Match Photos
Gresley Rovers vs Racing Club Warwick
Gresley up and running
Jon Newsome kept the same side as against Evesham United on Saturday with one notable change. Danny Hobby made his first appearance for the Moatmen for near on a month.
This was a far more convincing victory than the scoreline suggests.
Right from the off Gresley were putting The Racers under pressure and could have easily been two up in the opening five minutes.
Richard Wardle made his way down the right and fired in a superb low cross that both Neil Kitching and then Chris Gray missed by only a fraction. And, minutes later, an Ian Bluck free kick was headed down by Kitching into the path of Andy Bourne who fired his shot over the bar.
On nine minutes a rare attack by RC Warwick saw a superb save by James Lindley when he managed to tip over an effort by Adam Kinder.
This proved to be the only real effort on the Gresley goal during what was one-way traffic in the first half.
On 11 minutes the lively Gray saw a ferocious shot blocked by Kim Green as Gresley piled on the pressure.
The pressure gave way to the first goal of the evening on 16 minutes. Gresley defender Gary White sent a free kick deep into the penalty area which Kitching cleverly flicked on to Bourne who side-footed the ball past former Burton Albion keeper Mark Jones and into the net.
Not content with one goal Gresley went on the hunt for number two but it did not come until 48 minutes.
Man-of-the-match Kitching doubled the home side’s lead when he got on the end of a Gray free kick and the Gresley front-runner made no mistake as he buried his powerful header into the bottom corner leaving Jones stranded in the visitor’s goal.
At the interval, Newsome made a change bringing on Hobby in place of Bourne who was suffering from a tight calf muscle. Despite not playing for some time Hobby began to dominate the middle of the park.
Gresley should have made it three when Gray chested down a fine Hobby cross but put his shot well over the bar and again with an open goal beckoning Gray could only fire wide after a poor clearance by Matt Ward again from a Hobby cross.
On 56 minutes another poor clearance of a Wardle cross by the visitors was fired towards goal by Gray but his shot was scrambled off the line by Green.
RC Warwick made their first change on the hour when they brought on Shaun Bedward.
Winger Bedward, who had spent some of the pre-season at Gresley, made little impact as the home side still dominated proceedings.
White made a great run towards The Racers box and cracked a long-range shot that whistled only inches past the upright and then Gray put another shot over the bar.
On 77 minutes Lindley was called into a rare save when he blocked a shot by Adam Kinder with his legs.
With only a few minutes of normal time remaining RC Warwick’s keeper attempted a clearance which Hobby blocked and the ball shot back towards the empty net unfortunately going the wrong side of the post saving Jones’ blushes.
Chris Parkins, who had come on for Gary Smith, almost had the last say in the game when in injury time he found himself through on goal but as Jones raced out towards him the Gresley striker slipped his shot wide of the goal.
The manager's view
"I'm a bit happier tonight. It's nice to win, keep a clean sheet and to have scored the first goal.
"I thought the game was better tonight in a lot areas but I think there is a lot more we can do. I think we can play a lot better. In my opinion we played better in some pre-season game than we did tonight.
"To be honest the opposition was not as strong as Saturday's and the biggest thing was we created a lot of chances but we didn't take them so I'm happier but I'm not happy. We created enough chances to have won handsomely and if we had have done that it would have made people sit up and take notice.
"Danny Hobby did really well when he came on. His performance was good for saying he hadn't played for a month, that's why we want to keep him when he can do what he did tonight.
"I thought the back four defended in general very well and I thought we got hold of the game in the middle of the park. That amazed me because they began with three at the back and we were outnumbered in the middle of the park and yet we did better tonight in that area than we did on Saturday. Whether that was because of the opposition I don't know but we did a lot better.
"We created things without being clinical in our finishing and that's what we've got to start and do if not, like against Evesham, we'll get caught out. It really does matter.
"But overall I'm a lot happier because it gives us something to build on for Saturday's game. It'll put a spring in the step and the dressing room's buzzing a little bit.
"I brought Andy Bourne off because his calf was a bit tight. It was partly tactical and partly because of his calf which was a bit tight before the game. It's no point risking him when you've got someone like Danny on the bench who could come on and do what he did.
"With regards to Chris White's injury, he's been to see a specialist who has advised us what he thinks the problem might be and hopefully in the next week or so that might be rectified and he can start doing a bit of training but then he's got to get match fit.
"Stuart Evans is still quite a way off coming back, we'll just have to give it time.
Gresley Rovers (2) 2
Racing Club Warwick (0) 0
Scorers: Bourne 16, Kitching 48.
Gresley Rovers: Lindley, Wardle, G White, Crawford, Bluck, Cheetham, Bourne (Hobby 45), Hopkins, Kitching, Smith (Parkins 69), Gray (Barrett 85). Subs not used: James, Roberts (gk).
Racing Club Warwick: Jones, Hollywood, Jackson, Wells, Green, Hodson, Weston (Wilkinson 70), Yates (Rostron 83), Eden (Bedward 60), Kinder, Ward. Subs not used; Emery, Marlow.
Rovers Star Man: Neil Kitching - in a purple patch at present.
Referee: A Hendley (Cradley Heath).
Attendance: 325
