Evo-Stik Division One South
Community Drive, Smallthorne, Stoke on Trent
Tuesday, 25th November 2014, 7.45pm
Gresley Come A Cropper
The away day hoodoo returned for Gresley as two goals in the first ten minutes from Lee Cropper gave them a mountain to climb and it was made even harder when Michael Lennon added two more without reply in the second half.
Gresley manager Wayne Thornhill was forced into making changes with Jamie Barrett and Lucas Harrison missing and with Alex Steadman coming down with a virus earlier in the day. He also saw one of his most consistent players, Mitch Hanson hobble off early in the second half of the game.
Hayden Johns was asked to play left back with Matt Roome alongside Hanson. Martin Smyth came in at right back and Russ Peel wide.
Despite having most of the play and the early chances Gresley seemed a little uneasy with the enforced changes and whether the players had one eye on Saturday's FA Trophy game at Halesowen they soon found themselves two goals down.
It could have started so much better for the visitors as Luke Edwards was put through but his final shot went straight at home keeper Chris Fletcher followed by Kieran O'Connell having a shot blocked on the line.
Two minutes later Gresley were to rue those missed chances as a quick break down the left saw Cropper power a shot past keeper Ross Atkins.
It got worse just two minutes later when a woefully short back header from Peel fell at the feet of Cropper who got the better of Roome before hammering the ball into the roof of Atkins' net.
Gresley did try to hit back with young striker Ryan King hitting a shot which Fletcher saved well while at the other end Atkins needed to be alert to make a smart block at his near post as Lennon threatened to add to Gresley's woe.
Hanson was then unlucky to have a powerful header from Peel's free kick well blocked by the keeper. King put a header over the bar and then Edwards was again put through only to find Fletcher once more reacting quickly to block the shot.
Gresley went close again early in the second half with O'Connell turning in the area only to be thwarted yet again by Fletcher who was having great game for the home side.
His opposite number was also proving his worth as Atkins once more produced a fine block this time to deny Cropper his hat-trick. However, he couldn't do anything to prevent Lennon from getting on the score sheet as the much travelled front man smashed in his shot at the near post.
What up until then had become a difficult game for the visitors became an almost impossible one as Lennon scored arguably the goal of the game when, seeing Atkins off his line, superbly lobbed the ball from 25 yards out over the keeper's head and into the unguarded net.
Atkins then produced two excellent blocks one after the other to prevent the score line from becoming embarrassing.
Gresley had a glimmer of hope with eight minutes remaining when O'Connell was sent racing through but, and with only Fletcher to beat, his shot lacked power and it easy for the keeper to collect the ball.
Langston, who had replaced the injured Hanson early in the second half, hit a thundering shot which took a deflection as it headed goalwards.
However, four minutes later Langston had another chance and this time it proved successful. The ball was laid back for Langston to fire another sweetly struck shot which proved too hard for Fletcher to hang onto and the ball flew out of his grasp and into the net.
With just seconds remaining Atkins once more saved his side by making yet another fine save.
