Evo-Stik NPL Division One South
Owen Street, Coalville
Monday, 1st April 2013, 3.00pm
Honours Even At Coalville
Gresley were just six minutes away from snatching a surprise result at champions elect Coalville. Marc Goodfellow had given the Moatmen a deserved first half lead only for the Ravens to grab a fortunate late equaliser through Josh Hill.
For the second match over the Easter weekend Gresley deserved more from the game than just a point as they controlled the proceedings at Owen Street for large periods of the game.
Marc Goodfellow was given a start and Matt Roome was called into the squad but both Mickey Lyons and Gareth Langford were missing.
Playing up the slope into a very stiff bitingly cold wind Gresley soon had the Ravens under pressure forcing an early corner. However Coalville hit back with Ryan Robbins heading Callum Woodward's cross over the bar.
The home side were unlucky not to have taken the lead on 16 minutes when Kris Nurse headed a cross from the left against the bar. Gresley keeper Gary Hateley did well to block a shot at his near post.
Gresley took the lead with a good goal. Royce Turville collected the ball on the left and shrugged off the attention of a defender before slipping the ball to Goodfellow who struck a low shot across Coalville's keeper Sean Bowles and into the bottom far corner of the net.
Hateley had to be alert to push away a decent shot from Lewis Dodd but it was the visitors who could have added to their tally but Jordan Nadat's low shot was well saved by Bowles.
Gresley started the second half in determined mood with Jamie Barrett firing just wide, forcing two corners before a flick-on by Turville from a throw in was picked up by Goodfellow as the defenders hesitated but his final shot flew fractionally the wrong side of the near upright.
Just after the hour mark Hateley made another fine save denying Anthony Carney with what looked like a certain goal but for the quick reactions of the keeper acrobatically pushing the ball away.
More corners came from Gresley and from one of them Michael Nottingham tested Bowles with a header which the keeper held on to under his bar.
Coalville grabbed a fortunate equaliser with six minutes remaining. A free kick from the left was flicked on by Danny Holmes and looped perfectly for Hill who powered his header past Hateley.
The home side have chances to steal all three points in the final few minutes of the game. Robbins skipped through the Gresley defence but Hateley made a good block with his legs and substitute Jerome Murdock embarrassingly blazed the rebound well over the bar from a very good position.
The chance was almost duplicated minutes later as Hateley once made a block and rebound being fired almost into the centre of Coalville.
Gresley would probably have settled for a point before the game but the only concern was to see defender Nottingham stretchered off the pitch towards the end of the game.
Manager's View
"It was a bit frustrating as we'd led the game for large parts of it. It was a bit like the Belper game. We got ourselves into a good position and I thought we were weathering things fairly well.
"Having said that, in the second half they had a couple of very near things especially from their number eleven who was causing a lot of the problems with his running particularly late in the game. But, when the equaliser did come it was frustrating in the way it came. We gave a cheapish free kick away, the ball was in our box and I think it was Danny Holmes who flicked it on nicely for their big fellow to score.
"It was frustrating for us because we wanted to bounce back and give our supports something to be cheerful about after our dismal defensive display on Saturday and in the most part I think we did that this afternoon. We defended fairly well and there were very few individual errors that led to chances for Coalville and in the end it was a hard fought point.
"I don't think there are any really poor sides in this league but I said in today's team talk that it's been our inconsistency that has been the most frustrating thing this year. We know that on our day we are capable of matching some of the top sides and we've proved that.
"Today I thought we matched Coalville who are going for the title, we went to Kings Lynn and should have won; they had a last minute winner at our place. We beat Belper at home although fortuitously and we got a point away. We went to Stamford and got a two goal lead but ended up drawing. So, against the top sides in and around a lot of the time we've put in a good shift and got a result.
"On the flip side of it it's our inconsistency, the silly results from poor performances or individual errors that has blighted our season and in all honesty were we are in the table at the moment is a fair indication of the season we've had.
"I wouldn't like to comment on the referee. It's not sour grapes because he sent me to the stand. I can't understand why he booked Jordan Nadat and their player. I thought they took a quick free kick and Jordan has nipped in and Coalville's player craftily took a swing at the ball saying he hadn't seen Jordan but he clearly had. Taking a swing at an opponent and then them both ending up with the same punishment - the ref said he booked Jordan for delaying the start of the game. To me the guy has put his foot on the ball and it has rolled. There was a referee coach in the stand but I think they need some common sense applying to things. They are scared to make common sense decisions.
"Adam Stevens was also scratching his head about the level of officiating. That's one thing that's disappointed me. They are asking for respect in this league but respect goes both ways. I've had several complaints from the players in the first twenty minutes about the way they were being spoken to by the referee so I said to him speak to the players how you would like to be spoken to. Saturday's referee was very, very similar. Referees in this league are very poor compared to the ones in the Alliance. Adam has more experience of the officials in the Alliance than I've got and I must admit that it's been many years since I've seen the level of officiating that I've seen in this league."
