Halesowen Harriers vs Gresley Rovers
Deadly Dave keeps Gresley on title trail – David Lawrence – Burton Mail
On a weekend that saw non-league football take centre stage in the Midlands, Gresley Rovers shone through and handed out a 3-0 drubbing of the Harriers.
But the scoreline gives little credit to the battling Black Country side who slammed the Moatmen 3-1 earlier in the season. This time they had to settle for second best to a side still in with a shout for the Premier Division title.
Harriers deserved at least one if not two goals but the safe handling of Rovers’ keeper Bob Aston kept them at bay.
A handful of reflex saves kept Halesowen out and when his grip on the ball loosened, the solid figure of Dean Page was on hand to clear off the line.
There can be few grounds in the league which can boast as much grass as this pitch carved into the hillside, and it was the silky skills of Joe Jackson and Martin Devaney that took advantage of the luxury.
Though far from classic, the match developed into an exhibition of class finishing from the Moatmen.
After half an hour, Halesowen’s Steve Brain had to clear off the line after Dave Morrison thundered a header through the keeper’s hands. But there was no stopping Gresley’s first goal.
They opened their tally after 34 minutes after a short corner on the left. The cross was knocked back out to the left where Neil Lovell rammed in a shot from the tightest of angles that crept between the keeper and the near post.
But it was not all one-way traffic. Minutes before the interval Aston pulled off a brilliant reflex save after Hall flicked on from Brain to volley just yards out.
With 15 minutes gone of the second half, the Moatmen began to run riot up front. On the hour Martin Dick and Morrison were involved in a sweeping move down the middle and Jackson’s shot was flicked off the line.
Five minutes later, it was the Jackson-Morrison combination that extended the Rovers’ lead. The midfielder crossed from the left and though keeper Tim Clarke had the ball covered he dropped it at the feet of the bustling striker to tap home the easiest of chances.
As the half continued, Jackson proved instrumental in many of Gresley’s moves. Midway through the half he set Laws and Devaney on their way only for the referee to call them back for offside.
Undeterred, the Black Country outfit fought back in the final minutes just as the sun shone through the rain clouds for the first time.
Page was again in the right place at the right time to clear Cooper’s shot and moments later it was keeper Aston who had to rescue his side.
But rather than reducing the deficit, Harriers went even further behind right on the final whistle. Jackson and Devaney were involved in the build up before the ball was knocked inside to Jon Laws.
The midfielder, who had spent much of the second half arguing with manager Frank Northwood, sent over a pin-point cross for Morrison to head goalwards.
The keeper could only parry the effort and the veteran goal scorer made no mistake in ramming home the rebound.
Halesowen Harriers (0) 0
Gresley Rovers (1) 3
Scorers: Lovell 34, Morrison 65, 90.
Halesowen Harriers: Clarke, Williams, Lowe, Tomlinson, Taylor, Brain, Field, Guest, Hall, Mason, Waddington. Sub: Cooper.
Gresley Rovers: Aston, Dick, Williams, Bottomley, Dolby, Page, Jackson, Laws, Morrison, Devaney, Lovell. Sub: Hill.
Rovers man-of-the-match: Dean Page.
Referee: C Williams (Ludlow).
Attendance: 168
