Evo-Stik South
Zeeco Stadium, Stamford
Monday, 23rd April 2018, 7.45pm
Hardworking Young Moatmen Beaten
Stand-in manager Gary Norton was left with just two first team regulars keeper Callum Hawkins and Mark Branch after most of the side walked out of the club after Saturday’s game against Frickley Athletic.
Frantic phone calls were made over the weekend to pull together a side to complete Gresley’s last remaining three fixtures and thankfully the young men of the reserves and youth team answered that call.
For some of the Gresley team it was a baptism of fire as they took on play-off hopefuls Stamford who were still smarting after their defeat away at lowly Romulus who had dented their ambitions.
The Daniels looked as if they were not going to show any mercy on the young Gresley visitors and took the lead with hardly a minute on the clock. Gresley were caught out by a quickly taken thrown-in from Jon Challinor which was flicked on by Henry Eze to Ollie Brown-Hill who finished well.
The home side continued to press with Brad Wells planting a header narrowly wide of the far post and then following a corner a scramble in the box was sorted when Gresley keeper managed to gather the ball before any Stamford player could latch onto to it.
The pressure was relentless and on 23 minutes it told when Stamford doubled their advantage. A free kick was swung in from the left and Eze rose to powerfully head the ball home.
Stamford’s third goal was a little confusing as it appeared that referee Mr Pidduck was indicating a free kick to Gresley when two players went for the same ball. However, after a few minutes the referee awarded the home side what he later called an accidental penalty! Brown-Hill sent Hawkins the wrong way from the spot.
Credit to the Gresley side they didn’t let their heads drop and continued to work hard despite the dominance of their hosts.
Stamford almost added another goal but Jordan Smith’s header was well claimed by Hawkins. Gresley’s first chance of the game came almost on the stroke of half time but Kane Lee blazed his shot over the bar from a good position.
Hawkins needed to be alert as Stamford started the second half on the front foot with the young keeper making a good save. However, he could nothing to prevent them from increasing their lead a minute later.
Hawkins had made a fine save to his right, but the ball was fired back into the box where Eze was on hand to smash the ball home from close in.
Unfortunately, Stamford added goal number 5 when substitute Callum Ball took advantage of a mix-up in the Gresley box scoring with the help of the far post.
Gresley were finding it almost impossible to get a strike on target as Stamford defended while ay the other end a superb volley from Elliott Putman hit the top of the bar.
Understandably, the visitors were now tiring as again the succession of games continue to take their toll and it was a little unfortunate that a defensive lapse saw Brown-Hill complete his hat-trick in time added on.
Despite the score-line this was a hardworking and determined game from a young Gresley squad with an average age of 20 and including four 17-year-olds in the starting eleven and with a 16 year-old on the bench.
