Match Report  |  Rainworth Miners Welfare vs Gresley FC

If any of the supporters who travelled to Rainworth today had the misfortune of also being at the Brigg game away last season they might have been forgiven of sensing a case of deja vu!

Gresley overwhelmed Brigg only to lose by two late goals in a massively one sided game. Today's game at Rainworth had every hallmark of having a similar outcome as the visitors battered their hosts especially in the first half but could not find the vital breakthrough until Jake Carlisle's late header grabbed all three points for the Moatmen.

Gresley manager Wayne Thornhill started with the same side that bulldozed Brigg two weeks ago but they faced a side in Rainworth that did not field one single player from the defeat they suffered at the Moat Ground back in September.

How the Moatmen were not two to three goals to the good at the interval was due to some wayward finishing and to some good saves from the Wren's keeper David Reay.

Gresley started well and were soon on the front foot pushing the home side back with Kieran O'Connell testing Reay with a low shot which the keeper did well to push away to his left for a corner.

Luke Edwards was then denied by Reay when the keeper pushed away his curling shot for another corner. From the flag kick Martin Smyth ball to the back post was headed into the side netting by Jamie Barrett.

Alex Steadman then provided the cross which Eric Graves headed over the bar and seconds later how O'Connell failed to find the back of the net beggars belief. His first shot from close in was blocked and his follow up was also blocked by Reay at the expense of a corner. The corner from the left came to Edwards who fired a low shot which Reay held onto well.

The first chance for the home side came from a long throw. Josh Raven launched his throw into the area and it was met by the head of Elliott Brown but his effort flew over the bar.

Gresley forced more corners and from one of them the ball came to O'Connell over on the right and his superbly curled shot looked certain to find the top far corner but instead cleared the far post by the merest fraction.

The Wren's goalmouth continued to lead a charmed life with Gresley going close again just before the break when a good one-two between Steadman and O'Connell ended with Steadman's shot hitting the post with Reay beaten.

The second half started in a similar vein as the first ended with Gresley pressing forward and creating chances. A cross from Lucas Harrison found Edwards who planted his header over the bar followed by Edwards providing a ball for Eric Graves who fired his shot narrowly wide of the far post.

Against the run of play Gresley could easily found themselves behind. Just before the hour mark a dreadful clearance by keeper Liam Roberts, who up until that point had hardly anything to do, scuffed his kick to Wren's substitute Oliver Brock who was waiting a yard or so out of the area. He collected the ball and with Gresley's backline running up field in anticipation of the kick found himself one-on-one with Roberts but to the full credit of the young keeper he recovered his composure to make a fine block to keep the scores level.

That huge let off spurred Gresley on and they took the lead on 76 minutes. A corner from the left by Jack Langston was met by Carlisle running in at the far post and his header powered past Reay and into the net.

The Wren's continued to defend and frustrate Gresley's strike force and they also carved out another decent chance when Danny Williams struck a vicious volley from distance that whistled wide of the post.

O'Connell tried his luck again with a low shot which Reay held while at the other end Darren Mansaram's header was grabbed under the bar by Roberts.

With time running out Gresley were almost handed a second goal. In similar fashion to the Wren's chance on the hour Reay miss kicked a clearance straight to O'Connell who raced forward and tried to chip the onrushing keeper but the ball dropped just over the bar.