Pre-Season Friendly
Butlin Road, Rugby
Saturday, 31st July 2021, 3.00pm
Final Friendly Ends All Square
Alfie Burley
Gresley Rovers completed their pre-season schedule with a competitive 1-1 draw against a talented Rugby Town side.
It was a tale of two corners as Oli Bailey had originally given Rovers the lead as he poked home a delivery at the back post.
Minutes later, however, Town equalised through a corner of their own, their centre-back volleying in following a flick-on.
Despite numerous chances for both sides, neither could find the crucial goal to steal victory.
Rugby had the best opportunity to seal the win when David Kolodynski saw his penalty kick well saved by Lewis Fenney.
The game started quite slowly, with Rovers holding their own against the home side, but no real chances materialising for either side. Nine minutes in, however, Gresley would take the lead from nowhere.
A corner kick into the middle was missed by the Rugby Town goalkeeper, allowing Oli Bailey to stab the ball home at the back post.
The lead would only last five minutes though as the hosts responded through a corner of their own. An inswinging delivery was won in the middle by Town, flicking it to the back post where
Lecci lurked, the centre-back thundering home a volley to equalise.
Levelling the score seemed to breathe life into the home side, and they proceeded to have a flurry of chances to completely turn the match around. Firstly, the Town full-back pounced on a poor defensive clearance by Brad Daly to send a rocket of a shot cannoning back off the upright.
Just seconds later, Lewis Fenney was responsible for keeping Rovers on equal standing as he produced an outstanding double save to parry away two goalbound efforts.
After surviving an onslaught on their goal, Gresley managed to regain a level of defensive stability, and had a chance of their own to take the lead again before half-time.
Lucas Powell did well to slide the ball through to Massiah McDonald, but the striker’s shot was well blocked by the
‘keeper.
Following the interval, former Moatman David Kolodynski nearly came back to haunt his former club, but after being left unmarked in the area, he could only head over the crossbar.
Rugby’s most dangerous player on the field was most definitely their number ten, however, and he came close to giving the hosts the lead in the second half. After lifting a shot too high from inside the box, he was then denied by a great reaction save from Fenney.
Yet he would get some reward for his perseverance when 66 minutes into the game he won a penalty for his team. Cameron Steele’s challenge was adjudged to have been just inside the area and the referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot - much to the bewilderment of the Rovers players, and the fanbase.
Justice in their minds would, however, be restored when Lewis Fenney predicted the intentions of Kolodynski and comfortably got down to his left to stop his shot from giving Rugby the lead.
The best chance of the game was still to come however, when with just two minutes left on the clock, a Rugby Town substitute somehow managed to lift his effort over the crossbar after being set-up mere yards from the goal-line.
Ultimately, despite numerous chances from both sides to win the game, the scores ended level.
