Bromsgrove Rovers vs Gresley Rovers
What must Gresley Rovers do to win against a “top” side? Again it was a case of doing well for the first half and then the characteristic collapse in the second.
Gary Smith had the first chance on 9 minutes but his header lacked any power and was easily dealt with by Matt Lowe.
Another drubbing looked on the cards as they fell behind on 13 minutes. Frazer McHugh put Richard Burgess through with a fine pass and he made no mistake putting the ball wide of James Lindley from 15 yards.
Mark Peters, who had turned down a move to Bromsgrove, almost made things worse when his underhit cross field pass was collected by Kevin Banner but his shot went wide.
On 24 minutes Neil Kitching was unlucky when he turned onto a pass by Gary White but the Gresley striker put his first-time shot agonisingly wide.
Ten minutes later, however, Gresley did pull level with a goal seemingly out of nothing. A mistake by Steve Pope in the home defence was picked up by Gresley midfielder Michael Crawford and his shot from 20 yards somehow found its way under the body of Lowe and into the net.
However, two goals in the first four minutes of the second half were Gresley’s downfall.
On 47 minutes Paul Lloyd made good progress down the right flank and his cross was met by Burgess, who had easily got between two Gresley defenders, and he headed his second goal of the evening.
Things went from bad to worse. Two minutes later Steve Frost made a dangerous dash into the area and Peters pulled him back by his shirt giving the referee no alternative but to award a spot kick. James Dyson made no mistake as he comfortably beat Lindley.
Bromsgrove made certain of all three points and added to Gresley’s grief on 78 minutes. The play started in the home defence when Stewart Brighton’s long ball found Paul Danks. His run down the right caused the Gresley defence difficulties as he turned inside Jim Parkinson and his final pass to McHugh was hammered into the top corner of the net for the best goal of the game.
Gresley could have claimed another goal when Kitching hit a ferocious shot that hit a post and bounced to safety.
The manager’s view
“I really don’t know what to say – I’m fed up of having to say the same old things. Just as they were leaving the dressing room for the second half I said to them all ‘you’ve only done half a job; the job isn’t done.’
“I had a look at my watch and we’d only played 4minutes of the second half and we were 3-1 down. We had given some sloppy goals away and we’d collapsed again.
“I thought they had done really well in the first half and I was pleased with them. Their keeper had done us a favour and we kept battling and got back in the game only to throw it away.
“I really don’t know what Peters was thinking. Their man was running to the bye line and then he goes and grabs his shirt giving the ref no choice.
“I think we need to make changes and to bring in some new faces but that’s easier said than done when you look at the finances available.”
Bromsgrove Rovers (1) 4
Gresley Rovers (1) 1
Scorers: Burgess 13, 47, Dyson (pen) 49, McHugh 71 (Bromsgrove Rovers), Crawford (Gresley Rovers).
Bromsgrove Rovers: Lowe, Lloyd, Banner, Clifton (Southwick 60), Brighton, Pope, Dyson, McHugh (Palmer 77), Burgess, Danks (Read 73), Frost. Subs not used: Ford, Thomas (gk).
Gresley Rovers: Lindley, Wardle, G White, Peters (Timms 54), Bluck, Parkinson, Bourne, Crawford (Hopkins 76), Kitching, Smith (Pryce 54), Barrett. Subs not used: James, Shiels (gk).
Rovers Star Man: Andy Bourne – worked hard.
Referee: D Brockwell (Northampton).
Attendance: 358
