we've got a stiff test in Causeway next week. If we are on form and we've got a few players back someone has got to beat them at some point and with three hundred or so in the Moat Ground and on a good day and if we can play to our potential we'll have a really good chance of beating them and opening things up at the top a little bit.
"There was another fantastic gate again today and I don't do this very often but I've apologised on behalf of the squad, myself and the staff in my programme notes today for the display last Saturday and I was a little concerned that the gates would drop below three hundred but yet again the Gresley faithful have stuck with it and got behind the lads and the early goal helped to lift everybody and hopefully we can continue improving to keep the people coming back. The cold weather is coming now and Christmas shopping and there may be one or two of those here today who will be dragged away to do the shopping but hopefully we'll see the crowd around the three hundred mark which will be nice.
"I was consulted about entering the Coalville Charity Cup or not and I said from my point of view let's go in it. It is the quarter-final and in terms of squad selection we'll see where we are in a fortnight's time when we are to play the game and make the selection at that time. We are not bothered about winning it but sometimes a midweek game is as good as a training session. It may be a chance to give the new players coming in and those returning from injury a competitive game. The game we have on Tuesday night is not competitive but we want it to be as near as possible. The flip side of these things is that you risk picking up some injuries but I'll decide who to play and if necessary bring some of the reserve lads in for the Ibstock game."
