Armitage vs Gresley Rovers
Four-goal fling in the fog for Rovers – Andy Parker – Burton Mail
Rovers pierced the gloom of fogbound Armitage to stay hot on the trail of Banks’s League honours.
And such was Gresley’s domination of their encounter with the leagues bottom side that they could easily have exceeded the eight-goal haul that marked their previous visit to King’s Bromley road.
As it was, Armitage had keeper had Ken Higgott to thank for keeping the score line within the limits of respectability thanks to a string of spectacular second half saves.
The fact that Higgott could see the ball, let alone get behind it, in a pea soup second half was a tribute to the man’s eyesight. That referee Andrews allowed the game to finish was in itself a surprise.
Visibility was just about acceptable when Brian Beresford hammered Gresley ahead on four minutes after Clive Arthur and Rob Philpott had worked the ball across the box from a corner.
But by the time a shadowy figure later identified has defender Steve Dolby headed Gresley’s fourth from another Arthur corner on 90 minutes it was impossible to identify of the players who swarmed around the Armitage goalmouth in a one-sided dress rehearsal for the two sides’ league cup clash later in the season.
Gresley’s dominance had been threatened only briefly during a game that could have done a lot more for their goal difference.
After Brian Beresford had been painfully fouled in the penalty area on 12 minutes but then allowed Higgott to stretch to his left to save the spot kick, midfielder Rob Anderson managed a couple of long range pile drivers that tested the alertness of Gresley keeper Karl Austin.
But, after Martin Devaney had met Arthur’s free kick from the left with a powerful downward header at the far post to put Gresley two up on the stroke of half time any last vestiges of doubt about the outcome were removed.
Higgott produced a brilliant save to keep out Beresford’s header, but could do nothing to stop the master marksman getting his second after parrying Martin Devaney’s low shot into his path.
Satisfied Rovers’ boss Frank Northwood said afterwards: “It wasn’t a classic but there could have been a cricket score. It’s a hard place to come to but we’ve got a footballing side and I’m quite happy with the result.
Armitage (0) 0
Gresley Rovers (2) 4
Scorers: Beresford 4, 60, Devaney 45, Dolby 90.
Armitage: Higgott, Baylis, Todd, Kent, Plaster (Leak 49), Anderson, Cogswell, Holer, Morris, Aston, Canning.
Gresley Rovers: Austin, Bottomley, Early, Pearsall, Dolby, Laws, Arthur, Philpott, Mould, Beresford, Devaney. Sub not used Bromley.
Referee: D Andrews (Kidderminster).
