Match Photos
Gresley Rovers vs Evesham United
On paper this looked as if it would be a close encounter but in reality it was a stroll in the sunshine for a sparkling Gresley Rovers against an unimpressive Evesham United side.
Gresley started brightly and on 15 minutes they were awarded a freekick after Carl Timms had been floored and the resultant kick by Chris Gray was heading goalwards until it was deflected away for a corner by Evesham defender Andy Smith.
Chances were few and far between and the 310 in attendance had to wait until 31 minutes gone before another chance emerged.
Gray received a pass from Andy Bourne and then twisted one way and the other beating defenders in his wake but his final shot found the side netting.
Seven minutes later Gray charged down a ball from Paul West passed to Bourne who returned the ball but the Gresley midfielder was fractionally offside.
Gresley continued to search for a goal and on 39 minutes a fine run by Gary White down the left ended with his pass to Timms being blazed over from 25-yards.
Evesham were almost gifted a goal when a rare mistake by Andy Cheetham allowed Inderpaul Khela to catch his weak back header but Khela’s lob rolled across an unguarded net with no team mate within reach to capitalise.
On 44 minutes Gresley were unlucky not to have opened their account when a superb White free kick from 30 yards smashed against the inside of the left post ran along the goal line and hacked away by West just before Gray could stick the ball in the net.
Right on the stroke of half time White whipped in a corner which was deflected away for another corner. Defender Stuart Evans was unlucky not to have scored as his stooping header, from the resultant White flag kick, went just wide.
The home side started the second half as they’d finished the first; on top. Gresley were pushing forward and Jamie Barrett put a fine pass through to Timms. His shot was half saved by Tim Hart but the ball went under his body and rolled towards the goal line. Nathan Jukes tried in vain to clear it but Timms was the fastest to react and forced the ball into the net.
Evesham seemed to go into their shells as they came under a constant barrage from Gresley.
On 49 minutes a half-hit shot by Bourne was deflected for a corner which White took and the ball was just too high for Gray to make good contact with his head.
Three minutes later Craig Hopkins put Gray through but his low shot was held by Hart and as Gresley grew in confidence White hit a speculative shot from distance that flew just over the bar.
On 58 minutes made another fine run by White down the left but Gray could not get on the end of his cross.
On 62 minutes Evesham made a rare attack on the Gresley goal. Gresley keeper Mark Shiels failed to claim a cross and Nick Heath headed wide.
Visitors’ keeper Hart, was yellow carded on 72 minutes after pulling back Bourne just outside of his area and Gresley were very unlucky not to have punished the errant keeper from the free kick. White struck a vicious shot that came back off the wall to Hopkins and the midfielder’s volley struck the post and away to safety.
Hopkins went close again on 82 minutes when he finished a fine run through midfield with a shot that was pushed away by Hart for a corner. The resultant flag kick by White grazed the crossbar and had to be headed over by an Evesham defender.
This time Gray took the corner from the left and swung in a deep ball to the back post where substitute Neil Kitching was waiting to nod the ball down for White to volley into the net from 12 yards.
On 84 minutes manager Jon Newsome substituted Timms bringing on the young striker Earl Alexander and he had an immediate impact.
He collected the ball down the right and after a few moments of wizardry his whipped cross was headed in to his own net by West.
Gresley could have increased their lead with three minutes remaining when a header from Hopkins put Gray through on goal but the keeper managed to reach the ball just before the midfielder.
The manager's view
"I was not too pleased with the first half but the lads came in at half time and said they'd got to up it for the second. In the second half I thought they were great.
"They came out and were on the front foot from the start and they converted their chances.
"I think once the first goal had gone in it was a bit of a sigh of relief and they kept going and they did really well.
"So yes I'm happy it's been a good day.
"I thought Andy Bourne was struggling a little bit so it was time to give Neil Kitching a little bit of a run out. And then with ten minutes to go I thought I'd stick Earl Alexander on and low and behold he went and forced the goal which was great.
"It's at times like that when we're two nil up and they are labouring a bit that Earl comes into his own because he's got such quick feet and he gets at people. Yes, he did well.
"We could have had more goals and I thought we were a bit unlucky hitting the post twice and the crossbar. If the free kick had gone in instead of hitting the post in the last five minutes of the first half it might have set us up. But it was probably better that it didn't happen because we came out in the second half with a bit more guile and a bit more endeavour and I think it showed and I thought we did well."
Gresley Rovers (0) 3
Evesham United (0) 0
Scorers:Timms 46, White 82, West (og) 86.
Gresley Rovers: Shiels, Barrett, G White, Wardle, Evans, Cheetham, Hopkins, Peters
(Moran 65), Bourne (Kitching 81), Gray, Timms (Alexander 84). Subs not used: Newsome, Lindley (gk).
Evesham United: Hart, Smith, Sage, West, Mullen (Lennon 75), Jukes, Wolsey, Khela, Oakley, Shepherd, Heath. Subs not used: Blake, Barnett, Ladek (gk).
Rovers Star Man: Gary White - good all-round performance.
Referee: J Whitehouse (Wolverhampton).
Attendance: 310
