Evo-Stik Division One South
The Moat Ground, Church Gresley
Saturday, 7th March 2015, 3.00pm
Gresley Made To Battle For The Points
For the first sixty minutes or so a goal didn't look likely to appear for either side despite some decent half chances. Eventually the goals did arrive with both of them going to the home side.
After a superb win in midweek over play-off rivals Spalding, Gresley found this game hard work against a determined Market Drayton Town who are languishing in the lower reaches of the league table.
Gresley manager Wayne Thornhill gave John Guy the nod over Mitch Hanson who had to be content with a place on the bench, meaning the starting eleven was unchanged from Tuesday night.
The home side made the early running and could have been two goals to the good with just over twenty minutes on the clock. Alex Steadman did well to beat keeper Daniel Read and laid the ball back to Eric Graves who blazed his shot over the bar from 18 yards with the keeper well off his line. That effort was followed with another chance which went begging. A free kick from the right by Jack Langston curled over to Martin Smyth totally unmarked at the far post but he planted his header well over the bar.
Luke Edwards was almost given a chance when a short back pass fell invitingly for the striker but he couldn't get control of the ball. At the other end John Woolley had the visitors' first chance shooting over the bar.
Town's cause was not helped on 37 minutes when Kieran O'Connell raced forward only to be dragged down by James Askey who received a straight red card from referee Mr Cheosiaua for preventing a goal scoring chance.
To Town's credit they didn't sit back and defend and could have ended the half with the lead when two shots came in from William Whieldon and Jack Wolley which were both well blocked by Gresley keeper Liam Roberts.
The second half began with a good run through by Town's Whieldon only to be denied a shot on goal by a superbly timed tackle by Guy. On 55 minutes there was the sad site of Edwards being helped off the pitch with what is suspected a reoccurrence of a hamstring injury which has blighted his return to Gresley this season to be replaced by Rob Mulonga who made an immediate impact firing off a shot but straight into the midriff of Read.
Roberts was called upon again minutes later when the lively Whieldon took advantage of a poor touch from Guy but the keeper came out and snuffed out the danger with a good block.
Gresley took the lead on 67 minutes from the penalty spot. A ball came into Smyth just inside the area but Paul McMullen climbed all over him and the referee didn't hesitate in awarding a penalty. Steadman, who missed his last penalty, chose to take the kick and this time made no mistake firing straight down the middle as Read dived to his right.
The goal had been a long time in coming but it helped to ease the tension for the home side a little. Indeed, they almost doubled their advantage six minutes later but Smyth could only head Langston's free kick over at the far post.
O'Connell could have won another penalty for his side when he was felled by McMullen but this time the referee waved away the protests.
Again Town came forward and Archie Love brought out another good save from Roberts who held onto a well struck shot from 20 yards.
A second goal did arrive for Gresley with seven minutes of normal time remaining. Steadman was brought down by Love earning the visitor a yellow card. Langston swung in a pinpoint cross from the left and O'Connell in the middle of the area met it perfectly to powerfully head the ball home.
O'Connell went close to adding a third goal but after racing down the right his well struck shot was blocked well by the outstretched leg of Read.
