Match Report  |  Gresley FC vs Carlton Town

It's so easy to keep repeating the same things after a Gresley game but you can't help it when the same things keep happening and yet another game where the officials took centre stage

Unless you were at the game you would not even start to understand the run of bad luck Gresley are suffering. There must be dozens of black cats circulating the Moat Ground on a daily basis.

A perfectly good goal disallowed followed later in the game by too very good penalty shouts disallowed. There was what seems to becoming the obligatory penalty kick conceded and a regular red card.

With Jamie Barrett still recovering from a slight hamstring problem manager Gary Ricketts chose to give him a place on the bench in readiness for Monday's game. In the absence of Lucas Harrison Brad Smith was given the left back role with John Guy partnering Albert Lansdowne at the centre of the defence.

Gresley were very unlucky not to have taken the lead on 9 minutes. A corner from the left by Jack Langston was curled in and Town keeper Jack Steggles flapped at the ball and it ended in the net. Referee Andrew Fox seemed to point to the centre spot but was in fact signalling for an infringement apparently on the keeper when there was no one near him! Sadly it was just an indication of what was to come.

Ryan King was giving the visitors problems and went close but fired over the bar. Langston then hit a stinging low shot but straight at Steggles.

The lively Antonio Wedderburn went close twice for the visitors in as many minutes. A sloppy piece of defending allowed the striker to charge forward and with Peet advancing lobbed the keeper but saw his effort bounce off the top of the bar. Again Gresley allowed Wedderburn to run through, this time Peet did well to block the shot with his legs.

On 25 minutes came what is almost becoming the obligatory spot kick, the tenth conceded so far this season, when Matt Roome pushed Wedderburn in the area who chose to take the kick himself slotting the ball into the bottom corner.

Gresley pressed forward looking to get back on terms but a combination of some wayward passing, the stiff wind and some stubborn defending denied them with only one chance from Liam Holt who fired straight at the keeper.

Playing with the wind in their faces in the second half Gresley thought they had a good shout for a penalty themselves when substitute Martin Smyth raced into the area only to be hacked down. Again the referee made a decision which angered the home players and supporters alike by suggesting that the defender had got the ball which didn't appear to be the case.

Ricketts himself had earlier been pushed in the back when in the area which the referee also dismissed so this latest decision from Mr Fox did not adhere him to anyone in the Gresley camp.

Lansdowne went agonisingly close to levelling when he headed Langston's corner from the left which to all intents and purposes was heading to the top corner but a defender managed to get a head to the ball clearing it off the line.

A goal would have been justly deserved from an improved performance but when things are going against at team those rewards seem to desert you.
Chris Richards, who had replaced Liam Holt, had only been on the field for around 10 minutes or so when he went in for a tackle which looked fair but again Mr Fox angered the home players and supporters by showing a straight red when a yellow should surely have been shown.

The precedent had been set and Carlton substitute Anthony Howell was later also harshly red carded for a similar tackle on Smyth reducing both sides to ten men.

A mistake in midfield almost gifted Carlton a second goal when Wedderburn picked up on the sloppy defending and raced forward. He unselfishly picked out his team mate substitute Kevin Lusamba who could only blast his shot embarrassingly into the side netting rather than the unguarded net.

Carlton's second goal on 87 minutes was a freak. A long punt from keeper Steggles caught the wind and with Peet a long way off his line, bounced over his head and into the net.

Surely, Gresley's luck has got to turn one day. Let's hope it starts on Monday at promotion hopefuls and near neighbours Coalville.