Atherstone United vs Gresley Rovers
Frank – ‘We were robbed’ – Burton Mail
Gresley Rovers picked up a well-deserved Banks’s Brewery League point at leaders Atherstone yesterday, but manager Frank Northwood was furious after the match.
“We were cheated, make no mistake about it,” the Rovers’ boss said afterwards.
Controversy reigned when Gresley had two seemingly valid penalty appeals turned down.
Dave Sutton was involved on both occasions, once in the 22nd minute when he ended up in the back of the net, and then early on in the second half.
To add insult to injury Mark Bromley’s clumsy challenge on Alan Brotherton on the stroke of half time led to an Atherstone penalty when it was debatable whether Bromley had taken his man in the penalty area at all.
Rovers’ work-rate had been sufficient to justify a 0-0 half time score line, but an already highly charged first half exploded into more controversy in the 45th minute.
Brotherton played a neat one-two with Rob Farmer on the left side and as Brotherton tracked in from the left there was no doubting that Bromley had committed a foul. Whether or not it was inside the area is another matter.
Gary Bradder drilled the penalty into the left corner as an unhappy first half for Gresley came to a blunt end.
Jon Law started a goal spree in the 53rd minute, unleashing a 20-yarder past goalkeeper Lee Spencer.
Gresley fell behind again on the hour. Bob Stockley floated a cross over from the right, the ball dropped wickedly at the far post, and with Austin beaten Brotherton dashed in to powerfully head home. But substitute Hughie Atkinson quickly made his mark.
Atkinson made ground, and Beresford rode a series of feeble challenges before rolling the ball past Spencer.
Atherstone United (1) 2
Gresley Rovers (0) 2
Scorers: Bradder 45 (pen), Brotherton 60 (Atherstone United): Laws 53, Beresford 63 (Gresley Rovers).
Atherstone United: Spencer, Stockley, Montgomery (Tedds 69), Olner, Neale, Waters, Parker, Brotherton, Bradder, Farmer, Kennell.
Gresley Rovers: Austin. Earley, Williams, Hall, Dolby, Bromley, Laws, Bottomley, Stevens, Beresford, Sutton (Atkinson 57).
Gresley man-of-the-match: Jon Laws.
Referee: J G Smith (Stafford).
Attendance: 668
