Pre-Season Friendly
TRICO Stadium, Redditch
Tuesday, 9th July 2019, 7.45pm
Gresley Start With A Draw
This was a good workout for both sides in a competitive pre-season friendly played on a 3G pitch at the home of Redditch United.
Gresley manager Gavin Hurren’s new look side gave a good account of themselves after a slightly uneasy first three or four minutes when the home side took an early lead with a trialist stabbing home a loose ball after a corner.
United’s lead lasted all of one minute as straight from the re-start Kane Lee forced himself past the defence and into the area where he finished off his move by firing past home keeper Ian Boucher.
Gresley took the lead on 12 minutes with a similar goal to the first. This time it was Connor Deards who used his strength to get the better of United’s backline before slotting the ball past Boucher.
That was almost the last action for Boucher as the unfortunate keeper had to be replaced after fracturing his little finger six minutes later by substitute keeper Ben Maxwell his replacement.
United came back strongly with three good attempts on goal only for Gresley keeper Dan Crane to make three excellent saves. The first tipping over the impressive Michael Nelson’s shot over the bar after Nelson had cut in from the left. This was followed by Crane pushing away another stinging shot from Nelson. The third attempt saw former Gresley striker Curvin Ellis denied with a fine block by Crane as the front man ran in on goal.
On the stroke of half time though, Ellis was not to be denied again when he powered home a free header from the centre of the goal finishing off Harry Franklin’s inswinging corner from the left.
Both sides made lots of changes during the second half as is usual during pre-season games.
The home side went close to taking the lead on 62 minutes, but this time Ellis could only blaze his shot over the bar from close in.
Crane was on top form again tipping Ellis’s free header onto the bar and then making a superb save diving full length to his left to push the trialist’s effort away.
At the other end of the pitch Deards made a great run down the left before cutting in from the left only to see Maxwell make a good block to deny him his second goal.
The final chance of the evening came from the home side but some poor finishing from close in saw the ball fly over the bar.
