Midland Football Alliance
The War Memorial Ground, Stourbridge
Saturday, 14th April 2012, 3.00pm
Gresley Apply The Pressure
Three first half goals from Gresley were enough to see off a spirited second half fight back from Causeway.
Phil Massingham, James Jepson and Dean Oliver had given Gresley a commanding lead in a fairly one-sided half but two goals from the home side midway through the second half saw Gresley having to hang on for their three points.
With the unfortunate Matt Hill being injured early in Monday's win at Heather on Monday Gresley made a change bringing Jamie Barrett in to the right back slot leaving Marc Strzyzewski to partner Michael Nottingham in the heart of the defence. Phil Massingham continued his role up front alongside Dean Oliver.
Gresley were quickly out of the starting blocks with Massingham opening the scoring with barely 5 minutes on the clock hitting a low shot that went in off the base of the post.
A minute later the visitors were two up, this time it was Jepson who got on the end of Oliver's cross from the right and rammed the ball home from close in.
Gresley were putting the United backline under tremendous pressure with Massingham having a shot pushed away by United's keeper Tom Turner and Nottingham's powerful header from a corner clattering the upright.
Oliver then had a shot blocked and Marc Goodfellow's shot from the rebound also blocked at the expense of a corner.
More chances were created for Gresley with Oliver hitting a volley just wide and then a superb threaded pass from Goodfellow sending Jepson forward who then shot wide.
Surely more goals would come as Gresley heaped on the pressure and Causeway could hardly get out of their own half.
Massingham was unlucky to see his shot come back off the bar and Rob Spencer having the rebound blocked on the line. However, as United attempted to clear a defender handled the ball in his area and after a brief consultation with his assistant, referee Mr Philips pointed to the spot. Oliver took the kick and although Turner chose the right way to dive and got his hand to the ball he couldn't prevent Gresley from increasing their lead.
As the half drew to a close Gresley had two more chances to add to their score with Spencer getting on the end of Goodfellow's cross from the left but once again his shot was blocked and Jordi Gough hit the rebound wide of the far post.
Whatever was said at halftime to the Causeway troops in the dressing room it certainly seemed to have the desired effect as they came out looking a far more potent side than in the first half and with the aid of a very stiff breeze they took the game to Gresley for large parts of the second half.
However, it was Gresley who carved out the first chance within three minutes of the re-start. Goodfellow made a good run down the left and sent over a cross which was met with a flicked header by Massingham. His effort was going wide of the far post but Spencer didn't give the ball up and managed to get off a shot that needed to be blocked by a defender.
Causeway fired a warning shot across Gresley's bows on the hour when substitute Aaron Lloyd managed to force himself through a couple of tackles before charging forward only to fire wide with only Gresley keeper Gary Hateley to beat.
Six minutes later Causeway got on the score sheet. Some poor defending allowed former Moatman Matt Gardner to get the wrong side of Strzyzewski and the striker did well to poke the ball past Hateley.
More poor defending saw Causeway score again making the final 15 minutes or so a nerve jangling affair for the travelling Gresley supporters. Lloyd, who had made an impact since replacing Carl Martin at the break, broke down the right and picked out Gardner at the far post who headed the ball back for Scott Devlin to smash home.
After having the game comfortably in their pockets in the first half Gresley now found themselves under the cosh and having to defend to keep hold of all three points. One moment of relief came when Massingham went close firing wide of the far post. The home side continued to press forward but the visitors held out and their hard work was made even sweeter when news filtered through that both Coventry and Westfields had lost putting the ball back into Gresley's court in the topsy, turvy ending to this season's title run-in.
Manager's View
Martin Rowe
"We really played well in the first half. We got the ball down, played and created enough chances and should have come in a half time six-nil up easily. We hit the post, we've not hit the target but we'd done everything right.
"Second half we came out and were a bit complacent at the back and didn't do what we'd been doing in the first half. In particular our central defenders should have done better and we've let them in. I don't know why, it could have been the conditions, the ball bouncing about a bit and windy but at the end of the day we've won and that's all we've got to do.
"I don't know why bit we couldn't deal with their big number 15 who came on at half time. Normally Michael Nottingham wins balls for fun but he put us under pressure. I don't know if it's because we've got to keep winning games put a bit of pressure on the back four but we didn't take the pressure off them. Every time we got the ball up front it kept coming back. We've got to keep the ball up front to keep the pressure off the lads in the back four.
"We've always known that we've got to win our last four games and knew we needed a win today. Teams are always going to drop points and I've keep saying to the players 'you've got to keep believing in yourselves.' What we've got to do between now to the end of the season is to put ninety minute performances in and not forty five. We've got to be at it for a full ninety and at times we're not doing that.
"Jamie Barrett has had an injury for about six months now. It's something he can't get rid of. It's deep in his groin but we keep patching him up and sticking him out but unfortunately it was just a bit too sore for him today so we brought him off and replaced him with Tom Betteridge."
