Evo-Stik NPL Division One South
The Moat Ground, Church Gresley
Saturday, 9th March 2013, 3.00pm
Five Up For Gresley
A Jordan Nadat hat-trick and goals from Marc Goodfellow and Royce Turville ensured Gresley had back-to-back victories for the first time since the middle of November.
However, it could have been a different story if keeper Gary Hateley hadn't managed to push Liam Garner's effort away after just a couple of minutes and five minutes later the woodwork prevented Daniel O'Donnell's thunderous shot from giving Town the lead.
It must be quite a challenge managing Hucknall at the moment as every week they seem to field a different line-up from the week before. Just one player from the last time Hucknall and Gresley met back in November started today's game with another on the bench and included in the line-up was former Moatman Chris Freestone playing up front.
Sitting five points adrift at the bottom of the league conceding 119 goals before this game it could be thought that this was going to be a formality for Gresley but a dogged performance from a team battling hard refused to make things easy for the home side.
Almost straight from the off Hucknall were on the front foot with Garner hitting a crisp strike that Hateley had to turn away at his near post for a corner. O'Donnell's superb blistering shot deserved more than crashing back off a post.
Gresley began to settle and a looped ball into the box was poked wide by Nadat. The same player then made a good run down the right before hitting a shot which brought out a good save from Hucknall keeper Michael Yates.
Goodfellow was starting to have a say in the affairs and hit well hit free kick beat Yates and gave Gresley the lead.
Nadat should have made it two a couple of minutes later but somehow managed to put his shot, from Goodfellow's cross, well over the bar from close in. However, a minute later Goodfellow provided another inviting cross this time Nadat didn't miss and slipped the ball onto the net.
A minute later Goodfellow provided a carbon copy of his previous cross but this time Turville was on hand to turn the ball into the net.
Hucknall, to their credit, refused to let their heads drop and Hateley was needed again to prevent Freestone's free kick from reducing the arrears as the half drew to a close. However, the keeper could not stop the visitors from scoring on the stroke of half time. Mickey Lyon's attempted to play the ball out from the edge of his penalty area but the ball went to Warren Hatfield whose shot gave Hateley no chance.
Gresley restored their three goal cushion ten minutes or so into the second half when yet another good cross from the left by Goodfellow found Nadat whose headed goal went in via the underneath of the cross bar.
Goodfellow wasn't the only one to supply superb crosses with Jordi Gough sending over a sizzling cross which Nadat headed powerfully home to complete a fine hat-trick.
Moments later Lyons almost added another but his low shot through a ruck of players in the area was expertly saved by Yates diving full stretch to his right to grab the ball.
Gresley were a little unlucky to concede anther goal. A ball from the left struck substitute Kristian Cox who was only a yard or so way standing in the area. Referee Lisa Rashid however adjudged he must have deliberately handled the ball and very harshly awarded a penalty. Joe Storer made no mistake firing the ball home.
Michael Nottingham had a chance to add to Gresley's tally but his effort flew the wrong side of the far post. The home side then had a very good shout for a penalty which was ignored by the officials.
Substitute Richard Hanslow then beat the offside trap but finished his run by firing wide of the near post. Lyons then put his shot also wide of the near post.
Hucknall was unlucky not to have scored themselves when Hatfield managed to get the better of Marc Strzyzewski but after running through hit his shot against the base of the post.
The game ended with another good shout for a penalty for Gresley but once again the appeals were ignored by the officials.
Manager's View
"I think there were a few players who made a notable contribution today. Marc Goodfellow and Jordi Gough. Some of the quality of Jordi's final ball was something we've been actively working on with him and if he could improve that it would be another dimension to his game. Some of the balls he put in were fantastic.
"Jordan Nadat got a hat-trick today but I'm more interested perhaps in the one he missed. It was an absolute sitter when the game was one-nil.
"The quality of some of Marc Goodfellow's deliveries for the goals were exceptional and the free kick he scored himself showed the quality he does have. Decent individual performances and a welcome three points obviously.
"I expected nothing less than a plucky performance from Hucknall. I've been a manager in a similar position to Hucknall in the demise of Gresley Rovers so I know how difficult it is when you are in a position where things have gone wrong off the pitch and it's impacted the team on the pitch struggling to put a team together. But in fairness to them they had some good lads out there. They kept going and it was great to see Chris Freestone out there again. I had a quick word with him before the game and he's still doing bits and bobs and he still working hard and holds the ball up. He was a great goal scorer.
"Hucknall worked very, very hard and they hit the post twice and scored a couple of goals. I've been a little bit critical of us defensively in the dressing room because we were far too open today for my liking today. Granted there was some good stuff from us going forward but far, far too open at the back today and we can count ourselves lucky that they didn't score any more goals.
"I think we were in control of the game for the most part but we were far too easily opened up in terms of half chances which we gave them.
"I've just said to the lads that if we go to Belper and defend like that as a team and sloppy in possession and give the ball away in key areas like that Belper will take full advantage of that. They will still be smarting in the one-nil defeat they had here at Gresley in October when in fairness it had nil-nil written all over it until injury time when their keeper dropped one in for us which was a welcome three points for us then. It was a bit fatuitous; I don't think perhaps we deserved three points on the day.
"Since then Belper have gone on a fantastic run and have got themselves in a real play-off position. I predicted at the time despite the position they were then in that they were a difficult team to beat but on what usually is a good surface and we play to our potential there is no reason why we can't go there and do ourselves justice. It will be an interesting game and we're looking forward to it.
"It's been a long time since we went into a game following back-to-back wins so it's very welcome. We've played the bottom three now and got seven points from them and I think we only had ourselves to blame for dropping the two points against Mickleover not taking our chances and then getting caught.
"This has restored a bit of confidence but let's be realistic and look at the bigger picture. It's the sides in the play-off positions the likes of Belper that we've got to beat if we are to have realistic ambitions to mount a play-off challenge whether is be this season or next.
"Looking at the table perhaps this season there is a little too much to do but it's still possible but we've got to set ourselves up for next season defending better and making us harder to beat. Better than we've done this season. "
