Gresley Rovers vs Tamworth
Brian turns on the magic – Andy Parker – Burton Mail
One moment of Brian Beresford magic was just enough to give Gresley Rovers the points to keep their Banks’s League championship chase alive at the Moat Ground on Saturday.
But with their early season spark now all but evaporated, Rovers desperately need revitalising to stay on the boil – which is why manager Frank Northwood will this week step up his search for two new faces.
Northwood believes that a new midfield player and striker are needed at the Moat ground – and anyone who witnessed Saturday’s struggle would not argue that point.
After Gary Stevens had given Rovers a fortuitous fourth-minute lead, only some resolute defending and the manful battling of the beleaguered John Bottomley in a new midfield role kept hard-working Tamworth at bay.
But with debutant goalkeeper Richard Gregg looking as if he’d forgotten to take his pre-match tranquilliser, at the end of the day it was only Tamworth’s wayward shooting that sent Gresley’s near neighbours home pointless.
Winger Rob Williams shook his head in disbelief after Gregg’s adventurous 28th minute dash for full back Corrigan Lockett’s cross had set him up with an open goal, only for the shot to roll hopelessly wide.
Both the lively Ian Ward and centre half Gary Brown were allowed to feature prominently in the Gresley penalty area and with a shade more accuracy could have sent their team in at the interval at least on level terms.
As it was Gresley had the advantage of a streaky fourth minute goal from Gary Stevens still intact, Stevens stroked a fourth minute corner from the left towards the near post and with no-one prepared to take responsibility for Tamworth the ball curled straight into the net.
Clive Arthur sent a 25-yard effort flashing over the bar, Stevens had a shot blocked after good work by Beresford and Martin Devaney failed to make proper contact with another cross by Stevens but those were Gresley’s only real chances as Jon Laws and Rob Philpott were swept aside in midfield.
The pattern stayed much the same after the break and when Bobby Atkins exposed Rovers’ lack of defensive inches to glance Brown’s free kick past a static Gregg on 57 minutes, the signs looked ominous.
Bottomley shot over, then Stevens turned well on to the midfielder’s headed pass but rolled a low effort wide.
It needed something inspirational to swing the match and in the 72nd minute Brian Beresford pulled a goal right from the magician’s hat.
There seemed no danger as Rovers’ top scorer slunk into the area from the left, but suddenly a gap opened and Beresford hit a low show that trickled into the net via the far post.
Rovers had to survive a series of scares, but with Gregg managing to find his touch and Ian Early popping up to head off the line Tamworth were sent home justifiably disappointed.
Gresley Rovers (1) 2
Tamworth (0) 1
Scorers: Stevens 4, Beresford 72 (Gresley Rovers): Atkins 57 (Tamworth).
Gresley Rovers: Gregg, Bottomley, Earley, Devaney (Williams 71), Bromley, Pearsall, Arthur, Philpott, Stevens, Beresford, Laws.
Tamworth: Kendall, Lockett, Haynes, Atkins, Brown, Cartwright, Bradford, Ward, Rathbone (Ansell 75), Gilmour, Willitts.
Gresley man-of-the-match: Gary Stevens.
Referee: K H Hoare (King’s Norton).
Attendance: 428
