Pre-Season Friendly
The Grove, Halesowen
Saturday, 6th August 2016, 3.00pm
Gresley Finish In Style
Gresley ended their pre-season with a fine win at the Grove over former league rivals Halesowen Town in a competitive but fairly fought out encounter.
It's been a long time since Gresley came away with anything to show for their efforts. Indeed, you have to go back to September 1998 when Rovers last won at the Grove winning 4-3 in the Dr Martens Premier League with Ian Pitt scoring a hat-trick and Lyndon Rowland adding a fourth.
Gresley were well worth their win improving greatly from Thursday's draw at Uttoxeter. There was more effort from all the players and the play at times was superb and the chances that appeared were taken.
There were still several players missing, Rob Peet, Eddy Samba, Alvin Jarvis, Lynas King, Chris Richards and Reece Morris but those who played must have given the manager a problem to who will start next Saturday's opening league game at the Moat against Rugby Town.
Gresley started brightly and were soon getting behind the Yeltz defence and it was from such a move that the visitors took the lead. On 11 minutes Matt Melbourne managed to get into the area before he was brought down by the unfortunate Ashley Parsons-Smith who, in making the illegal tackle damaged his left leg meaning he would have to leave the field on a stretched.
Pearson Mwanyongo stepped up to take the spot kick and beat keeper Daniel Platt to give Gresley a deserved lead.
Fifteen minutes later the lead was doubled. Some good build up play led to Melbourne threading a pass through to Courtney Meade who after taking a touch beat the keeper from 12 yards.
The first attempt of any not for the home side came just after the half hour mark but Kaiman Anderson could only head over the bar at the far post.
Town reduced the deficit almost on the half time whistle. A corner from the right came into the box and through a throng of players one of the Yeltz's triallists managed to get the ball into the net.
Whatever was said in the home dressing room at the break seemed to have its desired effect as Halesowen look much livelier in the second period.
A deflected looped shot almost caught Gresley keeper Ben Gough out but back pedaling he managed to grab the ball above his head.
Town levelled the score on 57 minutes when Malcolm Melvin was brought down in the area. Tyree Clarke smashed the ball straight down the middle from the spot.
On the hour the home side had a good chance to take the lead when a great pass beat the Gresley back line but Gough off his line quickly denied them.
Gresley regained the lead from a scintillating piece of fast flowing football down the right which ended with Toby Fura slotting the ball past Platt.
The goal seemed to fire Gresley into a second wind and a shot from Mwanyongo tested Platt who couldn't hold onto the ball but a defender managed to clear the danger.
In the final minutes Fura hit a shot straight at Platt before he capped off a good Gresley performance converting Melbourne's cross from the left from the edge of the box.
