Evo-Stik NPL Division One South
Queensgate, Bridlington
Saturday, 24th August 2013, 3.00pm
Seadogs Sunk By Spencer
It may have been a long, long journey for a league match but it was worth every mile just to see Gresley turn on the best display so far this season topped off by a goal from Rob Spencer which sealed Gresley's first points of the season and a fully deserved win on the East Coast.
All across the pitch from front to back the performance from every member of the Gresley squad was a man-of-the match performance and it showed as Gresley were hardly stretched with goal keeper Ross Etheridge having his easiest game in a Gresley shirt.
Scarborough are fancied by many to lift this season's title or at the very least be in amongst the play-offs come the end of April but they struggled to contain a determined Gresley side who worked hard together from the first to the final whistle.
They did have spells of pressure playing some good passing football but their finishing either fizzled out due to some dogged defending by Gresley or ended flying well wide of the target.
The visitors were missing several players, Marc Goodfellow (thigh), Jordan Nadat (back), Matt Roome (mouth) and Danny Holmes and Gary Hateley both through work commitments.
New Zealander Hayden Johns made his debut after resolving his visa issues and recent signing Michael Fitzhugh also made his first appearance coming on to replace John Guy in the second half.
Gresley started brightly with Lucas Harrison and Guy combining well on the left leading to a cross which Dean Oliver headed straight at Athletic's keeper Jason White.
There was not much goalmouth action at either end in the first half with little to note as each side largely cancelled each other out. However, it was Gresley that created the better chances with Harrison and Marc Strzyzewski going close and Bryan Hughes firing over for the home side.
Just before the interval Gresley had to make a change when the hard working Oliver pulled up with a slight hamstring pull to be replaced by Royce Turville.
The second half started with Guy sending over a cross and Eric Graves heading over at the far post but it was the home side who had the best chance of the second period to grab the lead. A superb through ball from Ryan Blott looked to have split the Gresley defence but a rare save from Etheridge was enough to block the final shot.
Scarborough then had a spell of pressure but the Gresley defence dealt with it comfortably and it was the visitors who took the lead on 73 minutes. Substitute Turville threaded a great ball for Spencer to run onto and he coolly finished the move by slipping the ball past the onrushing White to the cheers of the Gresley travelling contingent.
It was no more than Gresley deserved for their determined and hard working display and minutes later they went close to doubling their advantage. This time it was Graves who put the ball through for Spencer but his effort flew just over the bar.
The final two or three minutes of the game seemed to take an age to run down but the referee's whistle brought to an end an enthralling if not spectacular game with the three points heading back down the motorway to South Derbyshire.
Manager's View
"We came here today with everyone most likely writing us off. We showed against Newcastle that we've slightly turned the corner but we've still some way to go. The attitude of the players, they worked hard, they worked for each other and most of all it was a team performance today, and everyone put a shift in.
"We had to because these are a good side and we worked hard to close them down. I know the formation was a bit defensive going four-four-one-one but it worked today.
"When we went in at half time I said to the players 'believe you can win this game because they've not had a shot at goal'. Their main striker kept dropping deeper and deeper and we just loved that.
"I felt Marc Strzyzewski should have scored in the first half but he just didn't attack. He went in the box but and froze. If he'd attack the ball he'd be scoring more goals.
"I think the defence have done really well. Hayden Johns came in and looked like he'd been with us all season and it was his first game for the first team and did really well. Strez and Jamie Barrett played really well and young Lucas Harrison did very well again today. I'm not picking any individuals out because it was the team that played today.
"What's let us down has been our home form. We knew we made mistakes against Mickleover, we didn't put our chances away. The lads know that and I'm sure that come Monday they'll be wanting to put that right, get three points and move on.
"Dean Oliver has got a bit of a hamstring so he's very doubtful for Monday but I thought the longer the game went on Royce Turville looked back to his old self which we saw a couple of years ago and towards the end of last season and Royce did really well today."
