Midland Football Alliance
Sphinx Sports Ground, Coventry
Monday, 7th November 2011, 7.45pm
Goal Fest At Coventry
For the neutral this was an entertaining game with eight goals to savour on a damp dreary night in Coventry.
However, for the travelling hardy Gresley supporters it was yet another roller coaster evening following their team.
Gresley found themselves two goals to the good after just nine minutes through goals from Rob Spencer and Dean Oliver only to find themselves two goals behind just before the hour mark in a remarkable game.
A couple of seasons back Gresley would have come back from their midweek travels with nothing to show for their endeavours but in this game they showed grit and determination not only to get back into the game but to grab a point deep into time added on and indeed could have won all three points when Marc Goodfellow's shot hit the underside of the bar but bounced out rather than into the net.
The visitors came out of the blocks quickly and soon had their hosts penned back and that pressure produced a deserved lead. On 6 minutes James Jepson did well to pick out Jordi Gough who made an excellent run down the left before sending a cross into the Coventry box where Spencer was waiting to smash the ball into the net.
Three minutes later things got even better for Gresley when Dean Oliver score a superb goal. Goodfellows' cross eventually found the striker who hit an unstoppable volley on the turn that left Sphinx keeper Carl O'Neil a mere spectator.
If the Gresley supporters thought their team were comfortably in charge they were soon given an indication that things would soon be far from comfortable as keeper Gary Hateley was forced to make a good block at the near post to deny Terry Ward.
That warning was not heeded on 13 minutes when Sphinx got back into the game. A corner which looked far too long was headed back and the ball came out to Ashley Jackson who hit a low shot through a crowded penalty area which beat Hateley.
Coventry now were looking a far more dangerous outfit pressing forward and getting behind the Gresley back line too frequently. However, it was Gresley who went close to regaining their two goal lead when Gareth Langford almost connected with Goodfellows' free kick into the box.
On 23 minutes Sphinx were level. Jepson lost the ball just inside his own half and Tom Muldoon was allowed to race down the right before crossing into the area for Luke Williams to hammer home unmarked.
Just after the Sphinx goal Gresley were denied a chance of taking the lead back again when there was a clear hand ball in the Coventry area which unbelievably the referee Mr Dadly said had come off the player's shoulder!
To rub salt into the Gresley wounds Sphinx took the lead on 39 minutes. A shot was blocked but the rebound fell nicely for Pavel Tomczak to smash back past Hateley.
Within 7 minutes of the second half Sphinx increased their lead and it was another defensive lapse from the visitors that handed it to them. Another deep corner was headed back at the far post by Ward and Williams had the easy task of heading the ball into the net again unmarked.
Gresley to their credit didn't give up but dug in to try and get back into the match and it was Goodfellow who started the fight back when he ran forward before hitting a shot that beat O'Neil. Seconds later Jepson then hit a shot straight at O'Neil. Royce Turville who had replaced Mickey Lyons then had a low shot that also went straight at the keeper.
On 77 minutes the Gresley supporters thought Spencer had levelled the scored but his superbly curled shot missed the far post by a mere whisker.
Time was running out for Gresley when Goodfellow had a golden chance to grab a share of the points but his usually accurate lob went over the bar of the gaping net with O'Neil way out of his box.
The goal Gresley deserved came deep into time added on which was the result of time wasting waiting for a match ball to appear and substitutions. A cross from the left found Spencer who steered the ball home.
Gresley were the width of the bar from snatching an unlikely win when Goodfellow's powerful shot beat the keeper and smacked the underside of the bar but unfortunately bounced out instead of into the back of the net.
