Pre-Season Friendly
Sutton Park, Quorn
Tuesday, 21st July 2015, 7.30pm
Gresley Come Out on Top
Gresley traveled to Sutton Park for their fifth friendly of the pre-season. After a scoreless first half five goals came with the visitors coming out on top.
Former Moatmen Chris Gray and Carl Slater lined up for the home side and Gresley manager included some youth and a couple of new faces in his side.
The visitors had the first chance of the game when Sam Wood fired a free kick over just over the bar and they went close again when Alex Steadman picked out Chris Richards over on the right. After controlling the ball Chris Richards tried his luck with a chip over the head of Quorn keeper Ryan Thacker but again the effort just cleared the bar.
As the first half ran into its final few minutes Gresley's Ryan King saw two almost identical consecutive efforts bounce off the top of the bar and away to safety.
The young striker then fired a shot that flew past the base of the far post as the first half closed.
Quorn took the lead seven minutes into the second half with a well taken goal. Substitute Will Richards was sent through down the left and he finished well with a low shot across Gresley keeper Ryan Swift and into the far bottom corner.
Within a minute Gresley were back on terms. A cross from the right flew through the box to left and it was returned with pace back into the box where Gray's bullet header beat the keeper but unfortunately it was his own keeper!
Gresley then took the lead five minutes later when Wood made a fine run through the middle before hitting an unstoppable shot from the edge of the area leaving Thacker motionless.
Quorn hit back and six minutes later they were level. A quick break down the right ended with Swift making a good block at his near post but Will Richards reacted quickly to fire home for his second goal of the game.
The home side were just inches away from taking the lead once more but substitute Will Richards' shot whistled the wrong side of the far post.
Thornhill made several changes and one of them had the impact he hoped for. A free kick by Wood picked out Connor Ward inside the area and he strode forward but his final shot was blocked well by the legs of substitute keeper Alex Davies.
However, Ward was not to be denied with his second chance. The youngster collected the ball over on the left and managed to squeeze his shot between the near post and the keeper.