Northern Premier League Midlands
The Dovecote, Shepshed
Monday, 10th April 2023, 3.00pm
Spruce Banger Seal The Points
A spectacular strike from James Spruce 22 minutes into the first half gave the visitors the lead and ultimately three vital points in their avoidance of the relegation play-off places.
The game dominated largely by a very strong wind blowing diagonally across the pitch became a test for both sides, but Rovers coped the better with the conditions in both halves.
Shepshed could or possibly should have taken the lead when the ball came across Gresley’s box to Sam Moore totally unmarked on the left and with the goal gaping somehow fashioned a shot that cleared the bar by some distance with just 6 minutes on the clock.
Dynamo were left to rue that miss as Spruce began to test both home defence and keeper within minutes.
His first attempt saw his well struck shot only parried by Brandon Ganley but no one from Gresley could take advantage of the loose ball.
Spruce then scored one of the best goals from a Gresley player for some time. The ball was only half cleared and landed at the forward’s feet. He took one touch and they from 22 yards out he hit a vicious dipping shot which flew over the helpless Ganley and into the net to give his side the lead.
He went close to doubling his tally 5 minutes later when again, from distance, he struck a shot which was heading goal bound over Ganley but the keeper. to his credit, managed to get a fingertip on the ball to touch it onto the cross bar.
Gresley were making the most of the wind with a long throw being flicked on and into the hands of the keeper.
As the end was coming to a close, Gresley went agonisingly close to add it two more goal to their score and they both came from Danny Munday. His first attempt came on 42 minutes. A long kick into the home half was saw Ganley racing out to head the ball clear, but it only fell to Munday who controlled it before lobbing the keeper but just wide of the far post.
His second came a minute later. This time he had made a good run down the left and cut into the area and hit a good shot which beat Ganley but agonisingly striking the base of the far post before going out for a goal kick.
Gresley were expecting the home side to come out strongly and using the wind to their advantage as the visitors had done in the first half. However, it didn’t really materialise with Gresley playing the head long wind competently snuffing out, by and large, most of Dynamo’s attacks.
Gresley hit the woodwork again with Shaquille Leachman-Whittingham cutting in from right and firing a low shot which struck the far post.
Shepshed made the first change with former Moatman Reece Morris replacing Joel Nketia and soon the diminutive winger was causing a few problems for Rovers down the left but the defence stood strong and repelled the attacks.
Instead of launching his goal kicks against the wind as Ganley had done in the first half only to see the ball come back into his own half, Lewis Fenney, who had largely had a quiet afternoon, played most of his kicks short to a defender which seemed to work well.
Shepshed made a couple more changes as the game was running out with John King replacing Toby Ritzema and Jake Betts replacing Sam Moore.
Gresley made their change of the game when James Harrison replaced Jonathan Letford and with almost his first touch had a glorious change to score when the ball was played across the box by Leachman-Whittingham but Harrison could only put his shot the wrong side of the near post.
