Match Report  |  Ashby Ivanhoe vs Gresley FC

Gresley overwhelmed their near neighbours in their penultimate pre-season friendly at Lower Packington Road.

As was expected the visitors showed the gap between the two clubs as they dominated most of this game and could quite easily have had double figures against a youthful Ivanhoe side.

Within a couple of minutes of the start Dean Oliver went close with a shot on the turn that fizzed over the bar but two minutes later Gresley were ahead. A corner from the left by James Jepson was headed powerfully home by Michael Nottingham.

If should have been two moments later when Rob Spencer, who was too quick for his marker, was brought down in the area by Russ Wagg. Ivanhoe keeper Jon Noon chose the correct way and diving to his right pushed Phil Massingham's spot kick away.

Unfortunately, Noon could do nothing to deny Oliver as the striker headed home Marc Strzyzewski's cross from the left. Oliver was then unlucky to see his volley crash back off the bar with Noon left rooted to the spot.

The nearest the home side got to the target in the first half was when Dan Stevenson hit a shot which was deflected for a corner.

Noon was by far the busier of the two keepers and he did well to hold onto Massingham's header. Oliver then produced a superb touch to beat his marker but his shot was superbly tipped away by the keeper.

Kyle Brant then brought out another top drawer save from Noon as the young keeper tipped a viciously hit shot from 20 yards over the bar.

Gresley's third goal came on 33 minutes when Jepson sent Oliver through who then rounded the keeper before slotting the ball home.

The second half followed a similar pattern to the first with Gresley making most of the chances and both sides making numerous changes.

Gresley substitute Mickey Lyons was soon in the thick of things feeding the ball through to fellow substitute Marc Goodfellow who curled a shot from the right around the keeper and into the far bottom corner of the net.

Two minutes later another Gresley substitute added goal number five. Craig Attwood send Richard Hanslow through with a superb pass which he converted by coolly slotting the ball past the exposed Noon.

Another Gresley substitute Royce Turville made it six knocking Goodfellow's cross into the net from close in.

The home side went close when Jamie Yeomans hit a fine free kick which only just cleared Gresley's bar but that was the only glimmer of a chance as the visitors made it seven with nine minutes remaining.

Hanslow made a good run down the left pushed the ball through to Goodfellow who in turn sent a low cross into the box where Bryant was on hand to tap the ball in at the far post.

Turville then brought two good saves out of Noon in quick succession. Hanslow, this time making a run down the right, laid the ball up for Turville. The shot was good enough but it didn't beat Noon who pushed the shot onto the bar and the keeper reacted superbly to block Turville's stinging shot from the rebound.