Pre-Season Friendly
Hazel Lane, Great Wyrley,
Saturday, 15th August 2020, 3.00pm
Comfortable Win For Rovers
Alfie Burley
Gresley Rovers coasted to a fifth pre-season game unbeaten with a convincing 3-0 win against Wolverhampton Sporting Community.
Goals from Liam Kavanagh, David Kolodynski and Louis Briscoe ultimately sealed victory for the away side, as Carl Abbott and Gary Norton continue to prepare for the upcoming season.
If the FA are to allow crowds into grounds, then Rovers will begin their 2020/2021 campaign at home to Racing Club Warwick on the 5th September. On evidence of this, the Moatmen are prepared, as they were comfortable, albeit against tier ten opposition.
It was an extremely frustrating first half for Rovers, however, as a combination of poor finishing and good defending saw Wolverhampton keep Gresley at bay.
The Moatmen definitely started the brighter, and fashioned out a couple of opportunities in the opening stages, Mason Frizelle powering a header over the crossbar before Louis Briscoe flashed a shot wide.
The home side were providing a threat on the counter-attack, though, and tricky feet from their number ten allowed him to take a shot on goal, only to see it go wide of the near post.
In the 36th minute, however, Wolverhampton should’ve been 1-0 down. A trademark overlapping run from Junior Smikle, saw the full-back deliver a cross straight onto the foot of Kolodynski. Somehow, the winger mis-timed his touch, skying the ball over the crossbar wasting a glorious opportunity.
Kaylum Mitchell would test the keeper five minutes later, but his shot was clawed out of the top corner by the sprawling home goalkeeper.
Despite a host of chances to take the lead, Rovers could’ve been hit by a sucker punch at the end of the half when number ten once again found himself in shooting range, only to see his shot saved adeptly at the near post.
Yet, Gresley wouldn’t have to wait long before taking the lead in the second half. Just 50 seconds after the whistle had been blown, the away side were ahead, the familiar combo of Briscoe, Kolodynski and Kavanagh combined once again, but this time to devastating effect.
A cute little pass into the feet of Kolodynski was flicked into the path of Kavanagh by the winger. The goal-scoring midfielder made no mistake, slotting the ball into the bottom left corner.
Wolverhampton responded well to the goal, however, and nearly took advantage of some Rovers complacency, when the away defence backed off the number nine, before being relived to see his low shot brush wide of the post.
Rovers would double their lead, however, and effectively end the contest in the 62nd minute when a low-driven free kick from Louis Briscoe deflected off the home side’s wall, before falling to Kolodynski, who made up for his previous miss with a cool side-footed finish.
The doubling of the lead seemed to kill the game as Rovers really took control, with Paul Sullivan having a strike from just outside the area saved well.
In the 75th minute, the game would truly be taken out of the reach of the home side, Louis Briscoe smashing an excellent strike into the top corner and rounding out a convincing afternoon for Rovers.
Ryan King should have made it 4-0 late on when a cut back from Sullivan found the winger free in the box, but the substitute lifted his shot too high of the target.
