Pre-Season Friendly
The Moat Ground
Saturday, 17th April 2021, 1.00pm
First Game After Lockdown
BY HARRY TIZARD
Gresley Rovers’ first game after the restart ended in defeat, with Loughborough Dynamo winning 2-1 at The Moat Ground.
Goals from Nuno Gomes and Danny Collins gave the home side a comfortable advantage, before a delightful chip from Ryan Seal gave the home side a chance to get a draw with 15 minutes to play.
Despite multiple chances in the closing exchanges, Gresley could not add a second, and fell to a respectable defeat.
Facing high-flying Loughborough in the league above, Gresley reduced the away side to just a single chance in the opening 25 minutes, with Nuno Gomes coming the closest to opening the scoring.
Collecting the ball from the right side of the box, the right winger volleyed his first-time effort just wide of the far post.
The home side found similar struggles when creating meaningful openings, with shots from Keith Thomas and Danny Munday sailing past the goal moments before the half-hour mark.
However, it was Loughborough who controlled the first half, and broke the deadlock at The Moat Ground 10 minutes before the break. Gomes made the most of a sliced clearance from defender Alex Morris inside the box and tapped the ball past an onrushing Joe Fryatt.
Gresley responded well and came close to equalling the score. Latching on from an in-swinging corner, the defender had his header cleared off the line and out for a corner.
A much-changed Gresley side tackled the second period and conceded soon after the restart. A smart reverse pass from the centre of the box by Tristan Matthews found the feet of Danny Collins. From the left side of the box, Collins rocketed the ball off the underside of the bar and into the net to double the away side’s advantage.
Loughborough gained control of the scoring and could have made it three minutes after scoring their second. Charlie Leeke, who came on in goal for Gresley at half-time, cleared the ball to the feet of an opposition player. Cutting the ball into the middle of the area, Curtis Burrows curled an effort straight into the palms of the goalkeeper.
Substitute Ollie Bailey was the main cause of concern for the Loughborough defence with his runs in-behind, but sweeper goalkeeper Ruben Rabstein stayed alert and regularly cleared the ball away from danger.
The home side were reduced to long-range efforts. Ryan Seal attempted an ambitious drilled half-volley midway through the half but flew yards wide the Loughborough goal.
Gresley came agonisingly close to halving the deficit on the hour, with two chances in quick succession.
It was Seal who had the first chance. A quick corner from Josh Burniston found Seal in space, but his scuffed effort was parried wide.
The resulting corner found the man who won it, but the free header from the midfielder was knocked into the ground and over the bar.
The Rovers came even closer to scoring through Charlie Stanton. After making the most of a missed header over the top of the defence, his poked effort rolled agonisingly wide of the post and Bailey who was inches away from tapping the ball into an open goal.
Seal was impressive in the second half and scored a delightful chip to give Gresley a chance of scoring an equaliser. After Louis Briscoe played the ball inside, Seal beat one defender outside the box before chipping the ‘keeper from 25 yards.
The home side dominated the final moments and should have made Loughborough pay. After Josh Burnistone headed the ball directly at the goalkeeper from close range, it was Bailey who had the final opportunity of the game.
One-on-one with Rabstein, the striker’s low shot directed at the near post stroked the outside of the net.
Falling to defeat in their first friendly since the restart, the Rovers will be looking to bounce-back when they face Borrowash Victoria at The Moat Ground next weekend in the Don Amott Cup.
