Intergro League Cup 1st Rond
The Moat Ground, Church Gresley
Tuesday, 18th September 2018, 3.00pm
Gresley Serve Up A Treat
Manager Gary Norton made the expected changes for this game and those players he gave pitch time to didn’t disappoint.
Jake McIntosh, Luke Morgan, Cameron Steele and Zakim Evans where all give a start with Callum Riddell, recovering from an injury and Harry Lansdowne given a place on the bench alongside Carl Slater, Martin Smyth and Jamie Barrett.
Gresley could not have got off to a better start when on 1-minute Lucas Harrison played a superb ball behind the Trinity defence down the left for Kane Lee. Lee fired a shot off which was blocked and after a scramble in the 6-yard box Evans fired home from close in.
Lee went close to scoring for himself on 12 minutes when he was played in down the right by a long ball but after cutting into the area he fired into the side netting.
Gresley were getting closer and a shot which seemed goal bound was blocked but two minutes later the Moat Ground faithful were treated to a goal to savour. Albert Lansdowne collected the ball around 22 yards out and he struck a thunderbolt of a low shot which beat visiting keeper Luke Mitchell.
It was no more than the Moatmen deserved as they were pressing Trinity back from the start. However, despite the pressure the visitors reduced the arrears on 21 minutes when a deflected shot fell nicely for Tyler Connor who drilled the ball into the net.
Harrison then stung the fingertips of Mitchell with a well struck shot from 25yards which was turned over the bar for a corner.
It was then the turn of Gresley keeper Jack Livesey to tip a well struck shot from Steve Hutchinson over the bar as the play swung from end to end. Lee had a shot blocked with Evans hitting the rebound which was cleared off the line.
On 41 minutes Gresley restored their two-goal advantage when Lee capitalised on a poor clearance by Trinity’s keeper. With Mitchell well off his line Lee lobbed the ball back into the far corner of the net for his first goal of the season.
Lee went close again with another lob just a minute or so later but this time it sailed just over the bar. Albert Lansdowne then had a shot deflected and as Gresley finished the first half strongly a free kick by Harrison was headed over the bar by Lansdowne.
Gresley started the second half as they had finished the first, on the front foot forcing two corners in the first couple of minutes.
On 52 minutes Lee had another good chance to add to his tally when he got the better of a defender strode forward but Mitchell was quickly off his line to make the block as the shot was struck.
On the hour mark Riddell replaced Evans and was soon testing Mitchell with a low shot from distance.
Riddell got his first of the season on 76 minutes and what a scorcher of a goal it was too! A ball was played over from the right and the striker took one touch before hitting an unstoppable shot from all of 22-yards which arrowed straight into the top corner of Mitchell’s net leaving the Gresley crowd stunned.
Gresley could have ended what was a well contested thoroughly entertaining game by adding another goal but Steele’s shot was cleared off the line.
