Match Report  |  Halesowen Town vs Gresley FC

"We were spanked tonight." That was Gresley manager Martin Rowe's view of the game where he witnessed his side's biggest defeat of the season as they were soundly beaten at Halesowen Town.

Gresley had seemed to have turned the corner putting on some good solid performances against the likes of Brackley, Eastwood, Sutton Coldfield Town and Belper Town but this performance undid all the good work as nearly every mistake was punished by the best striker in the league, Ben Haseley and his team-mates.

Once Halesowen had opened the scoring all the fight and determination seem to drain away from the visitors and the score could have been worse but for some saves from Ross Etheridge.

Rowe made three changes to the side which drew with Belper with Liam Guest replacing Jamie Barrett, Paolo Piliero and Dean Oliver in place of Marc Goodfellow and Jordan Nadat.

Gresley looked a little shaky from the off with the normally reliable Etheridge almost handing a goal to Haseley. A strongly hit back pass meant that the keeper could not pick the ball up and as he tried to dribble the ball near his post the prolific striker managed to get a toe on the ball but poked it wide of the open net.

Minutes later Etheridge made amends by denying Haseley after the frontman had sprung the Gresley defence but the legs of the keeper stopped the shot.

Halesowen took the lead from a poorly defended set piece. A corner from the right was met by the unmarked Joseph Hull who powered his header home. It could have been two for the homeside seconds later when Iyseden Christie hit a long-range shot but Etheridge tipped the effort over the bar.

Gresley's first attempt came on the half hour mark but Eric Graves' shot lacked any power to trouble keeper Paul Evans.

Town looked the most likely to score again but missed a chance when Haseley headed straight at Etheridge and at the other end Oliver hit a shot at Evans but again it lacked the power to trouble him.

The hosts should have doubled their advantage almost on the half time whistle but Christies blazed his shot high over the bar from a good position.

Haseley was giving the Gresley backline a torrid time as he ran onto the high balls and his two goals within five minutes early in the second half put paid to any faint hopes that the visitors could mount any sort of revival.

The first was a little fortuitous. Haseley got the better of Hanson and got almost to the near post where he hit a shot which somehow squeezed between the keeper and the woodwork.

Haseley's second goal was a beauty. Another long high ball over the Gresley defence was superbly brought down before smashing his shot past the helpless Etheridge and into the far corner of the net. Etheridge made another good block as Haseley threatened to add to his tally just a minute or so later.

Halesowen made it four but it was the unfortunate Mitch Hanson who managed to put the ball over his own goal line.

Two minutes later the rout was completed when a low shot from the left by Elliott Turner beat Etheridge and flew into the far corner.

Turner was hardly tested but needed to be alert late on when Gresley substitute Marc Goodfellow curled in a free kick which the keeper did well to turn away for a corner.

None of the travelling Gresley supporters could argue with the defeat or indeed the size of the defeat as their side put in a lackluster performance which in all honesty deserved what it got - nothing.

Let's hope the real Gresley turn up on Saturday as they take on Ilkeston in the FA Trophy at the Moat Ground and put this sorry episode behind them.