Midland Football Alliance
Sheepy Road, Atherstone
Saturday, 14th January 2012, 3.00pm
Turville Turns In The Winner
Gresley kept their fine unbeaten run going with a win at Sheepy Road but only one goal scored by Royce Turville divided the two teams.
Manager Gary Norton was forced into a change from the starting eleven that beat Highgate last week with Richard Hanslow replacing the injured Dean Oliver. Oliver was named on the bench but would only be used as a last resort to protect the striker from aggravating his ankle injury. Also recalled to the squad was Rob Spencer.
Although Gresley should have had the game well and truly won by the break due to their dominance and chances the two sides were only separated by a solitary goal scored with five minutes of the first half remaining.
On a very poor surface due to a sharp overnight frost that had seen a number of other local games called off, Town started brightly and were soon putting their visitors under some pressure but despite the pressure Town didn't manage to bring out any save of note from Tom Gutteridge.
After ten minutes or so Gresley began to take control and were soon carving out several decent chances to take the lead. Firstly, Turville fired a shot wide and then after getting the better of two defenders just inside the area, Hanslow was denied by a good block from keeper Paul Hathaway. James Jepson then had a good show pushed away by Hathaway for a corner.
Turville was then put through but under pressure from a defender could only fire over the bar. Tom Betteridge was causing the Adders' left back problems with his raiding runs down the right and from one of his crosses Kyle Bryant went close with a header at the far post which Hathaway did well to block. Another cross from Betteridge this time picked out Turville but the striker headed straight at the keeper.
Gresley's goal came with five minutes of the first half remaining. A free kick by Marc Goodfellow eventually landed nicely for Michael Nottingham over on the left and the defender sent over a cross to the near post where Turville was waiting to head the ball home.
Seconds later Gresley could have grabbed a second goal when a ball was put into the box but after an almighty scramble the ball was somehow cleared from danger.
Gresley began the second half again creating chances. A corner from the right by Goodfellow was headed towards goal but his effort was cleared off the line and the rebound from Turville was also cleared off the line as the Atherstone goal led a charmed life.
Atherstone began to have their best period of the game and a corner from George Washbourne caused some frantic defending in the Gresley box but the danger was soon cleared.
Turville had another half chance on 68 minutes after Hanslow, who had made a good run through the middle, had his shot deflected but Turville just could reach the ball as it ran across the goal mouth.
Hanslow was very unlucky not to have doubled his side's lead when after another good run through the middle his shot was superbly tipped onto the post by Hathaway. The rebound was put into his own goal by a defender but the linesman over on the far side had raised his flag to cancel out the effort.
Atherstone were a little fortunate not to have lost the services of their keeper for the final seven or eight minutes or so when he handled the ball outside his area. The referee adjudged that he hadn't prevented a goal scoring chance and only showed a yellow card.
Despite Atherstone having much more of the ball in the second half, Gresley's keeper Gutteridge hardly had a save to make. Indeed, it was the visitors who closed the game on top with Turville again failing by a fraction of an inch from connecting with Bryant's cross from the right.
Manager's View
"We dominated the first half apart from the first few minutes when they had a few half chances and one or two decent bits of play and we were a little bit stretched at the back.
"Then we had ten minutes when we took control of the half and had a number of clear-cut chances on a difficult surface which affected the chances in terms of getting the ball down and get it out of your feet and have a strike at goal.
"Then, the last clear-cut chance of the half we managed to get our noses in front. But, I knew exactly how the second half would be. They are a good side and very, very workman like. We've had them watched and they've really stepped up their performances over the last few weeks. They've got some young lads who have just come in and they'll never give up.
"I said at halftime if we don't get that second goal we are going to have to really, really graft, throw our bodies on the line and dig it out. We didn't play as well in the second half as we did in the first. We had a big shout for a penalty but so did they and then there were one or two other close things and we could quite get that second goal and we were made to work all the way for it and there was much relief at the end for another big three points for us.
"It's not an easy place to come and we've had to work all the way. They are doing it the right way. They've got some really good young lads in who are working hard. You can tell from the instructions from the bench that they know what they are doing trying to get the lads compact and work hard across the pitch to deny us space and close us down. They played really well in the second half and we had the first half so all in all it was an even game.
"The disallowed second goal - from where we were you've got to hope the linesman has got his decision right. I think he gave the offside from the original strike which came back off the post and someone has put it in from an offside position. From the benches you can't see it. I'm not one of those managers who say it was offside or it wasn't. You've just got to hope the linesman got it right on that particular one. It's a shame because we needed that second goal to take the pressure off.
"The lads have ground it out. We haven't been playing particularly well and dominating games and taking sides apart for weeks but we are grinding results out which is big thing when you come to difficult places.
"It was a bit of a gamble with Dean Oliver. He trained on Tuesday and his ankle was still swollen and he felt alright but the ankle had still got swelling there indicating that there were still problems in the tissue and the physio sent him home. Dean came in for a fitness test today and we were chatting with Lee (Barrow) and Steve (Titterton) before the game in terms of him coming through the fitness test and feels okay. He did the same last week and we were a bit concerned that if he came off the bench and twisted, turned or landed awkwardly maybe he'd have the same problem like last week.
"Ideally we'd like to give him a clear week if at all possible. We decided to put him on the bench just in case to get him out there. Fortunately, we didn't need to use him and it gives him another week as we probably won't use him on Tuesday to give him longer to get right for next weekend's game.
"Every member of the squad is in contention for Tuesday's game. We've also got one or two guys on loan who we may consider. Matt Hill has had another game for Holbrook today and he's had two games and is doing well. Martin Rowe is still it well enough, having got back from his holiday on Thursday night, to come but I'll speak to him over the weekend and obviously get the views of Lee and Steve on Tuesday and decide what sort of side we're going to pick but at the end of the day we're not going to sacrifice the game.
"We're on a long run and want to keep it going but we've got to be sensible about it with Saturday in mind. I really want to compete and do our best in but obviously we've got to be mindful that if there is anyone at risk or carrying a little bit or have concerns with will probably not be involved from the start if not at all on Tuesday. We'll just reflect on things this evening and then start to think about Tuesday."
