Gloucester City vs Gresley Rovers
Gresley manager Jon Newsome made several changes due to suspensions and injuries for this match at Gloucester.
Both Chris Gray and Mark Peters were suspended while striker Neil Kitching failed a fitness test on a thigh injury.
Craig Hopkins and Mat Moran started as did Gary Smith and Ian Bluck.
The opening was tentative by both sides but on 12 minutes Gresley had the first chance. Gary white swung in a low cross that Gary Smith held and passed to Andy Bourne but Bourne could not control the ball and the opening passed.
Gresley were to rue missing that chance because just 3 minutes later the home side scored what turned out to be the only goal of the game.
Tom Webb put a ball through for Jimmy Cox who made a superb run down the left flank and then skilfully held the ball up until support came in the form of Karl Bayliss. The striker made no mistake has he smashed the ball past James Lindley and into the bottom corner of the net.
Gresley immediately looked for an equaliser and on 17 minutes went close again when Jamie Barrett hit a vicious shot that was well held by Matt Bath.
A few minutes later Andy Cheetham took up possession from before chancing a shot from 30 yards that went wide.
On the half hour a cross field pass from Hopkins found Moran who mad good progress down the right before sending in a cross that Bourne managed to help on its way to White but a timely clearance from Lee Smith prevented the young defender from a shooting chance.
On 39 minutes Gloucester came close to doubling their advantage. Lee Smith found Cox wide on the left and the home striker did well to cut inside but Stuart Evans managed to block the shot with an outstretched leg.
Newsome was forced to make a change for the start of the second period as Gary Smith succumbed to a back injury adding to the lack of strike power up front. Barrett was pushed up front with Bourne as youngster Carl Slater came out as Smith’s replacement.
On 52 minutes Slater hit a cross field pass which was collected by Adie Harris he rounded Bluck but was clattered by Evans who received a booking for his trouble.
Lindley could only punch out the resultant free kick by Gary Marshall and the ball fell to Bayliss who hit a first time shot just over the bar.
On 66 minutes Gresley were awarded a free kick that White took and it resulted in Bayliss having to put the ball over his own bar.
Things got worse for Gresley on 68 minutes as they were reduced to 10 men. Another free kick had been awarded to the visitors and as players jostled in the area Dave Wilkinson went down like a felled tree holding his head and the referee Kevin Milford adjudged that Bluck had elbowed the player and red carded him.
Harris went close to creating a second goal for Gloucester late on but Cox could only put his shot wide of Lindley’s goal.
The manager’s view
“We are disappointed was we thought we did enough to get something out of the game. There were a lot of things going on, on the pitch which somehow got missed. I have no complaints about the sending off. The referee said he saw Bluckie throwing an elbow and Bluckie has admitted to it, but there were other people out there throwing elbows. All we want is for consistency from the officials.”
Gloucester City (1) 1
Gresley Rovers (0) 0
Scorer: Bayliss 15
Gloucester City: Bath, L Smith, Harris, Griffiths, Chipps, Thompson, Marshall, Cox, Bayliss (Radcliffe 79), Webb, Wilkinson. Subs not used: Strading, Hoskins, Howard.
Gresley Rovers: Lindley, Moran, G White, Bluck, Evans, Cheetham, Wardle, Hopkins (Timms 62), Bourne, G Smith (Slater 45), Barrett. Subs not used: Parkinson, Crawford, Shiels (gk).
Rovers Star Man: Andy Cheetham – played his part at the back and pushing forward.
Referee: K Milford (Yate).
Attendance: 302
