Match Report  |  Atherstone Town vs Gresley Rovers

Gresley Rovers were just two minutes from bringing their hosts Atherstone Town back to the Moat Ground but were denied by an outstanding strike from Chris Cowley to break the Rovers’ hearts.

Caught napping by a quickly taken short corner the ball come out to Cowley who then hit a curling shot into the top left corner of the net giving Gresley’s keeper Lewis Fenney no chance - a goal worthy of winning any match.

The Adders had the better of the first half putting their visitors under pressure from the off and on 13 minutes showed their intent when Mitch Piggon flashed a low shot from the left across the face of Fenney’s goal only to see his attempt fly narrowly wide of the far post.

Gresley’s first attempt of note came with Niall Towle hitting his shot wide. On 37 minutes they went even closer. New signing Bakir Halil worked hard to get himself into the area before tumbling but he managed to clip the outside of the far post as he poked the ball forward as he fell leaving home keeper Carl O’Neill rooted to the spot.

With a minute of the first half remaining the Adders took the lead. A ball fell kindly into the path of Ryan Quinn running in from the right and he made no mistake firing the ball past Fenney.

The goal just before the break seemed to give the visitors some impetuous as they went searching for an equaliser and the forces to quick corners. From the second, Alex Morris rose and got his head to the ball which the keeper did well to tip over the bar. Unfortunately, the referee decided he did not get a touch and awarded a goal kick.

Gresley manager Carl Abbott made the first of his changes with James Harrison replacing Towle and the home side replacing Piggon with Josh Beeson.

The home side went close to adding to their tally but were denied by a full stretch diving save by Fenney to his right with the resultant corner being comfortably dealt with by the Gresley defence.

At the other end, a long throw in from Alby Lansdowne cause a moment of panic in the Adders box but with the ball pinballing about it just would not fall for a Gresley player to finish.

However, they didn’t have to wait much longer to get back on terms. A driving run through the middle by Michael Williams ended with the midfielder hitting a shot from the edge of the area beating O’Neill with the help of the slightest of deflections.

Gresley now went looking for a winner and were close to getting it on 72 minutes. Alex Morris’s low cross from the left found the diving Harrison but his header flew agonisingly wide of the post.

There were more substitutions for both sides with the time starting to race away. But, just has it looked as if Gresley had done enough to earn a replay, Cowley destroyed all hopes with his once-in-a-lifetime strike from 20 yards to send the home supporters home happy.