Match Report  |  Gresley FC vs Loughborough Dynamo

This was not a derby match for the football connoisseur on a damp Boxing Day afternoon with the first half easily forgettable on a challenging surface after last night’s heavy rain.

However, the second half did liven up with Gresley grabbing a goal at each end of the 45 minutes to take three valuable points at the Moat Ground.

With manager Damion Beckford-Quailey serving a touch-line ban and his assistant Hannah Dingley on holiday, Damion’s cousin Brian Quailey took over the bench responsibilities.

This was the first league game since the 2-0 win away at Sheffield on the 2nd December following two postponements, away at Carlton and home to Cleethorpes and an unfortunate abandonment away at Alvechurch last Saturday.

Both sides found the conditions hard work but it was Gresley who made the few chances that popped up. The first came on 21 minutes Reece Morris cut the ball back to Jason Law but his shot from the edge of the area, flew over the bar.

A good chance fell to Matt Melbourne but after a good run down the left fired his shot into the side netting.

With the half almost at an end Dynamo themselves had a gilt-edged chance when a ball fell to Josh Riley in acres of space on the left but he skewed his shot well wide of the target.

The second half started well for Gresley with Danny Quinn hitting a shot which was straight at Dynamo keeper James Martin. However, a minute later the home side took the lead.

A ball was played to Melbourne on the edge of the area. He shrugged off the attention of a defender, turned and fired a shot into the far corner despite Martin getting a touch on the ball.

Unfortunately, some of the Dynamo tackling left a lot to be desired with a few of them surprisingly going unpunished by referee Ritchie Watkins but Jack Andrews did receive a yellow card when he hacked down Morris who had skipped by him and was running into the area.

Many of the Gresley supporters thought the decision was too lenient and a red card should have been the correct decision as the Gresley winger was on his way towards goal.

Dynamo was finding the Gresley defence in a stubborn mood and any drive forward was soon snuffed out. Perhaps the visitors should have done better when substitute Luke Smithson, on for Andrews, sent over a cross from the right but Riley could only head over the bar at the far post.

Gresley were applying some pressure winning two corners in succession. The pressure paid off as another poor tackle saw them awarded a free kick about 25 yards out. Tom Manship, who had replaced Sean Phillips a minute earlier, sent over his kick to Josh Egginton on the left. The defender controlled the ball before firing a ball towards the near post. Quinn slipped his marker and deftly side footed his volley past Martin.

It was no more than Gresley deserved but the visitors could have pulled a goal back with three minutes remaining when Karl Demidh made a good run down the right cutting into the area but Gresley stopper Callum Hawkins stood up well before blocking the shot with his legs at his near post.

Although not the prettiest game to watch, the hard working performance from Gresley fully deserved the three points and moved them up the table a couple of places or so.