Evo-Stik NPL Division One South
Watermead Lane, Nanpantan Road, Loughborough
Tuesday, 18th February 2014, 7.45pm
Dynamo Dim Gresley's Light
After grinding out a fine win against Leek at home on a very heavy pitch and then falling to defeat at Belper on a good surface a similar scenario occurred again. Gresley had ground out a good win at the Moat Ground and then slipped to defeat on another fine surface at Loughborough.
It was very disappointing for those who had made the short trip to Watermead Lane with the visitors unable to get into the game in the first half after being caught by a very soft early goal and despite a double strike from Rob Spencer and a goal from Alex Steadman and a much improved second half performance Gresley couldn't get that vital equaliser which their second half performance probably deserved.
Manager Martin Rowe made changes from the side that claimed three points on Saturday with Liam Guest on the bench to rest an ankle injury he's been suffering with for the past couple of weeks. Steadman and Kieran O'Connell swapped places with Jack Langston also given a place on the bench.
Striker Royce Turville was still suffering from a virus and Danny Holmes was absent with work commitments.
Gresley were caught cold with only four minutes of the game gone when a low shot from Nathan Watson found its way through the defenders and disappointingly past Mats Morch at his near post.
The visitors hit back forcing a free kick and a couple of corners. But, at the other end Dynamo went close to adding to their score when Rob Norris flashed a shot marginally wide of the post.
Gresley equalised with a good move. Steadman made a good run down the left and picked out Spencer in the box who slotted the ball home.
However, Gresley's joy was short lived as Dynamo grabbed the lead once more almost from the restart with poor defending the visitors' downfall as Jarrod Westcarr was allowed to race down the right before smashing the ball past Morch.
Dynamo added a third goal just a minute later and again it was the result of poor defending. This time it was Kris Nurse who did the damage firing home a loose ball.
There were chances for both sides as the first half drew to a close with Norris hitting a weak shot straight at Morch and Spencer being a fraction of an inch away from turning Steadman's cross from the left into the goal at the far post.
Gresley made a change at the break with O'Connell replacing Eric Graves who was suffering a calf injury.
As with the first half Gresley were caught cold again when the lively Westcarr beat the offside trap racing through leaving defenders in his wake but his finish was disappointing shooting wide with only the exposed Morch to beat.
Gresley reduced the deficit shortly afterwards when Mitch Hanson found Spencer down the right who curled his shot around keeper Kahil Mann-Kler and in at the far post.
Once more Gresley defensive frailties were evident as Dynamo extended their lead once more five minutes later. Nurse was given far too much room to turn in the area before firing past Morch.
O'Connell was beginning to have more influence on the game and it was from one of his passes that Gresley scored once more. He sent Steadman racing through on goal and he coolly finished beating the keeper at the far post.
It looked like the visitors might grab an unlikely share of the points as they piled on the pressure on the Dynamo defence. Steadman made a fine run down the right but instead of testing the keeper with a shot himself he cut the ball across the area where Mickey Lyons was waiting to pounce. Agonisingly, Lyons's goal bound shot was blocked by a team mate and the follow up shot from Paulo Piliero was also blocked. Piliero then provided a cross which was met by Spencer who saw his header drift just past the far post with Mann-Kler beaten.
At the other end Morch needed to tip over a shot before Westcarr flashed his shot wide of far post.
Manager's View
"We didn't deserve anything in the first half. Loughborough were up out of the blocks and I think we were all still back in Gresley.
"We never seemed up for the game at all and it was very disappointing. The goals we gave away in the first half were disappointing but we managed to crawl ourselves back into the game and then we go and give them two silly goals which killed us.
"We changed things at half time. We had a good chat with the lads who were even more disappointed with their performance and in the second half I thought we were the better team. They were better in the first half and we were better in the second but it's that lack of the killer instinct to put the chances away. We had enough chances in the second half when I think we played well but we needed just that bit more.
"The changes at half time bringing Kieran O'Connell on opened up the game a bit more for us. Eric Graves had to go off with a calf injury but we were going to get Kieran on anyway because we knew he could change the game for us and that's what he did. It's a pity we couldn't have got him in the box a bit more to finish off the chances. Overall a very disappointing result but a very entertaining game.
"Alex Steadman was one of the plusses tonight. We've been trying to get Alex in and tonight was an opportunity and I thought he did alright but he can do better. We haven't seen the best of Alex Steadman. I was able to give Kieran a rest because I thought he looked a bit tired on our heavy pitch but when he came on he changed the game for us. When Jack Langston also came on he helped to change the game as well. He was getting on the ball and spraying it about and the game was opening up but we just couldn't get that goal.
"We then had the incident were our shots were hitting our own players and not going into the net. This is the third game Loughborough have beaten us but in the previous two game they haven't deserved it but they certainly deserved it in the first half because we just weren't at it.
"I thought the fourth goal killed us. The ball is on the edge of our box and nobody has gone to close him down and he's put it in the far corner. Defensively we should do better. The whole of the back four agreed with me so I said 'it's about time you did something about it'!
"The forwards are now scoring goals. Saturday we kept a clean sheet and won the game and if we'd have kept a clean sheet tonight we would have won the game three-none but we didn't perform in the first half and that's why we've lost the game this evening.
"We made a change at the back tonight. Liam Guest has an ankle injury. He got it a couple of weeks ago and it flared up again so we wanted to take precautions tonight. We thought he may have been alright for the game but Liam was still in a bit of pain and that's why we made the change."
