Gresley Rovers vs Atherstone United
Bogeymen - Andy Parker - Burton Mail
Gresley's Atherstone bogey struck again at the Moat Ground last night to dent Rovers' pre-season progress.
Manager Frank Northwood was convinced that the Frank Tomlin Trophy was in the hands of the wrong club after seeing his revamped side miss a string of first half chances.
New striker Keith Hill was the main culprit, linking superbly with strike partner Martin Devaney to carve an opening after 15 minutes only to shoot against a post from six yards.
Eight minutes later Hill hit a dipping cross that came out from the underside of the bar.
Hampered by enforced substitutions to the injured Mark Bromley and the ailing Neil Lovell, Rovers lost their spark after the interval, allowing the Adders - the team Gresley just could not beat last season - to step up a gear and snatch victory through a sweetly struck effort from full back Paul Montgomery.
Yet Northwood's after-match gloom will not be total if he chooses to reflect on the good points of the game.
Prodigal keeper Karl Austin returned to remind anyone who had dared to think they could fill his boots at Gresley that they have no chance.
Austin made a superb save look easy when Adder's Rob Farmer hammered a full-blooded shot towards the bottom left corner of the net on ten minutes.
And he made an even better stop eight minutes before the break, denying Dave Tedds a close range goal with a superbly athletic dive.
Adder's keeper Lee Spencer had been far the busier up to half time, however, repeatedly displaying excellent handling from a variety of Rovers' crosses.
It was clearly going to take something special to beat either keeper and, to the disdain of the 320 crowd, it was Atherstone who provided it, the influential Montgomery sallying forth to the edge of the Gresley box in the 53rd minute where he met Andy Rammell's cross from the right with a stunning volley that gave Austin no chance.
Rovers struggled to get back in touch but there was no run of the ball available.
Substitute Clive Arthur added a bit of zip to the right of the attack but when his hard, low cross deflected off a defender's boot in the depths of the Adder's six-yard box it deflected not into the back of the net but straight into Spencer's waiting hands.
Gresley Rovers (0) 0
Atherstone United(0) 1
Scorer: Montgomery 53.
Gresley Rovers: Austin, Dick, Williams, Bottomley, Dolby, Bromley, Laws, Lovell, Hill, Beresford, Devaney. Subs: Wilcox, Malliburn, Arthur.
Atherstone United: Spencer, Haynes, Montgomery, Olner, Haskins, Thurman, Rammell, Formaston, Bradder, Farmer, Tedds. Sub: Stockley.
Gresley man-of-the-match: Keith Hill.
Referee: George Stones (South Derbyshire).
Attendance: 320
