Gresley Rovers vs Solihull Borough
Oh how cruel football can be. Gresley were within ten seconds of a memorable victory when Solihull Borough snatched an equaliser in the 93rd minute.
Gresley’s team had been reduced to bare bones as Steve Rutter, Mark Peters, Craig Hopkins, Ian Bluck and Andy Peters were all absent due to work, injury or illness.
Manager Jon Newsome drafted in some of the youngsters from the Reserves to help bolster his depleted side. Carl Slater, Matt Moran and Carl Timms all started with their fellow reserves player Earl Alexander coming on for injured Neil Kitching at half time.
Solihull made the first attack and from a corner on 2 minutes Nick Amos put his header over the bar. Things looked as if the home side would struggle to cope but to their great credit they battled and grafted for all they were worth.
On 7 minutes Gary White mad a good run down the left and from his cross Neil Kitching did well to nod the ball down for Chris Gray but his shot from 20 yrds flew over the bar.
Kitching and Gray were involved again on 13 minutes. Kitching’s downward header to Gray was volleyed, on the turn, unfortunately straight at Mark Gayle.
Two minutes later Richard Wardle lost possession to Leon Thomas who then played a pass to Matt Lewis and his shot whistled past the upright with Gresley keeper James Lindley beaten.
On 17 the lively Gray picked the ball up in the middle and made a mazy run towards the Borough’s defence before unleashing a shot just wide of the mark.
Gresley had a half-shout for a penalty on 21 minutes when a ball into the area by White fell to Kitching but as the striker prepared to shoot he appeared to be fouled but the referee ignored the player’s appeal.
The half began to fizzle out as both defences snuffed out any attempts to attack the goal with Solihull being reduced to a long range shot on 36 minutes.
Just as the half time whistle was about to blow a cross by Timms was headed powerfully towards goal by Kitching bringing off a fine save by Gayle who tipped the ball over the bar.
On 52 minutes Solihull were awarded a free kick and as the ball was crossed into the box Lindley’s attempt to get at the ball was mistimed and thankfully Lewis’s header at goal weak and comfortably cleared.
Moran made a good run up the right on 67 minutes and his shot-cum-cross flashed across the face of the visitors goal and just two minutes later, from a White cross, Gray directed a header down but the keeper managed to hang on to the ball low down on his line.
On 71 minutes Gray seemed to have got past defender Knight but as Gray charged towards goal the defender took a handful of shirt to pull him back which was seen by the referee and a deserved yellow card shown.
Gresley’s goal, the first for Alexander in the senior side, came on 80 minutes. Gray put through a pass to the young striker on the right who then ran inside the box beating two defenders. His shot was deflected and flew into the net to the elation of both player and supporters.
Solihull were reduced to the big “up-and-under”, as they had done for most of the game, but on 90 minute they came close to grabbing an equaliser. A well hit shot by Thomas curled over Lindley but came back of the crossbar and away to safety.
Gresley looked to have the points safely in the bag but well into stoppage time Solihull managed to salvage a point.
Solihull made a run down the left and as Thomas ran into the box his pass to Cooper was tapped in to an empty net as the home defence was left stranded and the home fans stunned.
The manager's view
"I thought we deserved to win the game really through our determination. We did everything tonight that we didn't do last Tuesday and it shows what can be done here if you have that desire work rate and self-belief.
"I thought they were great. Yes, there were bits of the game that we can do better and there were individual mistakes that everyone knows about.
"As a team performance you can't ask for more than that. We created enough chances like the one just before half time with Neil Kitching header. Obviously the goal was a bit fortunate and it was a bit of a sickner to concede in the last couple of kicks of the game..the last ten seconds.
"I have just said to the lads that we'd have taken that score before the game with the players available. But it was the manner of how we ended up drawing and you get a little bit disillusioned or disappointed with it.
"But, I thought the lads were excellent. They got to grips with it and the young lads got to grips with it as well and I thought they were better in the second half than in the first half. Earl Alexander came on and run his socks off and I thought Chris Gray was outstanding and he epitomised what we were about tonight. He worked and worked and ran, he grafted and chased lost causes.
"It's unbelievable really compared to a week ago..why? We've not done anything different tonight than what we did last Tuesday; the same preparation, the way I tried to get them going.
"Solihull had a lot of possession but we defended well. The two chances they had in the first half came from a couple of things from one of the lads and we just spoke to him about them and hopefully he'll learn from that. That's how you become a better player.
"We've picked up a couple of more injuries tonight. Kitch's thigh has gone again so he's struggling. Andy Cheetham got a knock and hopefully he should be fit for Saturday. Andy Bourne and Steve Rutter are working Craig Hopkins hopefully will be fit and Mark Peters is ill. Ian Bluck, we've just got to wait and see. He says his knee feels a lot, lot better today."
Gresley Rovers (0) 1
Solihull Borough (0) 1
Scorers: Alexander 80 (Gresley Rovers); Cooper 90 (Solihull Borough).
Gresley Rovers: Lindley, Moran, G White
, Wardle, Evans, Cheetham, Barrett, Slater, Kitching (Alexander 45), Gray, Timms. Subs not used: Parkinson, Newsome, Sheils (gk).
Solihull Borough: Gayle, Cooper, Hier, Knight, Smith, Titterton (Hayde 79), Hollis (Lovelock 79), Thomas, Corbett, Lewis, Amos. Subs not used: Hamilton, Haywood.
Rovers Star Man: Andy Cheetham – another top performance.
Referee: M Lever (Wigston).
Attendance: 291
