Evo-Stik Division One South
The Raygar Stadium, Mickleover.
Monday, 25th August 2014, 3.00pm
Sports Relief
It took Gresley 60 minutes and three substitutions to get going against local rivals Micklover Sports as the hosts dominated the game up until then with their midfield and defence comfortably sweeping up everything Gresley tried to do.
Indeed it looked as if it was going to be as bleak an afternoon for Gresley as the weather as they failed to have any cutting edge to even threaten Sports until Martin Smyth's first goal gave them a big lift and at last they threatened to snatch an unlikely share of the points in the end.
Gresley manager Martin Rowe kept faith in the starting eleven that had comfortably overcome Norton United at the Moat Ground on Saturday and it almost paid off with Alex Steadman heading Mitch Hanson's cross from the left just wide.
Unfortunately, it was a false dawn as the home side took control snuffing any attempt by Gresley to get a foothold in the game and Sports took the lead with their first corner of the game. A ball was whipped in from the right by Andy Dales and Ashley Grayson connected to head powerfully past the helpless Gresley keeper Tom Turner.
The Sports pressure was building and it took a smart save down near his post by Turner to prevent them from adding to their tally. Kyle Bryant then put a header wide as another goal seemed certain to arrive.
However, a glimmer of hope came at the other end for the visitors when Smyth hit a rasping low shot from distance that flew marginally wide of the post.
Again Sports were putting the Gresley goal under pressure with Karl Ashton shooting well over the bar and then from yet another corner kick a deflection off a Gresley defender needed clearing off the line by Hanson.
Ashton then cleverly turned his marker but fired wide and then another attempt also went wide as the first half ended with Gresley somehow only being one goal down.
Within 10 minutes of the second half starting Sports had the second goal they looked certain to get and it came from another set piece. A needless free kick was conceded on the right which Karl Demidh launched into the area where Ashton was waiting to flick the ball past Turner.
On 61 minutes Rowe made changes bringing Brad Well, Rob Ritchie-Smith and Hayden Johns for Steadman, Rob Ritchie-Smith and Hanson and it seemed to give the side a lift as they, at last, began to find ways through the Sports solid midfield and defence.
Ritchie-Smith almost had an immediate impact but his free kick from the right was deflected over the bar but Gresley got on the scoresheet from the resulting flag kick. Harrison curled in a good corner from the right and Smyth headed the ball home at the near post for his first league goal for the club.
Gresley now looked far more determined and dangerous than at any time in the game up until then and went looking for another goal which would have given them a share of the points which ten minutes previous looked very unlikely.
A spell of good passing football saw a stinging low shot from Ritchie-Smith which keeper Chris Smith needed two goes at to hold onto the ball.
A free kick from Harrison found Kieran O'Connell who could only fire straight into Smith's midriff and that elusive second goal for Gresley failed to materialise.
Gresley now turn their attention to the visit of Cleethorpes Town in the Preliminary Round of the FA Cup on Saturday.
Manager's View
"Mickleover dominated us today and we weren't at the races at all. I don't why. We prepared the team in the same way as Saturday but some players go out there and don't give commitment to this club which isn't good enough.
"We warned the players before they went out for the second half that we need to have tempo in the game, we needed a bit more aggression in the game and we wanted a bit more commitment. We didn't quite start well enough and when we conceded the second goal we made the three substitutions and all three played well.
"I got Hayden Johns going forward and I got Rob Ritchie-Smith on the ball making us play and I got Brad Wells up front committed going for everything. We didn't have enough players today committed for a full ninety minutes and there were too many players left wanting today.
"It looked as if Tom Turner was to blame for their second goal if I'm honest but I couldn't really tell. If he is to blame, well we all make mistakes in life!
"I thought we'd turned the corner but we need that bit more commitment and desire from the players today which I felt we didn't get. I thought the back four did well today. I thought Jamie Barrett, John Guy and Lucas Harrison did really well and were really committed. It was most likely one of Jamie's best games and you could see through Jamie that we weren't happy and quite rightly so.
"We felt we just sat back a bit deep in the first half and we wanted the team to push on from the back four to the midfield players but we just didn't get close to them today. But credit to us the last twenty minutes most teams would have just disappeared. The players showed a lot of character to come back in to that game and once we got the goal we looked like we would get another one but unfortunately it didn't quite happen for us. There will be changes for Saturday. No-one is safe at this club with me."
