Match Report  |  Gresley Rovers vs Lincoln United

Anyone seeing this result would think this was a comfortable win for the visitors, but nothing could be further from the truth as it was a battle from end to end. None of United’s were clear cut with a very soft penalty, a deflection and a howler from the home keeper.

Rovers were without several players through illness and injury but fielded three new faces all recently signed, Jack Thatcher, Lewis Carr and Tarun Rohill.

High-flying United started strongly with a superbly timed last-ditch tackle from Rovers’ Alby Lansdowne denying them an early goal. Rovers hit back with Thatcher forcing United keeper Jack Steggles into having to punch away a stinging shot.

Rovers had another half chance when Lansdowne connected with a free kick from the right but his effort when straight at Steggles.

Both sides were trying hard to get on top but both defences were working hard. Jamie Sleigh did have a chance, but Steggles managed to punch the shot away followed by Thatcher going close cutting in from the flank but seeing his low shot hit the side netting.

With the first half about to end Lincoln were handed the lead from a soft penalty. A ball into the area was almost controlled by Cameron Johnson with his back to goal but feeling Carr’s hands on his back fell like a pack of cards, and the referee fell for it pointing to the spot. Johnson recovered sufficiently to beat Rovers’ keeper Louie Turner to give his side an undeserved lead,
Rovers came out for the second half looking to get even and again Steggles was punching a ball clear before Sleigh raced down the left, cut into the area but fired his shot wide of the near post.

The visitors doubled their advantage in more fortunate circumstances. Tristan Drummond fired a shot from just inside Rovers’ area which Turner looked to had covered but a deflection off Johnson wrongfooted the keeper and was hopeless to prevent the ball from going into the net.

It was harsh on the home side and they could have fallen further behind when a shot was almost turned into his own net by the unfortunate Dylan Hunniford, thankfully it flew the wrong side of the near post.
Hunniford did well to deny Jack Varley with another well-timed, solid tackle.

The visitors were now beginning to waste as much time as possible as time began to run out, but Rovers were not to be denied at least a consolation their play deserved, and it came from Thatcher who had scored a fabulous goal against Rovers for Belper a couple of weeks ago.

Nathan Banton launched a long clearance down the middle which fell perfectly for Thatcher to run onto before firing the ball past the exposed Steggles. It was no more than the new signing deserved having made a fine debut which earned him man-of-the-match for Rovers. The debutant could have grabbed another late on but after being put through was denied this time by Steggles.
More time wasting from the visitors as Rovers were applying pressure with Steggles receiving a yellow card for his part in proceedings.

Any chance of a share of the spoils for Rovers evaporated in the fifth minutes of time added on when a huge mistake by Turner, who had had a decent game up to then. He tried to send the ball over to the right but only managed to pass it to Paul Grimes lurking on the edge of the area. Grimes, who had only been on the pitch for a couple of minutes couldn’t believe his luck and smashed the ball back in the goal with the aid of the inside of the far post.

It was harsh on Rovers who arguably had played their best game since the middle of December.