Match Photos
Gresley Rovers vs Bromsgrove Rovers
On paper this fixture looked to be one of the most difficult that Gresley Rovers would have to face this season. But in reality it was one of the easiest.
High flying Bromsgrove Rovers, with promotion hopes in their minds, looked nothing like a side capable of making the leap into the Premier Division.
Gresley out fought, out run, out manoeuvred and out scored their visitors resulting in Gresley keeper James Lindley having, arguably, his easiest game for many a while.
Bromsgrove were just a pale shadow of the team that handed out a lesson in football when they beat Gresley 5-0 and 4-1 at their place earlier this season.
They lacked any cutting edge or imagination in their football and resorted in playing the long “up-and-under” ball more in hope than in any plan and the solid Gresley defence soaked up any resemblance of an attack allowing the visitors just one solitary serious attempt on goal all match.
Jon Newsome made changes to the line-up due to the suspension of left back Gary White and Ian Bluck bringing in youngster Nathan Tate into White’s position and the surprise signing Steve Rutter up front. Craig Hopkins was preferred in midfield leaving Mark Peters and Andy Bourne on the bench.
Gresley showed their intentions right from the off pushing the Bromsgrove defence back with some excellent work by Carl Timms.
On 3 minutes came the one and only serious attempt on goal by the visitors. Bromsgrove were awarded a free kick taken by Neil Cartwright and the ball went straight to Lindley easily holding on to the ball.
On 14 minutes some good work between Tate and Chris Gray ended with Gray’s cross eluding the debut striker Rutter by inches.
The next goalmouth action was to come on the half hour when a deflected ball fell to Rutter but his first time shot flew just wide of the upright.
The home supporters didn’t have to wait long for the break through that had been threatening to come.
On 34 minutes some more good flowing football resulted in Jamie Barrett’s cross being only half cleared by the Bromsgrove defence to the waiting Tate who smashed in a superb shot, his debut goal, from 20 yards beating Matt Lowe by his near post.
Gresley continued to apply extreme pressure and Hopkins went close with a long range shot on 37 minutes and in the end the Bromsgrove defence cracked on 39 minutes.
The impressive Tate made an excellent run up the left flank and his cross at the near post was not held by Lowe and Rutter was in the right place to smash the ball home for his debut goal.
Gresley continued to create panic in the visitors’ box just before the break with Matt Moran’s cross being scrambled away for a corner a Barrett shot pushed away by Lowe and a header by Rutter, from a Barrett cross, flying just wide.
Bromsgrove went in at the break desperately hanging on in need of some inspiration. Indeed, they made an immediate change taking off Jon Ford and replacing him with striker Richard Burgess in an attempt to kick-start what had been a lacklustre first half performance.
But it was to no avail as Gresley began the second period as they had played the whole of the first clearly on top.
On 52 minutes Rutter had probably his easiest chance when he got on the end of a Gray free kick but he could not put his header on target from 8 yards.
Bromsgrove showed a slight, if half-hearted, attempt on 69 minutes but a header from a cross was well wide of causing Lindley any cause for concern.
On 70 minutes a superb flowing move by Gresley ended in Rutter being played through but his shot went well over the bar.
Andy Cheetham handed the visitors’ a chance on 73 minutes by giving away a free kick just outside the penalty area but the shot from Cartwright summed up their afternoon as the ball went high and wide.
Newsome replaced Rutter with 15 minutes left to help bolster an already sold defence and virtually close the match down for the visitors. But Gresley had one more attack on 88 minutes when a Bourne cross was almost met by Barrett in the area.
The manager's view
"I think that performance was on a par with the best of the season so far. Everyone raised their game and worked hard and they all did the scrappy bits that we needed to do a lot better than we did last week.
"Things went for us a little bit and we had the rub of the green, things spilled of their keeper the ball and I though Nathan Tate's goal was great.
"What pleased me more than anything was the way we defended. Second half they changed things around and threw caution to the wind and stuck three up top and I thought we coped with it admirably to be honest.
"We completely changed the formation. We played a formation that we'd never played before. We've never worked on it in training. I talked to lads before the game and I put on the board how I wanted them to play and all credit to the lads they took it man for man and each and every one of them I though gave outstanding performance today. I thought it was very, very difficult to pick out one individual.
"Steve Rutter came in and scored a goal on his debut which was pleasing. Nathan Tate came in and did ever so well. The way he linked up in the first half and he got himself a lovely goal as well. And it's more pleasing because he's a young lad because it can be daunting going out there as a younger player. It's a shame that the incident happened and he had to come off.
"I thought we worked hard in the middle of the park. That was were the game was won and lost I felt. First half they outnumbered us in the middle but we dominated the game.
"Craig Hopkins had one of his best games for the club. He played like that against Buxton when he scored and ran the show and I thought he did that again today. He had confidence and did the scrappy bits well. He got hold of the ball and played and he worked hard and he made us tick a little bit. Many a time he went and helped people out then go down the other side and pick up the second ball. Yes, I was very pleased with him.
"I thought as a back three we looked very solid and I thought Richard Wardle was outstanding, absolutely outstanding. His first half performance was as good as you'll see at this level. His enthusiasm, his eagerness to dictate his personality on the game, I thought, was second to none.
"It sets us up nicely for Tuesday but I'm a bit reluctant to say that because I now what we're like. Who's going to turn up on Tuesday? Will it be the good Gresley or the not so good Gresley? So I have to bit my tongue a little bit because when we do try and set ourselves up for the next game we tend to shoot ourselves in the foot.
"I don't think anyone can fail to appreciate what went off there today.
"I met Steve Rutter when I was over in Dubai and we got to know each other. He mentioned to me that when he was back in the UK could he give me a ring and maybe come up and do a bit of training and see. He's played at a good level.
"He had to come back early to attend a funeral up in Scotland and he flew from Glasgow this morning to get here and I thought his commitment was great. He's very appreciative that we've given him a chance and likewise we are very appreciative that he's decided to give it a go here. He's based in London but he's willing to travel every week and he's not demanded any sort of money. We will cover his expenses and he's as pleased as punch with that.
"That attitude is quite refreshing with some of the demands we've had for wages of late are just ridiculous at this level and we can't pay them.
"But he did well and to score put the cherry on the top of the cake. I told him it was the boots he was wearing because they are mine and they are lethal from a yard!
"Nathan took a bang on the nose and then one in the stomach and Jo, our physio, thought it was best that he came off.
Gresley Rovers (2) 2
Bromsgrove Rovers (0) 0
Scorers: Tate 34, Rutter 39.
Gresley Rovers: Lindley, Moran, Tate (Bourne 64), Wardle, Evans, Cheetham, Barrett
, Hopkins, Rutter (Newsome 74), Timms, Gray. Subs not used: Kitching, Peters, Clarke (gk).
Bromsgrove Rovers: Lowe, Cartwright (Southwick 76), Banner, Ford (Burgess 45), Clifton (Benbow 66), Pope, Collins, Lutz, Blake, Danks, Frost. Subs not used: Beckett, Thomas.
Rovers Star Man: Richard Wardle – master class in defending.
Referee: S Smith (Matlock).
Attendance: 464
