Match Report  |  Gresley FC vs FC Oswestry Town

This was an open game with both sides playing some good football but although the score at the end made the match look a close one, in the end it was a comfortable win for Gresley.

Gresley manager Dave McDermott made just one change from Tuesday bringing in Jacob Sturgess into midfield for Harry Heartfield who was one of the substitutes.

The home side made a good start and took the lead after only 8 minutes when Joe Haines smashed home, via the underneath of the bar, a delightful cross from the left into the box by James Bennett-Tindall.

Town sprung to life and forced three corners with Jimmy O’Reilly heading one of them over the bar. At the other end Nehemia Zazi was heading Haines corner from the right also over the bar.

More corners came for the visitors which came to nothing and only bit of action for Ben Allsop the home keeper came on 35 minutes when Mike O’Reilly turned on the edge of the are before firing a shot at Allsop which he dealt with easily.

Gresley went close to doubling their advantage seconds later when free kick from Haines found the head of Conor Gater at the far post but the visiting keeper Mason Springthorpe made a block which he didn’t know anything about.

From the resultant corner Gresley were almost handed another goal when Zazi raced into the area and fired across the goal where Kevin Renshaw, trying to clear the ball, turned it a couple of inches past his own post.

Right on the stroke of half-time Town equalised and what a good goal it was. A needlessly conceded 22 yards out was hit by Mike O’Reilly like an arrow into the bottom corner of the net giving Allsop no chance.

Gresley started the second half in a similar vein to the first pressing the visitors back. Bennett-Tindall, having arguably his best game for the club so far, fired a low shot at Springthorpe and he went close again a minute later when his on target flicked header was scrambled away at the post by Springthorpe.

The home side regained the lead on 62 minutes. A shot was fired into the crowded box but Albert Lansdowne reacted the quickest to hammer the home.

Lansdowne added his second of the game and Gresley’s third on 69 minutes converting a low cross from the right into the bottom corner of the net.

Gresley could have added a fourth a couple of minutes later. Jake McIntosh collected a corner from the right and smashed what looked like an unstoppable ball into the far top corner but Springthorpe diving to his right made an unbelievable save to claw the ball out of the goal and away for a corner.

Mark Potts, who replaced Conor Gater who felt a hamstring twinge in the closing minutes of the first half, went close on 80 minutes making a good run down the right and firing across the face of goal.

Gresley conceded a goal in the 95th minute when a long ball sent David Howarth racing forward. Allsop, diving at the striker’s feet, got a good hand to the ball but it bounced up nicely for Howarth to slot into the empty net. Seconds later the referee ended the game.