Midland Football League Premier Division
The Moat Ground, Church Gresley
Saturday, 9th November 2019, 3.00pm
Gresley Old Boy's Goals Beat Gresley
By Alfie Burley
Two quick-fire goals after half-time from former Moatmen saw Gresley slump to their tenth defeat of the season to South Normanton Athletic.
Gresley looked like they were going to build upon their victory against Wulfrunians last week when Danny Jones headed the home side in front in the 34th minute. However, goals from former players, Martin Smyth and Richard Hanslow after half time saw South Normanton leave the Moat Ground with all three points.
In very wet conditions South Normanton started the brighter. Hanslow fired over the bar whilst Eric Graves had a shot saved, but their best chance came when Kenan Layton’s cross was nearly headed into his own net by Lucas Harrison. However the full back’s blushes were spared as the ball bounced off Ben Allsop and away to safety.
The away side were nearly ahead again when Layton, who was dangerous the whole afternoon, whipped a delicious cross to Hanslow. Yet, the former Moatman was denied as Allsop pulled off a fantastic instinctive save to keep the scoreline goalless.
After weathering the early Normanton storm, Gresley started to find a foothold in the game and fashioned a couple of openings themselves. They nearly took the lead in the 24th minute when Adam Skeldon’s free kick was headed onto his own crossbar by the Normanton defender.
The Moatmen would take the lead ten minutes later though, when Jones opened the scoring in the 34th minute. In what was his second goal in as many games, the forward got on the end of Alby Lansdowne’s cross, placing his header into the bottom right-hand corner.
The goal seemed to motivate the Shiners, and the away side nearly got themselves level before half time. Allsop had to dive full stretch in order to deny Dylan Garnett from the edge of the box, whilst Jacob Sturgess pulled off a magnificent block to save Gresley after the Moatmen had given the ball away high up the pitch to Smyth.
After the half time break, South Normanton continued to press the Gresley backline for an equaliser and it didn’t take them long to find one. Five minutes after the break, former Gresley man, Smyth, struck a fierce shot from the edge of the box off of the underside of the bar. Despite it looking like the ball had bounced away to safety, the linesman adjudged that the ball had crossed the line, levelling the score for Normanton.
The goal seemed to spark the away side’s belief as the Shiners quickly turned the game around completely. A good ball from Smyth found the tricky Layton on the left wing. The away side’s danger man then sent a pinpoint low cross into the box which fell to the feet of Hanslow, and despite the best efforts of the Gresley defenders, Hanslow eventually slotted past Allsop to give the Athletic the lead.
The quick turnaround seemed to shock the Moatmen as they failed to really keep hold of the ball as the game degenerated into a scrappy contest, and despite their best efforts, it was Normanton who had the better chances to get the important next goal. Allsop first denied John Guy fantastically just after the hour before a brilliant sliding challenge from Jake McIntosh saw the central defender intercept Layton’s low cross.
As the contest entered its final stages, Normanton really should’ve put gloss on the scoreline late on. In the 88th minute Graves’ cross found Guy completely free in the box, but the full-back somehow stabbed over from close range. Then, Tyson missed an even better chance, Layton’s low cross found the midfielder, but Tyson couldn’t convert, blazing over when it looked easier to score.
It wouldn’t prove to matter however, as South Normanton’s second half fightback saw them cancel out Gresley’s opener in the first half to claim a valuable three points.
