Match Photos
Gresley Rovers vs Gloucester City
Gresley Rovers started this game un-beaten at the Moat Ground in the league this season and Gloucester City on an un-beaten run of six games.
Between them they served up one of the better games seen at the Moat Ground so far this season. Both sides went looking for goals and both keepers on sparkling form and the 1-1 scoreline was perhaps the right one in the end.
Within a minute of the start Carl Timms hit a speculative shot that went wide of the target and on 12 minutes Gresley keeper James Lindley was called on to tip the ball over from a Gloucester corner.
On 14 minutes Neil Kitching had a chance but he couldn’t seem to get the ball from under his feet and 5 minutes later the Gresley striker had an even better chance.
Richard Wardle sent a superb cross into the area where an unmarked Kitching rose to somehow head the ball wide of the post.
On 28 minutes Gresley took the lead. Steve Jenkins was trying to shield the ball over the bye line but debutant Mykey Pryce did well to rob the midfielder and as he made a dash towards goal Jenkins brought Pryce down and the referee had no hesitation but to point to the spot.
Wardle placed the ball on the spot and sent Matt Bath the wrong way for his second goal of the season.
However, the lead did not last long. On 33 minutes a pass by Karl Bayliss put Dave Wilkinson through on goal. Lindley did well to block the effort but the Gloucester winger managed to get the ball back and sent in a cross that was headed home by Andy Hoskins which somehow ended up in the net.
On 42 minutes Gloucester was again through on goal but Lindley was quick off his line and did extremely well to smother the ball after Jenkins had capitalised on a Jim Parkinson slip.
On 44 minutes Gloucester did have the ball in the net but was ruled offside.
Right on half time Gresley made a change. Andy Bourne replaced Andy Cheetham who had injured his knee during the warm up and the home side reverted to a back four.
On 54 minutes Gresley were awarded a freekick. Ian Bluck hit a terrific shot that Bath did superbly well to dive down to his right and push the ball away for a corner.
Six minutes later Bath did well again when he held on to a ferocious shot by Gary White.
Pryce was brought down on the left by Will Steadman, who was fortunate to remain on the pitch for the foul, and the free kick was cleared as far as Pryce who was now on the right. His shot rattled the upright with Bath nowhere.
On 64 minutes Gloucester were nearly gifted a goal. Wardle was watching the ball roll along the touch line and it clearly rolled out of play before rolling back into play. At this point Wardle picked the ball up to take a throw in but amazingly from 70 yards or so and with players spoiling his view, the assistant referee flagged to say that Wardle had handled the ball.
Much to the Gresley players and supporters disgust the referee awarded a free kick. Neil Mustoe put in a cross and Byliss’s header rebounded off the bar and away to safety; justice had been done.
On 67 minutes Kitching was replaced by Gary Smith and within a minute of the change Gloucester had a chance to take the lead.
Lindley had to be quick off his line as yet again Gloucester got past the Gresley back line and the keeper blocked Hoskin’s effort with his legs.
On 70 minutes Timms had the first of two chances when he hit a rocket of a shot but Bath was equal to the task and did tremendously well to tip the ball over. Then just two minutes later Timms again hit a shot that somehow the keeper managed to save with his legs.
Gresley had a narrow escape on 75 minutes. A corner by Adie Harris was met by Bayliss but his goal bound header was blocked on the line by Wardle and cleared to safety.
On 80 minutes Pryce had the chance of the game but after some good work by Smith he put his shot over the bar from 8 yards.
As the game came to an end Gresley had one more try to steal all the points but White’s shot flashed across the face of the goal with the strikers failing to make contact.
Alan’s remarks on the game
"I was pleased with performance compared with Tuesday night. Gloucester were Gloucester! They came here a physical side with the sort of players who battle for everything.
"Indeed, I thought they were very lucky not to have had a player sent off when he had a go at Prycey.
"Overall I'm quite pleased. I thought James Lindley had an outstanding game and if it hadn't been for him we would have lost today; although we didn't deserve to lose.
"Andy Cheetham got hurt in the warm-up and was a bit doubtful for the game, but he said he'd give it a go and he lasted 40 minutes. He is going to ice his knee and see how it is for Tuesday.
I also think Mykey Pryce had a good debut. He was roughed up a lot, which I imagine he's not used to playing in the reserves. He improved in the second half and had a good game.
"We had to revert to a back four when Andy went off because Ian Bluck is still not 100 per cent fit and we are short in numbers in that position at the back. It's a problem we've got to address and we are addressing it as best we can.
"Second half I thought we were unlucky not to sneak a goal. We had one cleared off the line; one attempt, the keeper got the ball trapped between his feet from Carl Timms.
"Gary White did some good work down the left and the ball went through to Pryce but he put the ball over from just a few yards out. On another day that would have gone in and we'd have got the points today.
"Looking at the recent form of Gloucester in the last few games I think we've got to be pleased with that point. We could have played a bit better but at least it was a far better performance than on Tuesday night.
"Jon will be back for the game on Tuesday and I hope we can keep getting the points that will keep us up there in the table for the supporters sake. I'm sure the Gresley side we've got now along with another couple of players will be pushing at the end of the season.
"The midfield was not as effective as I'd hoped. I played an extra man in the middle to try and cut out the Gloucester attack but they were at 'sixes and sevens' and they lost their shape at times.
"Their keeper had a good game and Harris created a few problems. They had a few players who just put themselves about a bit.
"We got a point and we are still up there. They will be happier with a point than us. We've got two games in the next five days and I hope we are picking the points up and staying up there with the lads."
Gresley Rovers (1) 1
Gloucester City (1) 1
Gresley Rovers: Lindley, Bluck, G White, Barrett, Parkinson, Cheetham (Bourne 45), Wardle, Hopkins, Kitching (G Smith 67), Pryce, Timms. Subs not used: Tomlinson, Crawford, Roberts (gk).
Gloucester City: Bath, Thompson, Harris, Griffiths (Webb 45), Steadman, Jenkins, Burns, Mustoe, Bayliss (L Smith 89), Hoskins, Wilkinson. Sub not used: Marshall.
Rovers Star Man: James Lindley – on top form.
Referee: G Law (Leicester).
Attendance: 362
