Gresley Rovers vs Tipton Town
Rob’s pott shot lifts Moatmen – Andy Parker – Burton Mail
Gresley moved towards a crunch clash with Harrison’s – where they will battle for the Banks’s West Midlands League runners-up spot tomorrow – with a comfortable and occasionally cultured win over much-improved Tipton.
Rob Philpott’s gem on the stroke of half time gave the Moatmen an important interval boost and Clive Arthur wrapped it up with his 12th penalty success of the season on 54 minutes.
In the end Gresley could have underlined their superiority with more goals as they stretched an incredible unbeaten run to 21 games.
But while there was some wayward finishing to blame for the score line, the Moatmen clearly benefited from the return after injury of Brian Beresford to partner Johnny Branch in attack.
It took Beresford only five minutes to alert Tipton to his potential menace when, after John laws had been fouled on a forward run, the number 10 stroked a 20-yard free kick just the wrong side of Tipton’s goalpost.
Gresley continued to dominate but on a pitch initially bone hard a progressively more greasy and treacherous in the intermittent rain it took them another half hour to test Tipton ‘keeper Gary Williams again. Ian Earley’s glancing header from Laws’ cross bringing a smart near-post save.
Just as it seemed the half was doomed to be goalless Gresley struck in the first minute of injury time.
Laws made space on the right to pick out Dave King waiting on the edge of the box and Branch neatly laid off his skipper’s forward ball for Philpott to crash in a point-blank shot.
Tipton had so far managed a single, off-target header from Les Winsper and looked no more ambitious despite their setback. The defence looking ill at ease as Branch turned onto Arthur’s through ball to bring a nervous flapping save from Williams as Beresford moved in.
And they were caught hopelessly when Beresford zipped onto King’s pass, leaving stopper Andy Bunch with little alternative but to bundle the striker over as he prepared to shoot.
Arthur stepped up to once more test the construction of the back-boards behind the visiting goal with a venomous penalty blast.
Bunch nearly put Gresley further ahead when he turned Arthur’s cross past his own post and Beresford had time to do better than head feebly wide from the former Burton Albion winger’s corner.
King could have had one too but struck yet another cross from Arthur well wide from a good position.
Tipton’s Kevin Pedley earned a needless booking for retaliation after a foul by Arthur and Town’s gloom was complete when winger Tom Paskin hobbled off with an ankle injury.
With the points in the bag Gresley became a touch casual and Carl Davis should have scored a consolation goal for the visitors when Pedley robbed Earley and rolled an inviting pass into his stride but the centre forward blasted over from ten yards.
Gresley Rovers (1) 2
Tipton Town (0) 0
Scorers: Philpott 45, Arthur 54 (pen).
Gresley Rovers: Austin, Earley, Bromley, West, Dolby, King, Arthur, Laws, Branch, Beresford, Philpott.Sub: Priest.
Referee: B T Millership (Tamworth).
Attendance: 280
