Evo-Stik NPL Division One South
The Moat Ground, Church Gresley
Saturday, 12th October 2013, 3.00pm
Gresley Earn A Point
A draw was the right result as Gresley and Belper made it an entertaining game despite a rain sodden Moat Ground which made playing football difficult.
Gresley manager made changes for this tough game against one of the favourites for promotion this season. Mickey Lyons, Marc Strzyzewsk, Marc Goodfellowi and James Jepson all returned to the starting line-up. New signing Paolo Piliero was on the bench alongside Dean Oliver, John Guy and Liam Guest.
For the first ten or so minutes it looked like the game might boil over as some feisty tackles were made by both sides.
But as the game settled it was Gresley who went the closest to scoring when a Jamie Barrett back flick in the area needed clearing off the line. Jordan Nadat then went close firing a shot fractionally wide of the post.
Action then went to the other end and a cross from the left was met by Simon Harrison but his volley cleared the bar at the far post.
Both sides found clear-cut chances in the first half difficult to come by as both defences snuffed out most of the danger.
The second half began with Nadat testing the Nailers' keeper Dave Ratcliffe who, diving low to his left, managed to push Nadat's shot away.
Gareth Davies then went close for the visitors when he looped a shot wide. Philip Watt then headed Simon Harrison's corner wide. Nadat for the home side fired a shot wide of the post as action went from end to end.
Arguably the best chance came on the hour mark when Shaun Tutton found himself through in on goal but failed to take it firing wide of the near post. Another good chance for the visitors followed seconds later. A cross to the far post was met by Mark Ward and with the goal at his mercy planted the ball wide.
Gresley's defence was repelling the late Belper attacks but the visitors almost scraped the winner as a header from substitute Jon Froggatt shaved the outside base of the post.
It would have been a cruel end to the game in which both sides deserved to share the points as neither deserved to lose.
Manager's View
"I still think Belper will be there or thereabouts at the end of the season but I felt we just showed them a bit too much respect. We should have got up and got at them a bit more but it was difficult conditions today with the rain - the pitch was very heavy.
"I thought the first half was fairly even and I want us to push on a bit more in the second half and ask a few more questions.
"We didn't quite do it - It was hard work out there. I changed things to a four-four-two by bringing Dean Oliver on and taking Marc Goodfellow off. I just felt that they were there for the taking but we couldn't get that final ball into the box to give Dean or Jordan Nadat that chance.
"Neither keeper had much to do. I said to my players at halftime 'get your shots off from anywhere on this pitch' but both back fours played extremely well and midfield for both side played well defensively and we snuffed each other out.
"When you think where we were and where we are today competing with the best it now moves on to Tuesday which is a very big game for us. Halesowen is a difficult place to go to but the lads are full of confidence at the moment and it showed today.
"I'm not thinking of next Saturday, we've got a game on Tuesday which is our bread and butter. Next Saturday is a game that everyone is writing us off - bring it on! We love that but I'm just concentrating on the Halesowen game at the moment.
"Sam Grice has had an injury and needed a rest and Tuesday may be a bit too early for him. Danny Holmes should be available for Tuesday.
"I could well make a few changes again for Tuesday because has been a very hard game for everybody. Eric Graves has taken a bit of a battering so has Kieran O'Connell and Jordan Nadat so we'll have to look who's available for Tuesday because it's a bit of a trek.
"Last season Halesowen had the best striker. We lost but it was defensive errors that cost us last season but this season I think we are a lot stronger at the back and hopefully we can go there and come back with something. Certainly with the way the players are we should get something out of the game"
