Northern Premier League Midlands
Sir Halley Stewart Ground, Spalding
Saturday, 15th April 2023, 3.00pm
Spalding Too Strong For Rovers
There are certain games that you have to hold your hands up and admit that you’ve been well beaten by a much better team, and this was just one of those games.
And, if any travelling Gresley supporters though that Spalding may feel any aftereffects after their impressive away win and with it securing their promotion play-off play place over league champions Stamford just 48 hours earlier, they were to be sadly mistaken as the home side showed their intent after just three minutes.
A corner was swung in from the left with Danny Draper connecting with a powerful header which crashed back of the near post.
Gresley did have a moment on 10 minutes when a cross from the left caused a few moments of panic in the home defence.
Ten minutes or so later another cross from the left gave Gresley a half chance but James Spruce running in from the right just failed to connect with the ball at far post.
Spalding started to apply pressure on the visiting defence and from another corner it was Dan Bucciero who met it this time but his header went wide of the far post. The pressure continued with a shot from Draper being deflected and cleared.
However, the pressure told on 43 minutes. Gresley thought they could hold on for a goalless first half, but Spalding thought otherwise, and it was for another corner that they took the lead. Sam Warburton swung the ball in from the right and it was headed back into the box and Stefan Broccoli was unmarked and headed the ball home.
The second half stared with Gresley making two changes with Kane Lee replacing Shaq Leachman- Whittingham and Michael Williams replacing Spruce and it was Williams who had an half-chance but put his shot over from the left.
The unfortunate Mason Frizelle limped off on 52 minutes to be replaced by Tyler Donaldson.
Ten minutes later Spalding doubled their advantage when a shot was pushed forward by the advancing Gresley keeper Lewis Fenney only for the ball to drop nicely to Lewis Hilliard who smashed it back into the Gresley net.
It was game over as Spalding added a third on 64 minutes when Bradley Rolt cut in from the left unchallenged before firing a low shot passed Fenney.
The game became very scrappy with the home side making three changes with Dylan Edge, Nat Ansu and Miguel Ngwa replacing James Clifton, Rolt and Hilliard.
With just 7 minutes of normal time left Gresley were caught out by yet another set piece. A corner from the left from Broccoli picked out Nathan Stainfield in space at the back post and his header found the net after hitting the opposite post.
