Match Report  |  Loughborough Dynamo vs Gresley FC

This was not a game for the connoisseur as two sides low on confidence battled it out on Boxing Day with the referee Martyn Fryers handing out more cards that many received before Christmas!

It was a scrappy game looking every bit the day after the night before with Loughborough hardly threatening Rob Peet's goal and although Gresley created most of the chances they could only take advantage of just one of them so a draw looked inevitable.

Both sides found things difficult for the first twenty minutes or so on a soft surface with Dynamo having a couple of near misses with two former Moatmen, Jordan Ball firing wide of the far post and his team mate Lavell White also off target.

The first real effort on goal from Gresley ended with them taking the lead. A cross from the left into the box by Ben Harris caused problems with home keeper Liam Sharpe, being hampered by one of his defenders, fumbling the ball and Kennan King seized on the chance and hammered the ball home from close in.

Pearson Mwanyongo managed to beat two defenders but his final curling shot sailed the wrong side of the far post.

Loughborough's plight was made all the more difficult with the sending off of White with five minutes of the first half remaining. White went in hard on Reece Morris and the diminutive Gresley player took exception to it but stupidly White pushed Morris back with both hand on his chest giving the referee no option but to brandish a straight red card.

Gresley had one final chance before the break to double their lead and possibly claim all three points. A good passage of play from the visitors saw Mwanyongo sent through one on one with the keeper but Sharpe did well to block the shot with an outstretched leg.

Within the first 6 minutes of the second half Gresley had three more chances. The first fell to Morris but his shot was straight at Sharpe, then Lucas Harrison hit a blistering volley just wide from 22 yards and this was followed by Leandro Browne putting a low shot at Sharpe.

Dynamo began to steady the ship and indeed despite being a man down they looked the better of the two sides. It's been seen in other games that the side reduced in number seem to work harder than the side with the full complement and Dynamo grew in confidence and the belief that maybe they could get something out of the match or maybe even win all three points. Someone coming in to the ground late would have been hard pressed to have known which side had ten men without counting the players of course.

The first real threat on the Gresley goal was thwarted by Peet making a good block at his near post but their persistence paid off when they leveled on 69 minutes. Mwanyongo was easily caught in possession half way in his own half near the left touch line. Dynamo substitute Tom Waumsley raced forward, cut in and fired a low shot across Peet and into the bottom far corner.

Despite Gresley pressing hard two excellent saves from Sharpe denied the visitors from regaining the lead. Browne also tested Sharpe but his low shot was easily dealt with.

The game fizzled out with the referee adding the name of Karl Demidh to his very long list of bookings.

Unfortunately, the result helped neither side as Gresley failed to move up the table slightly and Dynamo finding themselves at the foot of the table as Rugby Town leapfrogged them after beating Bedworth.