Pre-Season Friendly
The Moat Ground, Church Gresley
Thursday, 19th July 2018, 7.45pm
Gresley Suffer First Pre-Season Defeat
This was a very entertaining game with the Southern League Central Premier side Kettering Town claiming the win although Gary Norton‘s side gave as good as they got.
There was a warm welcome to the Moat of former favourite Aaron O’Connor who, although not scoring, showed what a powerful force up front he is.
Town had a good season last time and forced themselves into the Southern League Premier play-off by finishing 4th but were beaten by SloughTown to bring a disappointing end to their promising season. They are now members of the new level 3 Central league for the coming season.
Norton made changes to his side for the sternest test so far this pre-season and the players he picked didn’t let him down holding their visitors until the break.
Gresley defended well with Marcus Kelly’s in swinging corner from the right on 12 minutes well punched away by first half keeper Ben Allsop. The action flew to the other end with Kieran O’Connell firing a shot over the bar.
Kettering went close when a great cross from the right by Lindon Meikle just avoiding the head of Jevani racing into the box.
The visitors threatened again when at the end of some good flowing football Craig Westcarr curled an effort just over the bar.
O’Connor almost ended the first half in spectacular style with a bicycle kick which hit the ground before bouncing over the bar.
Gresley made changes at the break and were caught napping as Town took the lead and it was that man O’Connor who caused the damage. Making his way down the right he put in an inviting cross from the right which Jevani accepted gratefully slotting the ball home from close in.
Town were now having the best spell of the game putting Gresley under some pressure and they went close again on 67 minutes and what a good effort it was. Kettering moved the ball out to the left and it was collected by Ben Toseland who hit a thunderbolt od a strike which clattered the face of Gresley’s bar.
O’Connor was still causing the Gresley defence problems with a shot which flashed across the face of substitute Conner Byrne’s goal mouth. He went even closer minutes later when he beat the offside trap and hit a tremendous shot which brought out an equally good save from Byrne pushing the ball away for a corner.
Kettering’s second goal came with only a couple of minutes remaining. A corner was not cleared by Gresley and despite what looked like a clear a double handed push into the back of a home defender Orrin Pendley managed to stab the ball home.
Despite the score-line Gresley were equal to their visitors for much of the game and as Norton remarked after the game he was pleased with the overall performance of his players with just a few little bits to address on the training pitch.
