Midland Football Alliance
The Beehive, Abbeyfields Drive, Studley
Saturday, 3rd March 2012, 3.00pm
Gresley Stung By The Bees
Gresley's long unbeaten league run came to a shuddering halt at The Beehive as lowly Studley shocked their highflying visitors with a deserved win.
Manager Gary Norton was forced into two changes with Jordi Gough (family commitments) and Marc Goodfellow (illness) both missing but for the first ten or twenty minutes Gresley looked comfortable and with a one goal lead looked like they would keep up the pressure on the league's leading two but it all fell apart due in part to some very poor defending.
Gresley were quickly in the lead when a quick flowing move from their own half saw James Jepson feed Royce Turville who in turn slipped the ball through for Kyle Bryant who strode forward before beating the home keeper Richard Taylor.
Up until today Studley had shipped in the second most goals and in the first period it was easy to see why as Gresley cut through their defence at will only to fail to take advantage as chances were not converted and it was to cost them the game.
Matt Hill drove into the area and after two touches fired his shot over the bar. Jepson then went close curling his effort wide of the far post and then Adam Betteridge's cross was met by Bryant whose header was pushed away by Taylor and Jepson collected the loose ball near the far post but fired his shot into the side netting.
Studley had their first attempt on goal when the referee Mr Andrews played a good advantage allowing Dan Carter to race forward but his low shot lacked any power and was easily dealt with by Gresley keeper Gary Hateley.
Some warning signs were evident when from a corner from the right the home side's Jamie Bailey was given time to place his header which flew only just over the bar.
Despite the visitors forcing consecutive corners and Dean Oliver bringing a fine save out of Taylor it was Studley who scored next. On 40 minutes Studley were awarded a corner and despite the earlier warning Matthew Collins was allowed to rise unhampered to head the ball home from the middle of the six yard box.
Gresley came out for the second half and Bryant was soon testing Taylor with a header that the keeper easily held but they were finding it very difficult to break down some stubborn defending and along with the visitors' moves continuing to break down in the final third they were rapidly running out of ideas.
Some very poor defending handed Studley the lead when a mix up deep in the Gresley's own half allowed substitute Paul Dowsett two attempts to poke the ball forward which then crossed the line before any visiting player could get back.
To their credit Gresley levelled within a minute when Turville made a good run down the right and sent in a low ball into the box where Jepson was waiting to slot the ball home.
Unfortunately, it was a false dawn as the home side scored twice more in the final ten minutes to condemn Gresley to their first league defeat in nineteen games.
Studley were back in the lead on 79 minutes when Hateley dropped the ball from Tom Lacey's corner at his far post and Collins was most grateful for the very easy chance to poke the ball into the net.
The fourth goal was another gifted effort as a run down the right was not challenged and it resulted in a low cross that Dowsett swept into the net unchallenged from close in.
Manager's View
"I think the view that we gifted Studley the win is a bit harsh on them because they went about their game and battled away and contributed to their own win.
"Having said that when I thought we'd got over the little blip defensively with two sold clean-sheet performances on difficult surfaces and shown we can grind out results.
"Kyle Bryant gave us the perfect start with a goal in the first two minutes and then for all our possession we didn't really make anything of it.
"Then in the second half the manner we gifted them two goals both from set plays. Gary Hateley made a mistake with the third having got ourselves back in the game and then we got caught for the fourth when we were a little out of position trying to push forward so I think we probably got what we deserved today which was nothing if I'm honest.
"We should have Jordi Gough back for Tuesday. We really, really missed him because he's been superb of late that's not to say Adam Betteridge had a bad game today but certainly Jordi is a huge player for us - he was at a family occasion today in Scotland.
"We'll lick our wounds and not get carried away as this was our first defeat in nineteen league games. It's the same group of lads who have got us in this great position. The expectation levels are high and rightly so with the run we've been on and got ourselves in a good position. We tend to get ourselves in good positions and then shoot ourselves in the foot.
"We've done it and it's cost us our dream of going to Wembley in the Vase a few weeks back but there's no way we're going to do it again and cost us our league success. We've got thirteen games left and hopefully this has been a kick up the backside for us.
"We knew we had a tough run of games ahead of us. I was asked by one of the press guys who rang me from one of the papers who said with the next two games we were going to boost our goal difference. I thought it was a ridiculous comment. These sides are scrapping and battling. Studley beat Stratford the other night showing what a good side they were in the League Cup. Alvechurch, who we visit on Tuesday have taken points off Westfields so I think people need to get real.
"There are no easy games in this league. You have to turn up and you have to work. We always give our opposition respect and we made that clear what a tough afternoon it was going to be and so it proved so fair play to the opposition. They've put us to the sword today and yes we may have contributed to that but they've still had to work to make it happen and they've done that."
