Evo-Stik NPL Division One South
The Moat Ground, Church Gresley
Saturday, 30th March 2013, 3.00pm
Gresley's Unbeaten Run Ends
Gresley can feel aggrieved to have been on the end of a scoreline like that. It was much closer than the score suggests and it was the two goals deep in time added on at the end of the game which distorted the match result.
The home side made changes with Marc Goodfellow on the bench recovering after injuring a foot at work, Mickey Lyons also given a place on the bench with Danny Holmes coming back into midfield after missing the last game due to his commitments with Derby County Academy.
Chasetown were a little fortunate to take the lead on six minutes. Gresley tried to clear the ball but the rebound fell to Paul Sullivan who had come back from an offside position. The striker finished well and despite the Gresley protestations the goal was allowed to stand much to the annoyance of players and supporters alike.
Three minutes later the visitors could have extended their lead when Sullivan got on the end of a cross from the right but his header flew wide.
Gresley began to settle finding their feet on a sticky surface and they were unlucky not to have levelled when Michael Nottingham hit a good shot which was cleared off the line by Theo Robinson.
A good move between Jordi Gough and Richard Hanslow ended with a shot from Gough flying the wrong side of the near post. Hanslow had a chance himself and after flying down the left fired a low shot which keeper Ryan Price held on to.
Gresley finished the half strongly and almost went in to the break on level terms but they were denied again when Danny Holmes shot was cleared off the line.
Within a couple of minutes of the second half Holmes went close again bringing out a decent save from Price.
However, minutes later Chasetown doubled their lead. A slip from Gough allowed Sullivan to pounce on the loose ball before striding forward and putting it beyond the reach of keeper Gary Hateley.
Marc Goodfellow replaced Hanslow just before the hour mark and almost made an impact when he ran through the middle before unleashing a shot that flew just wide. Jordan Nadat then also sent his shot wide of the upright as Gresley went looking for a goal.
Chasetown went close with substitute Gary Hay being denied by the outstretched leg of Gary Hateley while at the other end Goodfellow set up substitute Phil Massingham but his shot was blocked by Price who had raced off his line.
Gresley set up a tense final six or seven minutes when Nottingham managed to slot home a cross from Gough and then with a minute of normal time remaining Goodfellow forced Price to tip his dipping shot over the bar.
With the home side pressing forward looking for the equaliser they were caught out by two unfortunate breaks deep into injury time. Poor Gresley defending saw the ball rebound and Nicholas Wellcomme collected the ball and run down the right and then squared to his team mate substitute Gary Hay who finished coolly past Hateley.
It was Hay again who rubbed salt in Gresley's wounds when he caught the back line flat and again finished comfortably past an exposed Hateley.
Manager's View
"Anyone who left with a couple of minutes to go with the score two-one and then they are told later, read it on the Internet or pick a newspaper up and read the scores tomorrow I'm not sure they'd believe it was a four-one score line.
"We've only got ourselves to blame and it's not for the first time that I've stood here and said that this season.
"If we just reflect on how the games gone. A bit of a dubious first goal, how he's not given offside he said Ryan walker played him on but I would have liked to have seen that one again if anyone has any footage of it. It was an astounding decision to make but you just have to get on with it.
"We rallied around the lads at half time because we'd played some good stuff in patches in the first half on what was a difficult surface and we were never out of the game. The second goal we gave away from a defensive position obviously we were trying to play some football and you can't have a go at Jordi because he makes very few mistakes but he sold us a little bit short with a back pass and their guy has nipped in and put them two-nil up.
"I have to say credit to all the guys out there because none of their heads went down. Slowly but surely we started to get a bit of momentum and I think the changes when Marc Goodfellow came on and that really lifted us and one or two things started to be created and one or two near things.
"We then got the goal with six or seven minutes to go and if I'm honest I thought there was only going to be one result and something on the cards. I was convinced we would get the equaliser but no, we gave the ball away in a really poor position, I'm not sure who it was, but we gave it away when we were trying to keep hold of the ball and they ran through and scored. Then we gave away an absolute shocker of a fourth. Every single goal has been given away. The first one was a little unfortunate in the manner in which it came about.
"I stand here scratching my head wondering how we lost by such a margin. Sometimes you lose a football match and say fair enough but there was never three goals between us today and I'm a bit disheartened by that but we only had ourselves to blame. Defensively we are making poor decisions and mistakes and it's something I said many times this season.
"Perhaps we as a management team have to hold our hands up for not having identified it and made the necessary changes either in personnel or tactics. It's up to us to eradicate it because things are result driven.
"We'll win on Monday no doubt about it. I'll ring Stevo up and have a pint on it. Joking apart it's a daunting task, they are champions elect at the moment. I looked at the table at the weekend and we can have a say in the title if we go there and win, obviously Kings Lynn have still got Coalville to play, and it could really open things up. Going into today's games, if I'm correct, there were seven points with ten games to go between them.
"I said to the lads before the game and even more so now that we've got to go there and show what a good side, if inconsistent, we are on our day. We've got nothing to lose and we've got to pick ourselves up quickly after that disappointment today because for a large part we were worth something from the game. It's no use licking our wounds, we've got to go there on Monday determined to put it right for what I'm hoping will be a big travelling support. I want us to do them proud. We haven't done that today and we've got an opportunity on Monday at Coalville.
"But, they are not top by seven points for any other reason other than they are a very good, well drilled organised side. We saw that when we played them here at the Moat on New Year's Day when for a large part of the game they were down to ten men. We always appeared to be at arms length from them. So we've got to go there and throw the kitchen sink at it and hope we play well."
