Westfields vs Gresley Rovers
Moatmen in final surrender – Dave Hackett – Burton Mail
Gresley Rovers’ last lingering hope of taking the Banks’s League title disappeared when they frittered away a 2-0 advantage on their longest away trip of the season at Hereford yesterday.
Deprived of Mark Bromley, Keith Hill and Martin Devaney through injury, the Moatmen should have had the points safely wrapped up by the interval with the biggest culprit being Dave Morrison, who missed a hat-trick of good chances.
For all their first-half dominance, Rovers had to rely heavily on Westfield’s central defender Chris Booton for their goals.
In the 17th minute the big number five handled as Morrison attempted to bring down Dale Mallaburn’s cross. Skipper Steve Dolby scored easily from the spot.
Then on 40 minutes, Booton got his head in the way of Neil Lovell’s left wing cross with keeper Steve Griffiths caught hopelessly stranded some 12 yards out of goal.
Westfields, who had posed little threat beforehand, reduced the arrears during first half injury time. Martin Thomas played the ball out wide to Mark Tapp and his cross set up an almighty scramble with the ball hitting the underside of the bar before James Dallow prodded the ball over the line.
After the interval, Gresley were nothing short of an embarrassment as they struggled to put two passes together with any sort of consistency.
Dolby went close with a couple of long-range efforts but it came as little surprise when Westfields forced a 69th minute equaliser.
Martin Dick was penalised for holding back Tabb, who confidently buried the penalty.
From looking odds-on to register a comfortable victory, Gresley had to rely heavily on Bob Aston.
Westfields (1) 2
Gresley Rovers (2) 2
Scorers: Dallow 46, Tabb (pen) 69 (Westfields); Dolby (pen) 17, Booton (og) 40 (Gresley Rovers).
Westfields: Griffiths, Purcell, Davies, P Powell, Booton, Higgins (K Powell 77), Taylor, Williams, Thomas, Tabb, Dallow.
Gresley Rovers: Aston, Dick, Mallaburn, Laws (Bottomley 45), Skeemer, Page, Jackson, Dolby, Morrison, Arthur, Lovell.
Rovers man-of-the-match: Dale Mallaburn.
Attendance: 80
