Pre-Season Friendly
Kidlington Road, Rainworth
Saturday, 9th July 2016, 3.00pm
All Square At Rainworth
Manager Damion Beckford- Quailey made the expected changes for the second of Gresley's pre-season friendlies with this one played at former league rivals Rainworth Miners Welfare.
The Wrens dropped a level at the end of the 2014-2015 season and now ply their trade in the Northern Counties East League Premier Division finishing a creditable ninth last season.
Gresley were missing six of the squad who made the Coventry trip but with four new names on the sheet, one of them being Youth Team player Zach Hill.
The game had been in doubt earlier in the day but thankfully the weather gods looked favourably on the area and the match started in dry conditions but with a stiff breeze blowing almost from end to end to contend with.
The first half was largely a game where both defenders were on top with hardly any clear cut chances made for either side. One moment of note was when Ben Gough was forced into a save diving low to his left to push the ball away for a corner.
Gresley were finding the slope on the pitch aided by the breeze at their backs a little difficult to contend with causing the ball to skid away when in promising positions.
Both sides were working hard but the intensity shown at Coventry on Tuesday by Gresley seemed a little muted against the Wrens.
Gresley made changes at the break and seemed to have the better of the two teams although The Wrens didn't let them have it all their own way using the slope to their advantage.
Rob Peet had to be alert holding on to a shot from distance a couple of minutes from the re-start. Gresley had a site of goal a minute later after being awarded a free kick 20 yards out but the effort flew wide.
Peet was needed again just after the hour mark. Using the breeze and the pitch the Wrens hit a stinging shot from distance which Peet had to push away for a corner.
Gresley found themselves in on goal but the final shot was straight at the keeper. Two minutes later a very similar chance was created but again the final shot gave the Wrens keeper little difficulty.
With 10 minutes remaining Chris Richards made a good run down the left before hitting a shot which beat the keeper but fizzed across the goal mouth with no Gresley player able to take advantage.
Arguably the best chance of the match came to the home side. A run down the left ended with a good cross which found Aaron Moxon at the far post about two yards out but somehow he managed to loop his effort over the bar!
With time running out Gresley had the last chance when Lynas King tried a spectacular bicycle kick on the edge of the area with the ball clearing the bar by a couple of inches.
On the face of it a draw was probably the right result but there were glimpses again of some good Gresley play and another clean sheet.
