Halesowen Town vs Gresley Rovers
Gresley fail title tester – Richard Whitehead – Burton Mail
Rovers paid a heavy price for failing to contain the Halesowen goal machine at the Grove last night.
The Moatmen lost vital ground in the Banks’s Brewery West Midland League championship race after failing by the odd goal in five against the three-times champions.
But despite the defeat Frank Northwood’s men can hold their heads high after playing their full part in a match that was a credit to the league.
In the end Halesowen’s sheer exuberance in the penalty area overcame Gresley’s more studious but less direct approach.
With Lee Johnson absent through injury veteran Don Smith took centre stage with a hat trick of real quality.
Smith, who can boast three Wembley cup finals, scored after 21 minutes and then again right on half time just seconds after Clive Arthur’s penalty had brought the scores level.
And Smith effectively sealed the points for his success-hungry side with a third goal early in the second half although Brian Beresford did end his recent famine with a consolation effort in injury time.
Rovers’ undoing was their inability to turn cultured defensive work of Brian Attley, Roger Davies, Steve Dolby and Mark Bromley into something more threatening in midfield.
The relaxed air of almost arrogant confidence with which Rovers stroked the ball around at the back was wasted time and again when moves broke down on the edge of the penalty area.
New signing, Neil Bailey may provide more options in that area but until Northwood gets the engine room of his side working more smoothly Rovers will always struggle against really high-class opposition.
Both Dolby and Bailey went into referee Hampshire’s book in the 9th minute and soon after that the always-impressive Attley ventured forward to fire a long-range drive that swerved wide.
But Halesowen showed just why they collect cups like most teams collect injuries when they snatched the lead.
Paul Joinson, the other half of non-league soccer’s most deadly twin striker partnership, floated over an inch-perfect cross from the left and Smith rose impressively above the Rovers defence to power in a header.
Tommy Thompson joined Dolby and Bailey in the referee’s notebook but the longer the half wore on the more likely it looked that Rovers’ continual forays into the Halesowen half would bring reward.
And four minutes from half time they grabbed the deserved goal when Mark Lacey fouled Beresford as the striker tried to control a cross and Arthur smacked the penalty through Alan Pemberton’s hands.
If only Gresley could have consolidated that position until half time things might have been different but somehow Halesowen found another gear and inside two minutes were ahead again.
This time substitute Steve Ingram provided the telling cross and once again Smith’s jump was superb an his header unstoppable.
Again Gresley’s response was commendably composed and John Laws should really have levelled things up in the 56th minute when he missed the ball completely from just six-yards out after Arthur had pulled the ball back from the bye line.
Two minutes later Halesowen mercilessly took advantage with a third goal. Full back Neil Moore was the architect with a fine run and a lofted pass towards Smith and although the big striker unselfishly headed it down into Joinson’s path the winger’s shot obligingly came back off the post for Smith to side foot home.
Halesowen, with their minds fixed on Saturday’s FA Cup assignment at Frickley, were content in the most part to sit back on that lead although Beresford did rattle the woodwork and substitute Dave Butler forced a fine save from Pemberton with a sweetly struck long-range shot.
But with the game into injury time Beresford got the goal that will do his confidence a power of good when he scored at the second attempt after Les randle had made a hash of an attempted clearence.
Halesowen Town (2) 3
Gresley Rovers (1) 2
Scorers: Smith 21, 43, 58 (Halesowen): Arthur 41, Beresford 90 (Gresley).
Halesowen Town: Pemberton, Moore, Sherwood, Lacey, Randle, Heath, Rhodes (Ingram 27), Moss, Penn, Joinson, Smith.
Gresley Rovers: McNamara, Attley, Bromley, Davies, Dolby, Thompson, Arthur, Bailey (Butler 76), Priest, Beresford, Laws.
Referee: H Hampshire (Sedgeley).
Attendance: 425
