Match Photos
Gresley Rovers vs Cinderford Town
From the off Gresley put Cinderford’s defence under pressure and as early as the second minute they had their first chance.
Stuart Evans sent a header over the heads of the visitors’ static defence which Gary Smith failed to control and the striker put his shot wide of the target.
On 3 minutes Neil Kitching went close to opening the scoring but he could not get the ball under control and it was cleared by the defence.
On 4 minutes Smith had another chance but his shot on the turn crashed off the post and unfortunately the rebound was not picked up and was cleared.
Gresley continued to put pressure on and a few seconds Smith this time finished the job when he headed home a left wing cross from Kitching.
Cinderford settled a little after the goal and their first chance came on 10 minutes when they had a free header scrambled away for a corner.
Jamie Barrett then went close but he just could not get his head on a dangerous cross into the box by Gary White.
On 19 minutes Cinderford almost equalised. James Lindley the Gresley keeper chose to punch a clearance that fell at the feet of Jamie Hammonds but his first time shot hit a team mate and deflected to Lee Brown. Brown appeared to be a yard offside and with only Lindley to beat scuffed his shot which Lindley easily held.
Michael Crawford made a good run onto a Barrett pass and forced a corner. Mark Peters rifled in a low kick into the area and the ball was pushed back to him and his first time shot skimmed the visitor’s bar.
On 25 minutes Smith had his shot blocked on the line and Kitching put the ball into the net only to have it ruled out for an offside flag.
Evans went close on 29 minutes but put his header from another Peters’ corner.
Gresley were forcing corner after corner as they tried to increase their goal tally and
on 31 minutes they were two up.
White, having his best game for Gresley this season, made a superb run down the left and whipped in an inviting ball which Kitching gratefully accepted and headed home his sixth league goal.
White again caused panic in the Cinderford defence with his cross and Smith was unlucky not to have scored but saw the ball roll agonisingly wide of the upright.
On 35 minute Andy Cheetham made a terrific run at the wilting defence and his fierce shot from the edge of the box skimmed the bar.
On 43 minutes Richard Wardle almost got on the end of a White pass but could not get enough power on his shot.
Cinderford forced a rare corner at the start of the second half but it was easily dealt with by the Gresley defence and within a minute the ball was down at the other end.
Crawford managed to get his foot to the ball and lift it into the box. Kitching got his head to it but put the ball just wide of the post.
On 56 minutes Cinderford had another of their rare attacking chances but Marc Richards put his header tamely wide.
Wardle put Barrett through and the youngster played a pinpoint pass to Crawford whose shot looked a certain goal but was deflected away for a corner.
On 61 minutes Lindley was called on and dived down to his left to gather a shot. Gresley were caught a little flat footed a minute later when Scott Griffin latched on to a pass sent over the home back line.
Griffin, instead of running in on goal, chose to try an audacious lob that easily cleared Lindley’s bar.
On 68 minutes a half cleared corner was picked up by Cheetham who floated in a cross that Kitching headed straight into the arms of Andy Fisher.
Three minutes later, as play was going down the left flank, Kitching appeared to go down with no-one near him. At first it looked like cramp as the striker rolled down his sock as he sat on the pitch. The referee signalled for the physio to come on and attend to him and within a few seconds a stretcher was called for and it looked serious. Manager Jon Newsome ran on with some splints as the unlucky striker was prepared to be carried off the field.
Newsome brought on Paul Tomlinson as Kitching’s replacement and Craig Hopkins for Crawford.
And it was these two substitutes who sealed the points for Gresley.
On 75 minutes Tomlinson made a run down the right flank and played a superb pass to Hopkins who made no mistake as he crashed home the third goal of the afternoon.
Three minutes later, a fast flowing attack almost saw a fourth when some neat passing ended with Tomlinson putting White through but the defenders left foot shot whistled over the bar.
On 80 minutes White found Tomlinson in space but the striker saw his shot saved by Fisher’s leg.
A minute later White made a run into the box and his right foot shot was deflected away for a corner.
On 85 minutes Cinderford thought they had scored a consolation goal but it was ruled off side.
Cinderford had one last chance but a shot on the turn went wide.
The game finished as it started with Gresley forcing two more corners in the final minutes of the game which Cinderford managed to clear.
The manager's view
"In the first half we got behind their back four and produced some quality crosses into the box that they found difficult to deal with. We didn't do that in the second half.
"I though Gary White had a stormer. He had a really, really great game; probably the best game he's had for us this season.
"I thought we were poor in the second half to what we should have been. The lads are disappointed themselves with the second half performance and I tend to agree with them.
"We came off a bit second half that's why I tried to changed it round a little then all of a sudden players started to go down and I thought we hadn't got enough with three subs.
"It's great that we've won 3 – 0 and a clean sheet is another bonus. The three points helps keep us up there but I said to them at half time that our goal difference is poor and in games like that we should have taken it on.
"But having said that, Gary Smith should have had a hat-trick in four minutes. He should have hit the target with his first one; he was drastically unlucky with his second one and he did well and scored on his third.
"Overall it was a good day for us except for Kitch's injury.
"Kitching's knee was quite swollen so he's gone off to the A&E to find out if they can do anything. Our physio has some ideas as to what the problem could be but we are waiting for confirmation. Kitch said he just looked down and saw that his knee was swollen and he really doesn't know what he's done to it or how he did it. Hopefully it's not serious, maybe he's just knicked his cartilage a little bit; we'll just have to wait and see.
"Andy Cheetham took a bit of a knock but he's alright. Ian Bluck had a sore hamstring before the game so I took him off in the second half as a precaution."
Gresley Rovers (2) 3
Cinderford Town (0) 0
Scorers: Smith 4, Kitching 31, Hopkins 75
Gresley Rovers: Lindley, Wardle, Cheetham, Peters, Bluck (James 78), Evans, Barrett, Crawford (Hopkins 70), Kitching (Tomlinson 71), Smith, G White. Subs not used: Bourne, Clarke (gk).
Cinderford Town: Fisher, Hook, Edwards, Hoskins, Hall, Richards, Trueman (Macklin 70), Donovan, Brown (Griffin 53), Addis, Hammonds. Subs not used: Phillips, Callinan.
Rovers Star Man: Gary White – a terrific display.
Referee: M Weaver (Waverly).
Attendance: 360
