Match Photos
Gresley Rovers vs Rocester
Manager Jon Newsome was looking for “a reaction” from his players and he got some as his side beat a sorry looking Rocester side.
“We were not firing on all cylinders,” was his summing up of the performance after seeing Gresley comfortably win 2-0 with Neil Kitching netting his first goal for just over 4 months to ensure the points.
Gresley took an early lead, to help settle any nerves, on 5 minutes. Richard Wardle played a ball through to Kitching who could only half hit his shot which was blocked by a defender. The ball landed back with Wardle and his shot was also blocked and finally the ball fell to Jamie Barrett waiting on the edge of the eighteen yard box and he made no mistake hammering in his shot into the top corner.
The Romans were soon finding themselves defending for all their worth as Gresley looked to increase their advantage.
A cross from Steve Rutter on 12 minutes was scrambled away before Kitching could get on the end of it.
On 15 minutes a defensive header by Steve Evans was flicked on by Kitching and Rutter only just failed to run onto the ball.
A minute later a Gary White cross was met by Evans but his powerful header crashed against the crossbar bounced down and away with Romans keeper Richard Froggatt well beaten.
Gresley went close again on 17 minutes when Kitching could only put his header, from a Matt Moran cross, straight into the arms of Froggatt.
On 21 minutes Rocester had their first real attempt on goal. A cross from Dominic Heath was flicked on by Darren Alexander and the ball ran narrowly wide of the upright with Gresley keeper James Lindley beaten.
On 25 minutes Gresley were awarded a free kick after Wardle had been fouled twice in quick succession. Ian Bluck took the kick from 20 yards and curled the ball over the wall and Froggatt did extremely well to tip over a ball that was heading into the top of the net.
An error from Rutter gave Rocester a glimmer of a chance on 31 minutes when his misplaced pass was picked up by Steve Oldaker and his resultant shot shaved the post.
Gresley could have doubled their tally on 42 minutes when Barrett robbed the ball from a hesitant Rocester midfield and ran at the defence playing Rutter through but the striker had strayed offside.
The home side continued to pressurise Rocester and on 48 minutes Rutter played a ball which was just inches from Kitching’s reach.
Rocester had another let off on 50 minutes when White was clearly fouled in the box but referee Mr Plowright dismissed the appeals and waved play on.
The visitor’s had another couple of chances but the shots were comfortably dealt with by Lindley.
On 61 minutes a White free kick from the edge of he box was deflected for a corner and the resultant kick, also taken by White, was just a fraction too high for Rutter.
Andy Cheetham made one of his usual runs at the defence and his shot was parried by Froggatt and it fell to Rutter marauding on the right who did very well to flick the ball over his head and over to the far post where Kitching was waiting to head at goal. Craig Heaney stationed on the line did his utmost to prevent a goal but it was to no avail.
Once Gresley had a two goal cushion they looked very comfortable and Rocester rarely threatened the home goal for the rest of the game.
The nearest they came was on 76 minutes when a shot from Paul McMahon, who had replaced Oldaker, brought off a superb diving save from Lindley.
Then in injury time Rocester shot themselves in the foot when Andy Bostock, already spoken to for raising his hand to Mark Peters seconds early, did exactly the same again in full view of the referee and this time was deservedly shown the red card.
The manager's view
"It was important to get a result today. I would have liked a better performance but the result was more important as long as I got a reaction which I think I did.
"We can play with more confidence and more conviction than that and hopefully that will come as we try an come through to the other side of a bad week.
"We started well but I thought the lads would have kicked on and taken it on further than that, but they didn't.
"We must take the positives out of that game and we got three points and kept a clean sheet and it will give us a bit of confidence for Tuesday night.
" The goal from Neil Kitching will do his confidence a world of good. We huffed and puffed but we weren’t firing on all cylinders today.
"Rocester didn't give us many problems and James Lindley had to make just one save and that was right at the end. The shot was a bit of a speculative effort but it seemed to be creeping in and he pulled off a good save and kept us in it. I'm relatively pleased with the three points.
"We don't have any injury problems for Tuesday but I doubt if Craig Hopkins will be ready for then. And, I've got to have a word with Steve Rutter because he's working and it will depend if he can get up here or not."
Gresley Rovers (1) 2
Rocester (0) 0
Scorers: Barrett 5, Kitching 67
Gresley Rovers: Lindley, Moran, G White, Bluck, Evans, Cheetham, Wardle, Slater
(Peters 72), Kitching (Bourne 88), Rutter, Barrett. Subs not used: Gray, Timms, Sheils (gk).
Rocester: Froggatt, P Ede, Griffiths, M Ede, Jones (Ridley 79), Heaney, Heath, Owen, Oldaker (McMahon 68), Alexander (Peake 82), Bostock
. Subs not used: Campbell, Colclough.
Rovers Star Man: Andy Cheetham – solid in defence.
Referee: D Plowright (Mansfield).
Attendance: 356
