Match Report  |  Gresley FC vs Spalding United

What a frustrating game football can be. The visitors have just three shots on target and scored two goals one of which was the softest of penalties you're ever likely to see.

Unfortunately, this hotly disputed spot kick turned the game. Make no bones about it Gresley didn't deserve to win the game but their fight and determination deserved a share of the spoils. When two players go for the same 50/50 ball and end up kicking each other how can a penalty be awarded especially when none of the players appealed for it?

The game was always going to be a tough one against a side lying in third place in the league and who also play the long ball game, but Gresley had thumped Spalding in the FA Trophy game and grabbed an unlikely point in the away game.

As was to be expected Spalding came out strongly with Bradley Barraclough flicking a header narrowly wide of the far post while Matt Melbourne was putting his header, from Reece Morris straight at visiting keeper Michael Duggan.

On the half hour mark the first of several controversial decisions from Mr Postin. Brad Well cut into the area and Alvin Jarvis was adjudged to have tripped him, but if there was any sort of contact it was negligible certainly not enough to have brought the striker down.

However, justice was seen to be done when keeper Rob Peet diving to his right stopped Matt Warley from opening the scoring.

That was the only attempt on goal in the final 10 minutes of the first half.

On 55 minutes Spalding made a good move down the left and the cross appeared too deep but Jordan Lemon did not give up and was unlucky to see his effort come back off the far post as he ran in.

The next controversial decision came on 66 minutes and again it went to the visitors. The ball was loose in the area and a Spalding player and Ben Harris both tried to kick it and ended up with both kicking each other the sound of boot on boot heard around the ground.

Astonishingly, Mr Postin once more pointed to the spot even though no visiting player appeared to have appealed.

Connor Higginson converted the kick giving his side a fortunate lead.

More frustration for Gresley came when Morris Dexter-Clarke made a perfectly timed tackle only to receive a yellow card when similar tackles from the visitors went unpunished especially a very poor tackle over on the left sent Morris sprawling and the perpetrator not even spoken to.

The game was ended with three minutes remaining. A corner from the left was cleared only as far as Matt Varley who 25 yards out, struck a shot which whistled through the crowded area and into the goal giving Peet no chance. That was very harsh on Gresley who surely must have the luck go their way sooner rather than later.