Evesham United vs Gresley Rovers
No joy at Common Road
Disappointing. That’s the only would that can describe Gresley Rovers' opening league match of the new season.
It was the proverbial game of two halves with Gresley having the better of things in the first half and the home side the second.
If Gresley could have taken their chances the game could well have been sewn up by the interval with Gresley at least two in front.
Five of Jon Newsome's new signings where given their league debut, Gary Smith, Neil Kitching Michael Crawford, Craig Hopkins and Gary White, with two others Gary Moran and Jamie Barrett on the bench.
As early as the fourth minute Gresley had the first chance of taking the lead. Richard Wardle received a fine ball from Smith and flew down the right flank. His cross found Kitching in the box and although crowded out managed to fire in a shot that hit the bar and Darren Steadman in the home goal denied Chris Gray the rebound.
On 10 minutes Evesham made their first attempt on the Gresley goal. A ferocious shot by Shaun Pratt flew barely an inch over the bar.
It was Gresley who were making all the running and Smith came close on 16 minutes when his volley took a wicked deflection off Matt Pendleton but Steadman in the Evesham goal did well to react and hold on to the ball.
On 20 minutes the Gresley front-runner Kitching had another chance to open he scoring. Andy Bourne made a superb run down the right flank and knocked a pass through to Kitching who could only put the ball agonisingly over the bar.
A few minutes later Bourne had a chance himself but put the ball into the side netting.
On 28 minutes James Lindley was called into action to make a splendid save from a James Brown point-blank header. Then just four minutes later Ian Bluck had to be alert and head off the line from a Nathan Juke corner.
On 38 minutes a superb one-two between Smith and Bourne resulted in Bourne attempting to lob the home keeper but putting the ball onto the top of the net.
Gresley were under pressure right from the start of the second half. On 48 minutes Andy Cheetham was called on to head over a dangerous cross from Pratt and from the corner Brown could only head straight at Lindley.
The alarm bells must have been ringing for the Gresley manager as he saw his side beginning to come under intense pressure from the home side.
And on 53 minutes that pressure paid off. It was from another Juke right wing corner that Evesham took the lead.
Jukes corner found Darren Bullock unchallenged at the far post and his resulting header flew into the Gresley net from the underside of the bar.
Newsome made some immediate adjustments bringing on Moran for Gray but the Evesham midfielder Bullock was being to run the show and should have doubled their lead on 55 minutes but he put his shot wide.
Newsome made some further changes on 70 minutes replacing Bourne with Owen James, switching Cheetham to left back and pushing White up into midfield.
However they tried Gresley could barely make an impression for the rest of the game as Bullock ruled the midfield for the home side.
There was only one real chance for Gresley when Crawford glanced a header from a Bluck cross which the keeper tipped round the post.
The manager's view.
"I thought we created enough chances in the first half to have won the game but we didn't put them away.
"The second half we really didn't get going and we were left wanting in certain areas. The goal we gave away was a bad one, but every time they had a corner we were allowing them free headers.
"There were some positive things to take from the game but it was very disappointing and we've got to roll our sleeves up on Tuesday against Racing Club Warwick."
Evesham United (0) 1
Gresley Rovers (0) 0
Scorer: Bullock 53.
Evesham United: Steadman, Parmenter, Cudworth, Pendleton, Powell, Jukes, Pratt (Moss 80), Bullock, Lutz, Brown (D James 80), Pinkney. Subs not used: Mullen, Blake, Sibanda.
Gresley Rovers: Lindley, Wardle, G White, Crawford, Bluck, Cheetham, Bourne (O James 70), Hopkins, Kitching (Parkins 89), Smith, Gray (G Moran 54). Subs not used: Barrett, Roberts (gk).
Rovers Star Man: Neil Kitching – never stopped trying.
Referee: S Knapp (Bristol).
Attendance: 111
