Match Report  |  Gresley FC vs Chasetown

There are games when you need to hold up your hands and admit you’ve been beaten by a better team and today was just one of those games.

Chasetown were up for the match and were quicker and more determined to get the ball compared to Gresley who looked and played as if they were suffering from a mighty Christmas hangover and were still handing out gifts!

Gresley named an unchanged line-up from that which faced Loughborough on Boxing Day and they started quite well.

On 13 minutes Gresley almost took the lead. Dexter Morris-Clarke made a run into the area but put his final shot a whisker past the upright. From the resultant goal kick Chasetown’s William Whieldon raced down the right and, catching the home defence napping, crossed the ball into the box for George Cater to tap home.

The visitors seemed to be adapting to the heavy conditions better than Gresley and were having most of the ball but again Gresley went close against the run of play when Morris-Clarke’s shot was deflected past the near post.

It was no surprise when Chasetown doubled their lead on 37 minutes. Former Moatman Jack Langston hit a thunderous shot which Gresley keeper Callum Hawkins could only parry back into the path of Cater who took the easy chance slotting home.

Such was Chasetown’s first half dominance that they should have gone in at the break three goals up but Langston’s shot from the left of the area flew across the face of goal and away for a goal kick.

Within five minutes of the re-start Chasetown had added a third goal. Langston’s shot was deflected out to the right and Gresley were slow to react as the ball came back from Whieldon into the box for the unmarked Matt Gardner to head home from close in.

It was no more than the visitors deserved, indeed they went close to adding another ten minutes later when Matt Roome’s slip on the edge of his area but Chasetown wasted the opportunity to punish their hosts.

Cater had a good chance to complete his hat-trick when he made a fine run down the left but finished his move by firing well wide of the target.

A rare attempt for Gresley came on 69 minutes when Matt Melbourne hit a screamer of a shot from the left edge of the area but Chasetown’s keeper Curtis Pond reacted well to push the ball away for a corner at his near post.

Gresley appeared to have woken up a little and a cross from substitute Tom Manship was narrowly flicked over the bar by the head of Danny Quinn.

The best chance of the game for Gresley came a minute of so later when Melbourne was put through on goal but the usually prolific striker put the ball over the bar with only Pond to beat.

At the other end Cater showed Melbourne how to finish when he was put through before coolly slipping the ball past Hawkins to complete his hat-trick.

The score line could have been worse with a couple of minutes remaining. Chasetown substitute Muziwandile Nduna took far too long to settle himself in the six-yard box allowing Hawkins to make a block at his near post.

With news that Gresley’s New Year’s Day opponents Belper Town had been smashed 8-1 at Lincoln a reaction from both Belper and Gresley should make for an interesting encounter at Christchurch Meadow on Monday.