Midland Football Alliance
The Moat Ground, Churdh Gresley
Saturday, 25th February 2012, 3.00pm
Gresley Keep Up The Pressure
Gresley manager had to shuffle his team once more with Tom Betteridge and Mickey Lyons still absent with an ankle injury and a dead-leg respectively and Danny Holmes not even having the pre-match fitness after advice from the physio due to an ankle injury.
Matt Hill was recalled to team at right back in place of Lee Barrow who took a place on the bench. Marc Strzyzewski partnered Michael Nottingham in the centre of defence to enable Jamie Barrett to push into midfield.
It was soon very evident that Stratford had come to the Moat Ground with one thing in mind and that was to defend which unfortunately led to a dull and fairly uneventful first half.
Royce Turville had a half chance in the first minute and also ended the game going close with a shot that fizzed wide but that was about it for any action of note.
The supporters were hoping for much better faire to be set up in the second half and it was the visitors who had the first shot on target when substitute Michael Hayden his a weak low shot that was easily dealt with by Gresley keeper Gary Hateley.
The homeside were beginning to take charge and look the most likely of the two sides to open the scoring.
Marc Goodfellow made a fine run down the right and sent over a cross that Dean Oliver flicked on with his head just wide of the far post and the Gough hit a shot but straight at the visiting keeper Sam Brady.
At the other end James Travis caught the Gresley backline flat and raced forward only to be denied a shot on goal by a superbly timed tackle from Strzyzewski who had raced back to snuff out the danger.
Gresley opened the scoring on 72 minutes in somewhat fortunate circumstances. Gough made another of his marauding runs down the right and sent in a dangerous cross that Brady managed to get a hand to but only to push the ball into the run of the unfortunate Rikky Baker who deflected the ball into the net.
Gough went close himself putting a cross-cum-shot just over the bar and then Goodfellow was brought down right on the edge of the area but amazingly the referee Mr Sharratt only gave a corner from which Nottingham narrowly headed over the bar. Turville then went close with a flying header at the near post but putting Rob Spencer's cross from the right wide.
Goodfellow tried one of his trade mark long range efforts which almost caught Brady out and another couple of inches higher and the keeper would have been struggling to make the save.
Gresley deserved their second goal and a good one it was too. Substitute Gareth Langford threaded a pinpoint pass through for fellow substitute Hanslow who managed to beat the offside trap before racing forward. The young striker beat the keeper and as the defenders were closing in hammered his shot into the net.
Manager's View
"We are really pleased with the three points. Stratford are a dangerous and organised side and have got some good players but over ninety minutes I can't remember too many things our keeper Gary Hateley had to do in terms of goal scoring opportunities for them.
"But that said, it was one of those games that you have to grind out. For a large part of it I don't think either keeper was troubled too much.
"We certainly missed our creative players today in the middle of the park perhaps. The pitch didn't help, it was a bit bobbly, you could see when players were running with the ball it was moving about. A number of players from both sides took their eye off the ball and it took a little bobble at the wrong time but these are the sort of pitches we're going to be playing on until the end of the season and we've got to get used to them.
"Yes, we had a little bit of fortune for the first goal. Jordi Gough has had another very, very good game and he's put the ball in the danger area and we always say that if you put the ball between the six yard box and the penalty spot sometimes anything can happen and their guy has got a touch on it.
"Richard Hanslow took the pressure off right at the end with a fantastic goal. It was a great through ball from Gareth Langford and Richard kept himself onside, kept his composure and smashed in a cracking for us. It was a big three points for us and a clean sheet so we're doubly delighted.
"We're hoping both Mickey Lyons and Danny Holmes will feature on Tuesday. It's frustrating. Mickey was definitely out today with a dead-leg he picked up last weekend. Tom Betteridge was also missing with his continuing ankle problem. After speaking to Danny yesterday we were hopeful that he may pass a fitness test but when he got here the physio had a look and he didn't even do his fitness test. We'll have to see how he is on Tuesday.
"We've had a couple of players who had to come off today through knocks. James Jepson has a bit of a hip problem he'd been suffering from in the warm-up to be honest. Marc Strzyzweski has come off with a thigh problem that had kept him out on Tuesday night so it's a bit of a concern for us. We've got some suspensions come up which is also a concern and we'll have to see what we can patch up for Tuesday.
"It proves the benefit of having a large squad. Matt Hill came in today and has had a decent game at full back for us after playing at Holbrook. We've called Kyle Bryant back and we have Aaron Dillon out and Adam Betteridge is at Borrowash at the moment.
"We've got bodies but the main area of concern for us is the centre of the park. Jamie Barrett went in their today but he hasn't played in that position for the last two years or so but he put a good shift in today and has done all right and Strez slotted in at centre back and has done well. We have flexibility in the squad and the main difficulty is to try and keep that group of players happy, everybody happy. They all enjoy a challenge but they all want to play but when you've got a squad in the numbers we've got it's difficult to keep everyone happy at all times but that's football.
"If one or two players are frustrated you take that on board as long as they're constructive and go on and do a great job. Gareth Langford is one of those. He's gone on for ten minutes or fifteen minutes and done a cracking job and set up the second goal. He's not been at his best recently and we've had a chat about that and we're trying to get him in the right frame of mind so he can contribute something between now and the end of the season when he gets his chance.
"If we can get over these injuries and get back to full strength, because that's where we need to be not many clubs can cope with the amount of injuries we've got. We've got half a side out and most of them would be first choice so if we can get some of those guys back it will give us chance.
"It was vital we got maximum pints today with five away games coming up. We certainly felt that and the pressure today. The crowd in particular around us were a little edgy even more so than usual but it was a big three points for us especially after the draw at home on Tuesday.
"With five away games on the bounce now we've got to go and put some performances in like today. We were dogged and we really didn't play any decent football but we were determined and only made a few mistakes that counted. So we've now got to go and do that away from home now and grind some results out to keep us in the hunt."
