Match Report  |  Gresley Rovers vs Heanor Town

On a drizzly afternoon at the Moat Ground and in front of the biggest crowd of the season so far and also in front of the soon to be announced new management team, Rovers and Heanor played out an entertaining game with a highly controversial ending.

Rovers welcomed back Alby Lansdowne and Ryan King to their squad and added new signing defender Jack Bostock.

The home side made a good start with Dylan Hunniford going close with his shot blocked on five minutes for a corner. However, Rovers went closer seconds later when the corner caused a scramble in the Heanor box with a shot hitting a post before Jamie Sleigh managed to force the ball home.

Heanor hit back forcing three consecutive corners and from one of them they went very close to levelling with the ball hitting the underneath of the bar before being cleared by the Rovers defence.

On 23 minutes Rovers played a great move through the middle of the pitch finished well by Sleigh picking out Jenson Cooper to his left. Cooper continued the move and finished coolly slotting the ball past the onrushing keeper Alfie Roberts.

A free kick from Alex Seale for the visitors brought out a great save from Louie Turner pushing away a well struck shot. The resultant corner produced a shot which Rovers blocked well.

As the first end was coming to an end Rovers had two more chances to add to their tally with Sleigh firing just wide and Reinoldo Forbes’ curling shot almost headed into his own goal by a Heanor defender.

Rovers made an early change in the second half with Jacob Sturgess replacing Alex Britton who had taken a painful knock during the first half.

With just ten minutes of the second half Rovers went three goals up. A corner from the left was fumbled by keeper Roberts and debutant Bostock fired the loose ball home from close in.

Again, the Rovers defenders were putting their bodies on the line making some fine blocks from a free kick to deny the visitors a goal chance.

Heanor made five changes as they tried to get back into a game which could easily run away from them but on 75 minutes, they managed to at least grab a goal back. The visitors made a run down the left and Rovers failed to deal with the danger and the ball fell nicely for Sasha Markelic who took his chance firing home.

The goal seemed to fire up the visitors and they were soon going forward looking for another, A corner from the left saw Sam Brown power a header which Turner saved brilliantly diving to his left to push the effort wide and a defender cleared the danger.

Going into the five minutes added on time Rovers almost grabbed a fourth goal when Liam Kavanagh’s well struck shot needed a fine save from Roberts to deny him.

Meanwhile at the other end Turner was needed to pull off two fine consecutive blocks as the visitors threatened to claw back another goal.

The game ended in controversy. Six minutes of added time had been played when a long throw from Heanor led to a penalty. Ninety five percent of the crowd and most of the players including some of the visitors saw a Heanor player appear to punch the ball over the bar as he attempted to head the ball home and colliding with Sturgess who ended in the net.

Surely a free kick to the home side would be the correct decision but unbelievably the referee John Stevens, after speaking to his assistant, awarded a penalty and Sturgess an undeserved straight red card. Sturgess, his teammates and the Gresley faithful were furious, and substitute Karl Demidh sheepishly put the ball on the spot and scored with no celebration.

A disappointing end to an entertaining game.

Following the game James Jepson was revealed as Rovers’ new manager with Mark Goodfellow his assistant.