Gresley Rovers vs Goole Town
Gresley slip – Rex Page – Burton Mail
Gresley’s bewildered supporters were left wondering how their team could play so well against Bromsgrove on the Tuesday then turn in an utterly dismal showing against Goole Town at the Moat Ground on Saturday.
Manager Steve Dolby was at a loss to explain his team’s usually poor performance, admitting: “I haven’t got a clue why we played so badly – but it was absolute rubbish.
“I’ll stick up for the team when they play well, but not when they play like that – it was as bad a performance as I can remember in a long while. We had a few chances, but the finishing matched the rest of the performances. As for the goals we gave away, I’d have been disappointed if my first year school team had conceded them.”
To compound Dolby’s disappointment, he had to reflect on the fact that his team looked and sharper than Goole from the opening whistle, but with the game crying out to be seized by the scruff of the neck, Rovers failed woefully to go for the jugular.
Simon Osborne had a golden chance to fire his team into a second-minute lead after Goole keeper Neil Young had fluffed a clearance, but shot straight into the keeper’s midriff.
It remained all Rovers for the first 10 minutes before Goole suddenly realised there were wide open spaces to exploit for themselves, particularly in Rovers’ left flank, and when Mark Rookyard set up player-manager Tim Hotte for an angled drive Bob Aston had to push the ball away for a corner.
Rovers looked shapeless at times but Mark Hurst, with a downward header that Bobby McNeill cleared off the line, then Martin Devaney with a scissors kick that flew just wide, did their best to raise morale.
Gaps continued to appear at the other end, though. Rookyard robbed Gil Land in the penalty area only to shoot straight at Aston, then David Walmsley waltzed clear again to test the Gresley keeper’s positional sense.
On 40 minutes, though even Aston was powerless to intervene as Land could only help on Young’s clearance and Walmsley this time had time to pick his spot.
That rallied Rovers briefly with Osborne turning neatly but firing wide from Devaney’s prompt then debutant Mark Blount ranging forward to fire just over.
Their was no tangible improvement after the break, though, Rookyard squandering a clear opening after just one minute then David Travis shooting just wide from a 22-yard free kick.
It seemed that Rovers had been handed a lifeline with 23 minutes remaining when Young felled Hurst after the striker had headed the ball past him, referee Harrison awarding a penalty but taking no action as the home crowd bayed for a red card. Substitute Craig Weston, on the field for only six minutes fired home the kick and Rovers were back in it – briefly.
Just seven minutes later Goole were awarded a dubious free kick on the half way line and the Rovers defence appeared to stand back in admiration as Walmsley picked up Tony Dobson’s free kick and fired an angled shot past the exposed Aston.
Rovers then made the best of messing up a string of chances to level, Land failing to connect with Weston’s penetrative cross and Devaney, following up, hitting the side netting. Then, when Hurst threaded in a free kick from the left, Devaney was again off target with a far post header.
Devaney almost atoned for the error in the final minute by setting up Hurst but his looping shot came back off the bar and moments later Goole were celebrating a famous – and utterly deserved – victory.
Gresley Rovers (0) 1
Goole Town (1) 2
Scorers: Weston 68 (pen) (Gresley Rovers); Walmsley 40, 74 (Goole Town).
Gresley Rovers: Aston, Blount, Swainston, Elliott, Evans, Land, Wardle (Weston 62), Marsden (Acklam 75), Osborne, Devaney, Hurst.
Goole Town: Young, McNeill, Almey, Travis, Dobson, Fisher, Shutt, Rookyard, Walmsley, Hotte, Wood (Horne 74). Sub not used: Beaglehole.
Gresley man-of-the-match: Bob Aston.
Referee: B Harrison (Cheshire).
Attendance: 701
