Gresley Rovers vs Wednesfield Social
Classy Moatmen find a cup cure – Rex Page – Burton Mail
Gresley Rovers quickly found the hair of the dog to cure their FA Cup hangover at the Moat Ground on Saturday.
The disappointment of Rovers’ ill fated excursion to East London was quickly forgotten as they issued a sharp reminder to the rest of the Banks’s Brewery West Midland League that the title is their main objective.
Wednesfield arrived as the league’s most prolific scorers, but by the final whistle their reputation was threadbare.
Gresley shored up a defence apparently weakened by injury and unavailability by recalling their two most senior players, Roger Davies and David Nish.
Yet in the first half at least the two former Derby County veterans must have wondered what all the fuss was about.
Gresley were reinforced by a desire to prove to the prophets of doom that their bubble of success had not burst, just deflated a little.
For 30 minutes of the first half they produced football that was a joy to watch – and effectively won the game with two goals of suitably high quality.
The first, after nine minutes, was brilliantly created by Arthur. He somehow squeezed past Gavin Prince near the right by-line and produced a centre of such precision that Dave Butler was allowed time and space to pick his spot with a firm header from six yards out.
The second – in the 39th minute – was startling in its slick construction and truly marvellous in its execution.
Brian Beresford’s header just inside Social’s half sent Arthur sprinting along the right and when the winger turned the ball inside, Brian Attley hurtled through to crash home a left foot from 25 yards.
Sadly, for their supporters, Gresley were unable to scale such majestic heights after the interval.
Instead Nish and Davies were given ample opportunity to demonstrate their contrasting skills as they forged an impenetrable barrier in partnership with back-to-form Attley and man-of-the-match Ian Earley.
Social determinedly wrestled midfield control away from Rovers after the interval, but they constantly ran into a brick wall.
Despite long spells of pressure, Wednesfield only once seriously threatened.
That was in the 80th minute when Gresley’s defensive cover vanished fleetingly, allowing Paul Simpson to break clear of an unexpectedly indecisive Attley.
But the winger, who had twice tested McNamara in a flurry of Social pressure at the start of the game, shot hurriedly wide.
Gresley Rovers (2) 2
Wednesfield Social (0) 0
Scorers: Butler 9, Attley 39.
Gresley Rovers: McNamara, Attley, Earley, Nish, Davies, Thompson, Arthur, Laws, Butler, Beresford, Dearn. Sub: Priest.
Wednesfield Social: Griffiths, Wilden, Prince, Banks, Sandland, Sturgess, Willetts, Parker, Cope, Cunningham, Simpson. Sub: Prince.
Referee: J T Haywood (Wolverhampton).
Attendance: 335
