Evo-Stik NPL Division One South
The Moat Ground, Church Gresley
Saturday, 28th November 2015, 3.00pm
Moat Ground Malaise Continues
With just five weeks of 2015 left and almost at the half way point, this season is turning out to be one of the worst for many a while regarding results at the Moat Ground.
Gresley have managed just one solitary league home victory all season and to be honest they were fortunate to have won that one.
The Moat Ground used to be a fortress where dropping a point was hardly ever heard of but this season that statistic has been reversed and now the Moat faithful are wondering when they will see their side take all three points on home soil.
To the players' credit they are making chances but need to be converting more of them if they want to halt the slide. Today for example Gresley should have been three or even four goals to the good by the break and that's not counting the saves the Town's keeper made. In stark contrast Town had three chances on target and they scored from two of them.
With Jack Langston suspended Gresley manager Scott Goodwin had to once more shuffle his side. Jean Dakouri started and a debut was handed to recent loan signing from Mansfield Town Conor Green.
They say when things go against a team they certainly hit them hard and Gresley witnessed that within the first fifteen minutes. A free kick from Sam Wood was met by Martin Smyth who looked certain to have scored but somehow, and although knowing nothing about it, visiting keeper Ashley Rawlins made a block to deny him.
However, Rawlins could do nothing about the next attempt. A corner from the right came to Green who's shot was blocked but the ball came out to Jake Carlisle lurking just outside the area and he unleashed a superb shot which left Rawlins a mere spectator as it flew past him and into the top corner.
Hopes were raised that the goal would spur Gresley on but seven minutes later Town were level. A sloppy piece of defending saw the home side fail to clear a ball in their own area and Simon Everall grabbed the chance he'd been handed slotting the ball past the exposed Gresley keeper Calum Ferrie and into the bottom far corner.
Gresley then went on a spree of creating goal scoring chances, unfortunately with none taken. Smyth found Ball but his low shot is saved with Smyth putting the rebound wide.
John Guy had a chance after making a good run through the middle he collected Ball's pass but slid in and the ball was fumbled on the ground by Rawlins and Guy tried to poke the loose ball into the goal but couldn't get enough power on his attempt allowing Michael O'Reilly to clear off the line.
Ball, who quite easily could have grabbed an hat-trick, made a good run down the left before cutting in but his final shot was blocked by the legs of Rawlins.
With the first half fast running out Ball again had a chance to take his side into the break with the lead. Matt Roome sent over a cross from the right and Ball hit a volley which went agonisingly wide.
To wrap the half up Gary Ricketts managed to get his head to a high ball and Rawlins managed to grab it from under his bar.
As much as the first half belonged to Gresley the second certainly belonged to their visitors. A rare attempt on goal saw Scott Ryan fire a good chance wide of the left post while at the other end Ball had his shot saved.
Town took the lead just minutes later and it was another soft goal to give away. Gresley lost the ball down the left near the halfway line and Michael O'Reilly raced down the flank before sending the perfect cross into the Gresley danger area and Tyrell McFarland met the ball with a powerful header which gave Ferrie no chance.
Minutes later, Ricketts who had been fairly quiet, turned in the area and hit his shot which Rawlins did well to save.
Ball did get on the scoresheet to level the scored. Dakouri won the ball in the middle of the pitch and found Sam Wood who made progress running forward and after some persistence slotted the ball to Ball who slipped the ball under the onrushing Rawlins.
Gresley had a let off two minutes later when a free kick deflected off a Gresley player, on to the base of the near post and cleared.
Town took the lead again in unfortunate circumstance. John Guy, instead of putting the ball out for a throw-in, was robbed by the left touch line. McFarland slung over a whipped cross which Carlisle put into his own net.
Gresley did hit back in deteriorating conditions with Ball firing across the face of Rawlins goal while Town substitute Craig Ryan brought out a fine save from Ferrie.
