Evo-Stik NPL League Division One South
Lyme Stadium, Newcastle-under-Lyme
Saturday, 15th October 2016, 3.00pm
Gresley Suffer First League Defeat
Gresley manager Damion Beckford-Quailey was disappointed with his side after seeing them suffer their first league defeat of the season and also failing to score.
Unfortunately, you cannot always get away with handing two goals to the opposition within the first ten minutes especially a side like Newcastle, who seem to have a hoodoo over Gresley.
Make no mistake, Newcastle were worth their win although a 3-0 score line was a little harsh on the visitors and Gresley will just have to put this game down as a bad day at the office!
Beckford-Quailey made changes again to his starting eleven. There was a debut for on-loan keeper Adam Hassan with both Jordan Wakeling and Josh Egginton coming in. Lucas Harrison also was given a starting place. Toby Fura exchanges positions with Ben Harris with the former given the nod.
Defender Jake Carlisle has gone on loan to Shepshed and Michael Pearson has left the club to join near neighbours Loughborough Dynamo.
It was a disastrous fort ten minutes for Gresley going two-nil down with two gifted goals. The first came on 3 minutes when a harmless looking cross from the right by Christopher Baker was inexplicably side footed into his own net by Wakeling from 6 yards with no-one around him!
Things got even worse as 7 minutes later they were two down. A wayward ball across his own defenders by Josh Egginton instead of clearing up field was picked up by Joe Cocks who let fly from distance with the ball sailing over the head of Hassan and into the net.
Were the Gresley faithful going to see another comeback? Not this time as their side were guilty of too many wayward passes and also they were subjected to some good closing down by the home side.
Gresley were finding it difficult to drive forward and carve out any meaningful chances with their charges forward being snubbed out in the final third of the pitch.
Early into the second half Gresley did manage to have a shot on target when Courtney Meade received a cross from the right but his final shot lacked any real power firing straight at Town's keeper Aaron Dillon.
Town were the width of the post from extending their lead as Joe Thomas struck the upright followed by a free kick by Cocks which was comfortably held by Hassan.
It was then the turn of Gresley to rattle the woodwork with Pearson Mwanyongo clipping the top of the bar from 25 yards with Dillon motionless.
The rest of the game had little of note but in time added on Town added a third goal. A long ball through sent substitute Lee Cropper in on goal. Hassan forced him wide but somehow the striker managed to get the ball into the net from a seemingly impossible angle on the bye-line.
