Midland Alliance Football League
The Moat Ground, Church Gresley
Saturday, 28th April 2012, 3.00pm
Gresley Can Still Celebrate Even In Defeat
This was a strange game and a little like 'after the Lord Mayor's Show'. Gresley looked as if they had begun to wind down after the season long exertions but in contrast Alvechurch looked up for the game and so it proved.
Gresley had secured the Midland Alliance Football League title on Tuesday night with their three-nil win at Noose Lane against Willenhall Town making this game a time of celebration rather than the nail biting encounter the last game of last season was!
This was a lacklustre, poor performance and described by manager Gary Norton as 'one of the worst' in what otherwise has been a superb season.
As the Gresley line-up was announced it was soon evident that things were not as they should be with players seemingly wearing unfamiliar numbers on their backs. Although they played in their familiar positions the supporters were a little perplexed.
Mickey Lyons and Gareth Langford replaced the suspended pair of James Jepson and Danny Holmes. Dean Oliver had recovered from his illness to claim a place on the bench.
Alvechurch had improved of late and it was soon evident that they'd come to put a bit of a dampener on the party time forcing a corner almost from the first whistle. However, it was the home side who went close first as Rob Spencer headed over Marc Strzyzewski's headed back into the area from Marc Goodfellow's corner.
'Church responded and should have taken the lead when Andy Nicol had a shot blocked but Elliott Nash fired the rebound well wide.
On 23 minutes they did take the lead when Joe Wright was given a free header to beat Gresley keeper Gary Hateley from close in after Nash had slung over a free kick.
Phil Massingham then went close as Hanslow provided the pass but 'Church keeper Lewis Gwilliam got down quickly to push the ball away for a corner.
Gresley almost levelled when the visiting goal led a charmed life as two shots were blocked followed by Spencer who hit the final attempt straight at Gwilliam.
Hanslow went close at the end of the first half when he tried an overhead kick which Gwilliam saved at his far post.
Gresley were level within two minutes of the second half starting when Hanslow burst into the area down the right and blasted the ball past the helpless keeper.
The hosts went close again minutes later when Hanslow made another run down the right. His shot was blocked but Spencer could only fire the rebound into the side netting.
Alvechurch took the lead again on 62 minutes. A needless free kick was given away over on the right which was taken by Ben Judd. His kick, aided by a stiff breeze, seemed to take an age to float over the Gresley defence and keeper before ending in the top far corner of the net.
Gresley were caught napping two minutes later when a quickly taken corner from the left ended with the ball crossed into the box where Sam Wills was waiting to head the ball past Hateley.
The home side seemed to wake from their slumbers and went close when Hanslow tried to hook the ball into the net on the turn.
Unfortunately, more poor defending gifted Alvechurch their deserved fourth goal and Wills second as they allowed him to smash home the ball from close in.
Spencer had a header acrobatically tipped over the bar by Gwilliam before Gresley managed to reduce the arrears with two minutes of normal time remaining. A corner from the right by Lyons was headed back into the box and substitute Dean Oliver stabbed the ball home from close in.
The referee ended the game, a game in which Alvechurch thoroughly deserved their victory.
Despite the disappointment of the defeat, the presentation to Gresley of the Championship trophy by the league officials to captain Gary Hateley prompted scenes of jubilation, fireworks and cheering from the biggest gate of the season at the Moat Ground.
Gresley have still to see where they will end up in step four but their superb back-to-back championships will be savoured long into the close season and they have a chance of raising more silverware as they take on Ellistown in the Coalville Charity Cup Final on Bank Holiday Monday evening at Bardon Hill's ground - 7.30 kick off.
