Chasetown vs Gresley Rovers
Pearsall plunders a point – Rex Page – Burton Mail
Gresley Rovers’ first brush with winter proved just about as enjoyable as a novice’s first nervous steps on the nursery slopes of Swadlincote’s new ski centre.
Being asked to play on a heavily-frosted Church Street pitch on Saturday 48 hours after they had turned the Moat Ground into a muddy morass seemed beyond the adaptability of Frank Northwood’s team.
It took the best part of an hour to get to grips with the treacherous surface and the only seasonal generosity of the Chasetown attack allowed them to escape a damaging defeat.
The Lichfield side, unbeaten at home this season, made early profit from a strangely unreliable Rovers defence and ought to have built a commanding lead by the interval.
They really only had themselves to blame when Ian Pearsall, thrust forward to reinforce a limp Gresley attack, ripped victory from their grasp with a scrambled goal nine minutes from the end.
Rovers had already begun to look ominously ill at ease when Les Tonks gave Chasetown the lead.
Pearsall’s foul on Charlie Blakemore gave the number ten the chance to clip the free kick towards the near post where Tonks punished a static Rovers defence by sending a thumping header past Karl Austin.
Colin Taylor, playing out of position because of the absence of injured leading scorer Brian Beresford wasted an obvious chance when he headed Clive Arthur’s cross over and, despite the excellent form of Martin Devaney, Rovers’ response was all-too-brief.
Instead, Chasetown should have put the game beyond Gresley’s reach by the interval.
Roy Collins shot hurriedly wide of an empty net after the sprawling Austin had forced Blakemore to lose control and Colin Walker struck the bar when Steve Dolby’s goalline clearance fell invitingly at his feet.
Ian Earley was also forced into a clearance on the line as Glenn Briers threatened to snap up the second goal the home side clearly deserved.
The half-time interval came as a blessed relief for Gresley and, in fairness to them, they looked much more secure in defence after the restart.
And with Taylor now restored to midfield they began to impose themselves for the first time, though much of their pressure was in hope rather than conviction.
Taylor almost squeezed a quickly taken free kick under the body of David Weale, but with no Beresford to fasten onto half chances Gresley’s attack was often a blunt weapon.
Hope was starting to fade fast when Taylor attempted to force in Arthur’s left wing corner.
Graham Glover appeared to handle, but before Gresley had time to make a protest, a prostrate Pearsall stabbed the ball in from six yards.
Chasetown (1) 1
Gresley Rovers (0) 1
Scorers: Tonks 14 (Chasetown); Pearsall 81 (Gresley Rovers).
Chasetown: Weale, Cotterill, Jones, Glover, Richards, Collins, Cox, Briers, Tonks, Blakemore, Walker. Sub: Brown.
Gresley Rovers: Austin Early, Bromley, Pearsall, Dolby, Devaney, Arthur, Philpott, Taylor, Laws, Banton. Sub Bottomley.
Gresley man of the match:Martin Devaney.
Referee: J R Kyte.
Attendance: 140
