Match Report  |  Sleaford Town vs Gresley Rovers

Harry Tizzard

Substitute Kane Lee starred for Gresley Rovers with his hat-trick off the bench helping the Moatmen to a 4-0 away win against Sleaford Town.

Replacing Levi Reid, who picked up a hamstring injury midway through the first-half, the forward struck just before the break to give Gresley the lead.

With the two teams separated by just a single goal heading into the final 10 minutes, a quick double from Lee guaranteed the Rovers their seventh consecutive league win on the road.

Louis Briscoe then added an even later fourth to complete the route, heading in his first of the season and keeping the gap between themselves and Long Eaton at nine points with three games in hand on first place.

Setting the tone right from the start, it was the Moatmen who had the first chance. Chipped into the box by Ryan Seal, Danny Munday latched onto Alex Morris’ flick-on, but could only guide his looping header over the bar.

Gresley controlled the proceedings in the first-half, with stand-in goalkeeper Lewis King left mostly untroubled, sweeping up loose balls over the top and crosses that entered the box.

Making his debut for the Moatmen, King was not the only man making his first appearance, with Shay Brennan starting up top.
Making the move from Aylestone Park, the striker had his first scoring chance just before the 20th-minute mark. Nodded on by Alby Lansdowne, Brennan’s first-time snapshot from a narrow-angle rolled wide of the near post.

The attacker was then involved moments later. Holding up Jordi Gough’s pass down the wing, Brennan played the ball into the path of Izak Reid, but his strike from the edge sailed well over.

Despite having control over the fixture, Sleaford goalkeeper Gary Doran did not have a shot to save until the end of the first 45 minutes, with early substitute Lee making a devastating difference.

First seeing his curling effort from the left palmed over, the forward broke the deadlock just before the half-time whistle.

A delightful pass forward by Brennan was then lobbed towards an onrushing Lee by Seal. Powering forward, Lee struck the ball hard and low, beating the ‘keeper at his near post.

Sleaford came out on the offensive in the second-half, pinning Gresley into their own third and earning set-pieces around the visitors' 18-yard-box.

Taking nine minutes to worry the Gresley goal, it was Ryan Rushen with the opportunity, but his strike across from the left whistled just past the far post.

Sleaford struggled to build on their chance to level the score, with goal-scorer Lee causing the hosts problems. First firing wide, Lee then caused havoc in the box.

Launching the ball towards goal from the right-wing, his cross-cum-shot evaded the fingertips of the ‘keeper as well as Munday, who was just inches away from turning the ball into the net.

Missing the ball previously, Munday then went even closer to scoring. Latching onto a header across the box, keeping alive Seal’s free-kick from deep, Munday’s downward attempt bounced agonisingly wide.

As the game entered the final 10 minutes, Lee was gifted an opportunity to put the game beyond the hosts. Gaining possession on the outskirts of the area, Lee attempted to loft the bobbling ball over the ‘keeper, but could only find his gloves with a tame effort.

Cutting a frustrated figure after wasting his previous chance, Lee made up it on the Rovers' next attack. Collecting the ball on the right, Lee drove inside before reversing a shot into the corner.

A second for Gresley then opened the floodgates, with the Moatmen scoring a further two late goals. First, it was Lee, converting a Munday cross to complete his hat-trick off the bench before Briscoe scored his first of the season.

Running onto a throw-in, Briscoe's flicked header went over Doran, who rushed out his goal, and into the net.