Match Report  |  Cleethorpes Town vs Gresley FC

This was a game that had everything, nine goals, four red cards, seven yellows and extra time. Unfortunately for the travelling few from Gresley five of the goals where for Cleethorpes!

To score four goals away from home and still be on the losing side is very hard to accept but that is what happened in this 'entertaining' game.

For whatever reason Gresley could only muster two substitutes and they were also without their manager Martin Rowe who is on a family holiday.

Gresley seemed to still be travelling to the ground as they got caught out with just three minutes on the clock. A cross from the right came over to Marc Cooper who looped a shot over the head of Alex Townsend and into the far corner of the net.

Alex Steadman had the first effort for the visitors but his low shot was easily dealt with by Cleethorpes keeper Daman Steer.

The homeside deserved to double their advantage when they made a flowing move from their defence and up into Gresley area but the final shot from Alex Flett narrowly cleared the bar.

Gresley levelled minutes later and they were fortunate to do so as a woefully short back pass was pounced on by Brad Wells who skipped around the keeper before slotting the ball into the empty net.

Martin Smyth then carved out another chance for the Moatmen with a good run down the right ending in a cross which just eluded the in rushing Wells at the far post.

Wells had an almost identical chance to put Gresley ahead just three minutes after his first but this time his first touch was heavy and the ball flew wide to the touch line and he couldn't repeat his first goal.

Gresley did take the lead but again from a huge slice of luck. Kieran O'Connell fired in a shot which the unfortunate Lawrence Heward hammered into the roof of his own net. Smyth then fired in a low shot which Steer fumbled but somehow managed to push away for a corner.

Eric Graves had the final effort of the first half when O'Connell found him on the edge of the area but the shot was held by the keeper.

Once more, as in the first half, Gresley were caught cold early in the second but it was a goal worth the entrance fee alone when Jonathan Oglesby hit a tremendous unstoppable once-in-a-season strike from 22 yards which left Townsend a mere spectator as it flew past him and into the net.

Gresley then had three good chances to regain the lead. First came from O'Connell who fired just wide of the near post with Steer beaten. Wells then made a fine run through the middle but his final shot was straight at the keeper and then Hayden Johns struck a good shot which Steer did well to push over the bar.

It was Langston's turn to go close bringing out a tremendous save from Steer who somehow managed to get the faintest of touches to the shot turning it onto bar. Steer, the busier of the two keepers, then denied Steadman by pushing his shot over the bar.

Three minutes later Gresley did regain the lead when Steadman made a run down the left but his shot was blocked by Steer but O'Connell reacted to the rebound driving the ball into the net.

Cleethorpes then had Lee McFarland to thank for keeping Gresley's advantage to just one goal when he made a superbly timed last ditch tackle on Wells who was about to pull the trigger after making a run into the area.

Gresley were reduced to ten men on 88 minutes when John Guy was shown a second yellow card for kicking the ball away after the referee had stopped the game. However, the offence was hotly disputed as he was victim of apparent miss identification by the official.

Seconds later substitute Rob Mulonga had a chance to make the game safe for Gresley with just two minutes remaining but his shot, after running onto a through ball, was blocked by the onrushing Steer.

Cleethorpes threatened to use their man advantage and pressed for an equaliser and they went close when Louis Grant's effort was well saved by Townsend. But the goal they were looking for came four minutes into time added on.

A corner from the right got the merest of touches from a flicked header leaving Townsend flat footed and substitute Jack Debham was delighted with the chance putting the ball into the net at the far post.

A further thirty minutes started with second Gresley substitute Russ Peel planting a header agonisingly wide and then Matthew Coleman was shown a straight red card for retaliating to a tackle on him leaving both sides with ten men much to the annoyance of the Owls management.

Gresley took the lead once more just before the break when Jamie Barrett flicked home Langston's free kick from the left.

However, Barrett went from hero to villain in a matter of two minutes. Cleethorpes poured forward and Debham got the better of Barrett in the box and the defender brought him down and as he was the last defender the referee John Roskelly no option but to show a straight red card.

Debham scored his second goal of the night firing the spot kick past Townsend. A long range shot from Cooper hit the bar and that was not the end of the drama as McFarland received a second yellow followed by a red card to even the sides up.

The game looked as if it was heading for penalties but a well worked goal finished this eventful game in favour of the home side as Denham completed his hat-trick slotting the ball home after a fine move down the right.