Evo-Stik South
The Moat Ground, Church Gresley
Saturday, 24th March 2018, 3.15pm
Sheffield Show Their Steel At The Moat
This was a game where neither side shone in the gloomy grey afternoon at the Moat Ground and it was easy to see why the two sides are where they are languishing in the danger zone in the league.
Clear-cut chances were at a premium and the game was crying out for one team to take control but it wasn’t to be with just the one goal separating the two sides.
For Gresley it was as they say ‘after the Lord Mayor’s show’ with a performance which was as poor as last weeks at Corby had been good. Any Gresley faithful who had made the trip to Steel Park who be wondering where that side had disappeared to. None of the side made any real impression and when they went one down they failed to respond to any extent.
Although the surface was challenging it was the same for both sides, but it appeared that the visitors wanted the points more despite turning up at the Moat late due to a problem on the M1.
Gresley started brightly enough but it some fizzled out as some robust challenges with one of them getting a very deserved yellow card as Grant Ryan brought Mark Branch down early in the game.
The home side went close to taking the lead on 19 minutes when Matt Melbourne made a run down the right but his final shot clattered back off the near post.
The match became a scrap with neither sides produce much to trouble the keepers the closest came with Pearson Mwanyongo warming the palms of Hugo Warhurst after a good run down the left.
The second half was no better as a spectacle but it was Gresley who went the closest again. Some good work by Melbourne ended with him fizzing a low cross from the right which was just a fraction away from Oliver Bassett getting a vital touch at the far post.
Just after the hour mark Sheffield took the lead with Waide Fairhurst slipping a cross from the left past Callum Hawkins.
Gresley almost grabbed a leveller when Bassett’s whipped in cross from the left found Danny Quinn who could only steer his header wide of the far post.
A quickly tiring Gresley left huge holes in the back line as they pressed forward, and they were nearly undone on 84 minutes when James Gregory was put through on goal but Hawkins stood his ground well to make a fine save.
Two minutes later a slip by Jamie Barrett enable another run through on goal this time by Leon Osborne but his final shot was embarrassingly so wide it almost went out for a throw in on the far side.
The final half chance came to substitute Shawn Richards who could only fire straight at the keeper and the game ended with the visitors taking a precious three points which lifted them above their hosts in the league on goals scored.
Although today’s results were kind to Gresley they cannot afford to drop many more points especially at home and must now pull themselves together for another vital home game against Newcastle Town on Tuesday ï¿1/2" weather permitting of course!
