Evo-Stik Division One South
The Moat Ground, Church Gresley
Tuesday, 19th August 2014, 7.45pm
Points Shared At The Moat
This was not a game for the football purist as both sides seemed set up not to lose the game and this led to very few chances of any note at either end until the final fifteen minutes when things started to liven up.
Gresley manager Martin Rowe made just one change to the side that suffered defeat at Chasetown on Saturday with Alex Steadman starting and Brad Wells taking a place on the bench.
The first half was a cagey affair with neither goalkeeper really being tested. There were a couple of half chances with Gresley's Eric Graves hitting a shot well over the bar and Rob Ritchie-Smith volleying a shot also well over the bar.
The Royals also had a half chance but a header from Daryl Taylor's was blocked at his near post by Tom Turner.
Ashley Robinson should have given the visitors the lead when he had a clear chance from the centre of the area but hit his shot straight into the midriff of Turner.
The remaining minutes of the first half were rather drab and unexciting from a supporters' point of view with everyone hoping for an improvement in the second.
Things did improve early in the second half marginally. Sutton's substitute Danny O'Callaghan fired a free kick wide and at the other end Graves hit a shot straight at visitor's keeper Lee Evans.
It was then the turn of Sutton's Justin Richards to try and break the deadlock but his shot flew over the bar as both sides struggled to hit the target.
Kieran O'Connell had a shot blocked by a defender and then as Rob Mulonga began to sprint forward he was fouled by Dion Donahue earning the defender a deserved yellow card.
With 15 minutes remaining the game livened up and Gresley went close to taking the lead with the best shot of the game. Mitch Hanson laid the ball back to Graves who hit a first time shot which was heading into the top of the net only for Evans to acrobatically tip the effort over the bar.
Hanson then had a chance himself but headed a cross from the left narrowly wide of the far post. Gresley substitute Martin Smyth then had a couple of chances but fired his first wide of the near post followed by a shot which he put over the bar.
The Royals thought they had a decent shout for a penalty late in the game when they appealed for what appeared to be a Gresley hand ball in the area but despite their protestations referee Declan Bourne waved away their appeals.
The visitors could have stolen all the points deep in time added on, which would have been very harsh on Gresley who deserved to share the points, but substitute Craig Milligan could only shoot wide.
Manager's View
"I'm pleased with the clean sheet but it didn't quite happen in front of goal tonight. I don't know if it was the pressure of not winning on Saturday and this first home game.
"We looked a bit tense tonight and I don't know why. We didn't move the ball about quickly enough to how we had been playing and I think really both sides cancelled each other out. Both defences were on top and in midfield it was just a battle.
"We're a bit disappointed tonight but the good thing is that we've got a clean sheet. Keeper Tom Turner has come back from the one mistake he made on Saturday and showed what he's made of.
"We've got to be a bit more commanding in front of goal. We want one or two more touches all the time and we need to get back to how we played in pre-season opening teams up.
"I don't know whether it was pressure on the night of the side we were playing but we need to relax a bit more on the ball and start playing again.
"Rob Ritchie-Smith had the perfect cross for a diving header at the far post but for some unknown reason he chose to volley the ball.
"It was like in the second half when we brought Brad Wells on. He opened the game up a bit more but even he didn't go to the far post area where he should have been and he could have had a goal as well but at the end of the day both sides have cancelled each other out. We've got to be a bit more positive in front of goal and more direct.
"The team worked hard to give Eric Graves his attempts on goal. I'm sure the forwards will come good like they did in pre-season and I'm sure they'll do it in the league.
"Looking forward to Saturday I know nothing about Norton United to be honest. But one thing about this league there are no easy games. You've got to show every team the respect they show us. You have to go out and win the battle and then go on and win the game."
