Northern Premier League Midlands
The Moat Ground
Tuesday, 23rd August 2022, 7.45pm
Unlucky Rovers
In a five-goal thriller at the Moat, Gresley Rovers were left awaiting their first win of the season as they fell to a slim defeat to high-flying Halesowen Town.
Tipped to be among the contenders for the league title, Halesowen were given a scare by a Rovers side that looked transformed from their 2-0 defeat to Coleshill Town.
An early set-piece goal from Kieran Morris had given the away side the lead, but within six first-half minutes that all changed as Bekir Halil and James Harrison turned the game around for Gresley.
Only a wonder-strike from Jack Holmes denied Rovers from going in at half-time in front, and Halesowen cruelly wrapped up the three points late on when Mason Frizelle put the ball into his own net.
Gresley started the match with an abundance of attacking intent and had the first big opportunity of the game when Halil’s stabbed ball over the away side’s defence found Kieran Wells. The striker bullied his way past his marker but could only direct his effort straight at Daniel Platt.
Yet Rovers would fall behind in the 12th minute as Joshua Quaynor’s delivery to the back post found Morris with time and space to head past Lewis Fenney.
The goal didn’t deter Gresley however, and in the 23rd minute they equalised. A long throw from the right was half-cleared by Halesowen, with the loose ball falling kindly to the feet of Halil whose deflected half-volley nestled into the bottom corner.
Having finally broken their goalscoring duck for the season, Rovers took the lead just six minutes later with a lovely move.
A lofted ball from midfield was deftly flicked over the Halesowen defence by Wells, with Harrison timing his run forward to perfection. The forward collected the ball and was composed in sliding the ball past Platt.
The opening half was a thrilling one for the neutral, and Halesowen would have the final say going into half-time as Jack Holmes thumped an exquisite half-volley into the top corner from 20 yards out.
Yet, Rovers could have still led but for the woodwork, with Wells lifting Alex Morris’ header onto the crossbar, with another long throw causing havoc in the Halesowen defence.
After the break, both sides looked to be more cautious, with both defences tightening up. It took until the 63rd minute for either team to come close, with Halil missing by inches with a 30-yard curler.
Halesowen also threatened soon after though, with Morris almost getting on the scoresheet again, but this time his glancing header drifted wide.
With just ten minutes remaining, Rovers had an almighty scare. After Michael Williams had been robbed of possession, Fenney saved Rovers twice, producing two outstanding saves from Simeon Cobourne and Jamie Insall.
However, from the resultant corner, a high looping delivery into the back post was awkward for Mason Frizelle, who couldn’t prevent the ball from bouncing off him and into his own net.
Rovers looked gutted to have conceded, and Halesowen nearly put the game to bed, but Tyler Donaldson did brilliantly to block Cobourne’s shot after the ball fell to the lively winger in the box.
With the game in injury time and Gresley’s hopes of a point slipping away, they should have levelled proceedings with the last move of the game.
A long throw once again caused problems, and somehow with the ball bouncing around, nobody in a red shirt was able to prod the ball home, with Halesowen grateful to see it go past the far post.
