Chasetown vs Gresley Rovers
Gresley get the message – Rex Page – Burton Mail
Gresley boss Frank Northwood ordered his soccer academy to scrap the A-level football that has taken them to the top of the Banks’s League and join the dunces in order to cling on to their unbeaten record.
Northwood watched in frustration and growing dismay in the first half as Rovers tried to reproduce their short-passing intricate style on a pitch where huge pools of water made it virtually impossible.
Then he got the message that getting the ball forward as quickly as possible was the only way to combat the conditions and suddenly Rovers looked like league leaders again.
They may have been 2-0 down after 33 minutes and 3-1 behind after 53 but such was the transformation after half time that in the end they might have easily have grabbed the extra point which would have further extended their lead at the top of the table.
A far-from-satisfied Northwood fumed afterwards: “We just weren’t getting the ball in early enough. Through balls were the only way to play in those conditions but it took our lads too long to realise that.”
Certainly Gresley’s unbeaten record looked more under threat than at any time this season as they slipped and slithered around the sodden Scholars ground.
The pace of Peter Gecan continually caused them problems, most notably after nine minutes when he left Keith Williams for dead with a smart dummy before driving over a cross which Mike Ward turned home and then again in the 33rd minute when a hopeful clearance eluded the Rovers defence and he ran on to coolly beat Bob Aston.
It needed the extraordinary skills of Martin Devaney to throw Rovers a lifeline six minutes before the interval when he danced past two defenders before finishing with clinical precision.
From that position and with a crucial change in tactics Rovers might well have won the match, but more sloppy defending let in Martin Richards to restore Chasetown’s two goal advantage.
However, by this time the tide had turned and it was no surprise when Devaney intercepted Andy Cox’s back pass and steered the ball home after neatly sidestepping the keeper.
With Joe Jackson emerging from a quiet first half to dominate midfield the Moatmen began to create chances with their customary frequency and the inevitable equaliser came when John Bottomley surged forward on to Jackson’s pass to drive over a centre which Simon Hayes diverted into his own net.
Chasetown (2) 3
Gresley Rovers (1) 3
Scorers: Ward 9, Grocan 33, Richards 53 (Chasetown): Devaney 39, 63 Hyden (og) 76 (Gresley Rovers).
Chasetown: Weale, Cox, Jones, Cotterill, Hyden, Rose, Tipson, Richards, Ward, Grocan, A Williams (Dixon 86).
Gresley Rovers: Aston, Bottomley, K Williams, Lovell, Dolby, Skeemer, Jackon, Laws, Acklam, Devaney, McKenzie (C Hill 50).
Gresley man-of-the-match: Joe Jackson.
Referee: H Underwood (Redditch).
Attendance: 170
