Match Report  |  Gresley Rovers vs Walsall Wood

If only…..if only Rovers could play the first half as well as they did the second in this game then they would accrue many, many more points instead of trying to scrape a result. After a scrappy first half Rovers thoroughly dominated the second with wave after wave of attacking football which lead to some blatant timewasting and numerous yellow cards from the visitors as they tried to take the sting out of the Rovers’ attacks.

Rovers struggled to get going in front of a decent crowd and were behind on 15 minutes. It was more poor defending that allowed Charlie Manners to head home a cross from the left unmarked,

The home side did hit back and almost drew level 10 minutes later when a corner by Jack Tyson was almost put into his own net by a defender at the near post. Play then went to the other end of the pitch and from a free kick on the left Tyreace Brown headed narrowly over the bar.

Around the half hour mark, Jamie Sleigh had two good chance to get his side level if not in front. The first he sent his effort over the bar from close in, followed a couple of minutes later when a ball over the Wood defence gave Sleigh another good chance but this time his difficult volley few over.

Rovers were to rue those missed chances as the visitors doubled their advantage on 37 minutes, again from some slack defending allowed Manners to lob the ball over the advancing Rovers’ keeper Louie Turner for his and Wood’s second of the game.

With the half almost up, a free kick from John King tested visiting keeper Dale Eve as he had to push away a well struck on target shot.

Rovers started the second half clearly on the front foot pushing the visitors back with some of the best football seen at the Moat for a while and the pressure paid dividends on 51 minutes. A perfect cross from John Guy was headed into the Wood goal with the keeper well beaten by Josh Waldram.

Rovers continued to press hard forcing several corners but were almost caught out when a free kick 25 yards out was well struck but Chris Jones was alert to clear the ball off the line. It didn’t stop Rovers from continuing to drive forward looking for a deserved share of the points at the very least. John King went close with a shot that flew just past the upright on the hour mark.

Yellow cards were being issued regularly especially for the visitors in the following 10 minutes before Wood made their first change with Matthew Hughes replacing Joe Fitzpatrick. Rovers followed with Richard Hanslow replacing King.

On 78 minutes Rovers went close again with a defender managing to head the danger away at the near post.

More changes with Martin Smyth on for the hard-working Dylan Hunniford and Corey Cooper on for Emmanuel Olaloko for the visitors.

Rovers were winning corners and free kicks in the final 10 minutes or so but were being frustrated by some comical and cynical time wasting by Wood much to the annoyance of the Rovers supporters and players alike.

Those tactics, or gamesmanship as some like to call it, seemed to have worked as the referee blew his whistle giving the visitors an undeserved win.