Match Photos
Sutton Coldfield Town vs Gresley Rovers
Gresley Rovers shook off the Boxing Day performance and showed that they can play the second half as solid as the first.
On a very sticky pitch Gresley came out for the first period looking for a quick goal and it could have come very early with Neil Kitching, still waiting to get back onto the scoring trail, having a chance in the first minute but he put his header wide of the target from a Mark Peters cross.
On 11 minutes the Royals had their first attempt but a free kick by Darren Massingham was easily dealt with by James Lindley in the visitor’s goal. Two minutes later Lindley had to be alert to deal with a wayward back pass.
Andy Bourne had a half chance on 15 minutes but his shot was weak one and Sutton made a quick break from the clearance and Lindley did very well to block a shot and put it out for a corner.
Gresley took the lead on 19 minutes. Jamie Barrett made a superb left wing run and played the ball through to Bourne whose cross was missed by Kitching but Chris Gray was there at the far post and he made no mistake for his third goal in three games.
On 23 minutes ex-Moatman Richie Gardner played a testing free kick which was helped on by Kirk Marragh to Jamie Russell whose ferocious shot was well saved by Lindley down to his right.
On 28 minutes Gresley should have doubled their advantage when a clear handball by a Sutton defender was waved away by the referee has Gresley protested.
Four minutes later Sutton came close to equalising when Russell beat Andy Cheetham but put his shot just wide of the post with Lindley beaten.
On 35 minutes the unlucky Kitching went agonisingly close again. Another good run by Barrett, after being put through by Bourne, resulted in a cross from the bye-line but Kitching’s shot was well saved by Justin Bray.
Bray was having a great game and pulled off two more saves, the first from a Peters shot and then a superb tip over from a Gary White free kick.
From the resultant corner kick Gresley got their second. White swung the ball into the area and through a mass of defenders Stuart Evans managed to hammer the ball home from close in.
The question was, which Gresley team would appear for the second half? The travelling Gresley fans feared the worst when the home side almost pulled a goal back within two minutes of the restart.
A shot from Russell was saved by Lindley and then Cheetham did well to block a shot by Marragh as the Royals pressed forward looking for a goal.
With Evans commanding the back line Gresley began to settle after the pressure of the first few minutes and Bourne put a pass through to Kitching but it was just a yard too far in front of the striker.
On 53 minutes Peters made a run down the flank and his cross was headed narrowly wide by Gray.
Sutton made a substitution on 67 minutes that almost paid off immediately. Young striker Romi Cammock almost got on the end of Russell’s cross but Evans defended well and put the ball behind for a corner.
On 77 minutes White put a delightful cross to Bourne and his shot was well blocked by Bray.
On 82 minutes Richard Wardle made a fine right flank run and Peters hit his cross which was superbly blocked by Bray.
With two minutes of normal time left Sutton almost halved the deficit when Massingham put his shot wide of the post.
Gresley almost got a third goal in the 3rd minute of time added on when Peters’ cross was headed towards the goal by Kitching but Steve Farmer managed to clear the ball off the line.
The manager's view
"It was a good performance on a very sticky pitch. We dug in and did ever so well and did what we should have done on Boxing Day and the lads have learnt from that.
"I was very pleased with them because the all battled hard and created lots of chances. Personally I think we should have scored more but we defended well and they only had a couple of chances. The lads played well and it's a good three points."
"I think that performance went some way in correcting the Boxing Day performance and if we go to Shepshed and play like that we've got a chance. The lads in the dressing room are buzzing and are really lively.
"We defended a lot better as a team today; the shape was better. When we needed to we sat in there and made it difficult for them to break us down. That's something we didn't do on Boxing Day and hopefully they've learnt from that.
"Craig Hopkins could be fit for New Years Day but with Ian Bluck we'll have to wait and see but I doubt it really. Paul Tomlinson has been working this holiday; he's had all his leave cancelled so I don't know if he'll be available or not."
Sutton Coldfield Town (0) 0
Gresley Rovers (2) 0
Scorers: Gray 19, Evans 44.
Sutton Coldfield Town: Bray, Watkins, Randall, Jones, Farmer, Massingham, Marragh, Baker (Ling 80), Russell, Perrow (Cammock 67), Gardner. Subs not used: Tucker, Richardson, Keogh.
Gresley Rovers: Lindley, Wardle, G White, Parkinson, Evans, Cheetham, Barrett, Peters, Bourne, Kitching, Gray (Slater 83). Subs not used: Smith, Timms, Moran, Sheils (gk).
Rovers Star Man: Chris Gray – always a threat and scored.
Referee: P Ramsey (Coventry).
Attendance: 231
