Evo-Stik Division One South
The Moat Ground, Church Gresley
Thursday, 1st January 2015, 3.00pm
Knocked For Six
Gresley began the New Year in the worst possible way as they were thumped at home by near neighbours Mickleover Sports.
It was the first home defeat of the season for the Moatmen and the job in hand was made even harder by the first half dismissal of Mitch Hanson after being shown a straight red card for a tackle on Karl Demidh.
The big spending visitors showed why they are regarded as favourites to take the title come the end of April as they took control of the game and barely let it go.
Gresley manager Wayne Thornhill was missing the services of influential player Kieran O'Connell and the lack of that cutting edge up front was evident for all to see against one of the meanest defences in the league. Luke Edwards returned to the starting eleven alongside Alex Steadman.
Both sides started brightly with Edwards firing over the bar, Eric Graves trying his luck from distance for Gresley but it was Sports who took the lead when Andy Dales made a good run down the left before hitting a shot across keeper Alex Townsend and into the far corner.
Gresley should have had the chance of hitting back immediately when Edwards was clearly brought down in the area by Dales but amazingly the referee Rob Cairns waved the appeals away much to the anger of players and supporters alike.
Dales made another good run down the left and his cross should at least have been fired on target by Demidh but he embarrassingly blazed his shot from close in well over the bar.
Steadman then planted a header wide before the turning point of the game occurred. Hanson's tackle on Demidh was adjudged by the referee to have been a violent one and showed the Gresley defender a straight red card.
If Gresley had a hill to climb after falling behind it suddenly changed to a mountain after the dismissal.
Early in the second half Gresley fell further behind and it was from a piece of poor defending. A corner from the left by Jacob Hazel should have been either tipped over the bar or punched away by Townsend instead he flapped at the ball and pushed it to the far post making it easy for Liam Walshe to score.
To their credit Gresley got themselves back into the game when Martin Smyth got on the end of Jack Langston's free kick, turned and hammered the ball past Sports keeper Scott Low.
However, the joy was short lived as Sports restored their two goal lead and again it was as a result of some poor defending. Chris Palmer was allowed the space to fire off a low shot from distance which looked to have been covered by Townsend but the ball went under his body and into the net.
Jamie Barrett, who had been trying to spur his side on, went close firing Langston's free kick into the side netting at the far post.
The stuffing was well and truly knocked out of Gresley when Sports added a fourth goal. Substitute Chris Hamilton got the better of Hayden Johns down the left before crossing the ball for Simeon Oshoboke to smash home.
Gresley very nearly reduced the deficit when Graves picked out Langston whose well hit volley was well saved by Low for a corner.
Walshe added goal number five when he converted substitute Ashley Grayson's cross and the game was well and truly summed up when Palmer was once more allowed to race down the left and deliver a cross which was headed home by Grayson.
Gresley must now put this game behind them and pick themselves up as they face another high-flying, high spending side Spalding United at the Moat on Saturday.
