Match Report  |  Gresley Rovers vs Newark

A hat-trick from Steve Hart and a strike from Alex Morris helped Gresley Rovers ease past Newark at the Moat Ground, winning 4-0 on Saturday afternoon.

Moving onto 27 goals in all competitions, Hart scored one before and twice after half-time to put the game beyond 15th placed Newark.

Centre-back Morris then added a fourth just 10 minutes from time, stroking the ball in from the edge of the box to get his third of the season.

As expected, the Rovers controlled the match throughout, having the first chance of the game. Up from a throw-in, Alby Lansdowne’s chipped ball to the back-post found the feet of Hart. Shuffling the ball onto his right foot, his attempt at goal deflected off the boot of a Newark defender, looping over the ‘keeper but wide of the goal.

Newark defended with a low block during the opening exchanges of the first-half, allowing Gresley players time in their half to pick a pass of their choice.

Ryan Seal, the playmaker of the Rovers side, was the main profiter of being allowed time on the ball, going close to setting up the opening goal just before the 15-minute mark. Lobbing the ball into Hart, the striker took down the ball well inside the box before striking the ball straight at Sam Andrew.

Despite their rigid structure at the back, Newark always posed a danger on the counter, always keeping Omotolani Omotola and Romello Nangle up the pitch.

Such methods almost saw the Tangerines take the lead against the run of play. Crossing from the left, captain Daniel Meadows’s driven ball into the box was latched onto by Omotola, but his strike from close range was saved in impressive fashion by Lewis Fenney.

Failing to convert their only chance of the opening 45 minutes, Newark played the remainder of the half inside their own defensive third, frustrating Gresley until the Moatmen found a breakthrough seven minutes before the break.

From a corner, Seal’s whipped ball into the box was latched onto by James Harrison, flicking the ball into the path of Hart who prodded in to give the Rovers the lead.

Set pieces have been at the heart of Gresley’s success this season and they should have scored their second of the game from a dead ball situation moments after the restart.

Crossed in by Seal from the right-flank, the captain delivered the ball to an unmarked Alex Morris at the front post. In acres of space, his volley was tame and caught with ease by Andrew in the middle of the Newark goal.

A snapshot from Hart was then saved well before the previous duo combined again. This time from the resulting corner, Morris’ goal-bound header was cleared off the line by a covering defender, keeping the score at a one-goal margin.

Switching from a back-five to a back-four in the second-half, Newark posed more of a threat in attack, but struggled defensively and conceded a second soon after the introduction of Danny Munday.

The substitute was involved almost immediately after coming on, bringing down the ball on the edge of the area after a looping ball forward blew in his favour.
Having his low show saved by Andrew, Hart was the fastest to react, sliding in for his second of the game.

Two quickly then became three for Gresley and Hart, scoring nine minutes after doubling their advantage in the game. Flicked on by Munday just past the halfway line, Hart beat the offside trap, rounding the ‘keeper and powering the ball into an open net to complete his second hat-trick of the season.

Having defended resiliently throughout the match and having already been denied a goal by Andrew and a goal-line clearance, Morris added a fourth with just over five minutes to go.

Collecting the ball just outside the box after coming up for a free-kick, the centre-backs left-footed strike curled past the gloves of the ‘keeper and into the back of the net.

Scoring four or more times for the fourth time in five matches, the victory against Newmark puts the Moatmen on 54 points from 21 games, six points behind first-placed Long Eaton United.