Pre-Season Friendly
Edgehill, Stapenhill
Tuesday, 5th August 2014, 7.30pm
Friendly Win For Gresley
Gresley's penultimate pre-season friendly ended with a comfortable win at Edgehill despite going a goal down to their East Midlands Counties League near neighbours Stapenhill.
Matt Weightman capitalised on a slip from the Gresley keeper Alex Townsend but Brad Wells levelled just before the break.
Martin Smyth gave the visitors the lead early in the second half with John Guy and another goal from Wells wrapping the game up.
Gresley started well forcing the home side back but it was the Swans who went close to opening the scoring when Lewis Campbell managed to avoid the attention of both keeper and defender only to see his lob bounce off the top of the bar.
A couple of minutes later Stapenhill were in front. An unfortunate slip by Townsend saw the keeper send his clearance straight to Weightman who had time and space to pick his spot before firing the ball across the goal and into the far bottom corner of the net.
The home side almost were gifted another goal when Guy sliced his attempted clearance and was relieved to see the ball crash off the bar and away to safety.
Guy went close to levelling with a superb header from Rob Ritchie-Smith's corner which Sam Taylor managed to hook off the line with keeper Ben Gough well beaten.
Gresley looked determined to hand their opponents another goal when a mistake saw the ball come to Campbell but he fluffed his lines and he fired wide of an open goal.
At the other end Josh Wright blazed his shot over the bar from a good position but the visitors ended the first half all square when Wells hammered home a cross from the right beating Gough.
Ten minutes into the second half Callum Riddell did well to pick out Smyth who hit a tremendous low shot into the net from just inside the area. Gresley increased their lead when Guy slotted home Ritchie-Smith's corner at the near post
The best goal of the night was scored by Wells when he powered home his header after Kieran O'Connell sent Hayden Johns on a superb run down the right which ended with a great cross into the box that Wells finished superbly giving Gough no chance.
Gresley went close to adding a fifth goal late on but O'Connell was denied by a fine save as Gough turned the low shot round the post for a corner.
