Match Photos
Gresley Rovers vs Weston-super-Mare
Despite this game being the last or the current campaign for both sides it was one of the most entertaining.
Weston-super-Mare, already promoted to the Premier Division, showed they were not going to just see this game out and attacked straight from the first whistle.
With barely 10 seconds gone the ball was flying just wide of Gresley keeper Mark Sheils’ goal post after Lewis Haldane had hit a shot from the halfway line.
Gresley responded and on 4 minutes some good inter passing between Chris Gray, Andy Bourne and Earl Alexander allowed Alexander to fire off a low shot that the visitors’ keeper Ian Ganfield did well to hold down to his right.
However, a minute later Ganfield could do nothing to prevent Gresley from taking the lead.
Gary White took a long throw into the penalty area which the Weston defence could not deal with and with the ball bobbling about Gray reacted and poked the ball past the stranded keeper for his 11th league goal of the season.
On 14 minutes a fine run by Matt Moran down the right ended with his cross flying through the area to Alexander and as the youngster steadied himself to shoot he was brought down by Jonathan Mills and the referee had no hesitation when he pointed to the spot.
Richard Wardle chose to take the kick and easily beat the keeper sending him the wrong way for Gresley’s second goal.
Weston then had a glimmer of a chance on 18 minutes when Mills fired in a long range shot that Sheils gathered at the second attempt.
Sheils then almost gifted the visitors a goal on 24 minutes when his poor kick fell to Haldane who then raced into the area only to be denied by a superb block by Stuart Evans.
Two minutes later Gray had one of a number of chances which would have seen Gresley away in the distance by half time. Andy Cheetham sent in a cross which was flicked on by Bourne but Gray hit his volley wide of the target.
A minute later Bourne had put Gray through on goal but the keeper was quick off his line to block the shot.
Gresley were now playing probably some of the best football seen at the Moat all season. Some fine quick passing between White, Alexander and Bourne forced a corner.
On 34 minutes Bourne sent in a cross which was heading for the waiting Gray but Ryan Cross managed to take it off the midfielder’s toe and away for a corner. White’s corner was then narrowly headed over by Gray.
Alexander was causing all sorts of problems down the left for the Weston defence but his cross could not be capitalised on by any Gresley frontrunner.
On 38 minutes a poor header by Weston’s Cross landed at the feet of Gray who was in acres of space on the left but he hurried his shot and put the ball well wide of the target.
Gresley were still applying the pressure and four minutes later Wardle made a good run down the right and his cross was missed by Gray and ran through to Jamie Barrett but his shot was hit wide.
On 43 minutes Moran made a run down the right this time the cross was missed by Bourne and blazed over by Gray.
Alexander collected the ball and skipped through the static defenders but fired his shot straight at Ganfield.
The home side could have gone further ahead just three minutes from the start of the second half.
Craig Hopkins fired in a cross which Ganfield failed to deal with. The ball found Alexander but his shot hit the side netting.
On 57 minutes Weston pulled a goal back. Danny O’Hagan flicked on a long ball for Haldane, on loan from Bristol Rovers, to fire past the advancing Sheils.
This goal seemed to unsettle, what had been up to that point, a solid Gresley back line and five minutes later they could have conceded again. Stuart Evans missed a header and the ball was with Haldane, but his shot was blocked and Sheils collected the loose ball.
On 63 minutes Gresley were still under some pressure and a free header from Weston seemed to shake the home side from their complacency and they began to regain the upper hand once more.
Alexander playing arguably his best game to date forced a corner down the left and then on 75 minutes Gray was put through by substitute Steve Rutter but Cross deflected his shot narrowly past the upright for a corner.
On 79 minutes Rutter thought he’d scored when he headed Gray’s cross into the net but was adjudged to have been offside.
With only seconds remaining Rutter went agonisingly close when he was only inches away from Grays’s cross. But, Gresley had done enough to take all three points and hold on to their 9th place finish in the league.
The manager's view
"Yes, I'm pleased with the win. But it's us again isn't it because we could have come in 6 up at half time and then we struggled a bit in the second and hung on although we created enough chances.
"I'm sure we'd have taken that score at five to three and I'm quite pleased with how we played.
"I think in the first half we played some of the best football we've played all season and we played well. We just need someone who can stick the ball in the net and we've said it for 40 games or so. It would make a big, big difference if we did have someone who could do just that.
"The front three of Gray, Bourne and Alexander linked well together. They gave us a bit of width and I think the lads did well. It's nice to finish on the right note with a win.
"The hard works starts again now ready for next season."
Gresley Rovers (2) 2
Weston-super-Mare (0) 1
Scorers: Gray 5, Wardle 14 (pen) (Gresley Rovers); Haldane 57 (Weston-super-Mare).
Gresley Rovers: Sheils, Wardle, G White
, Cheetham, Evans, C Hopkins, Moran (Rutter 53), Barrett, Bourne (Newsome 76), Gray, Alexander. Subs not used: Timms, Yearsley, Lindley (gk).
Weston-super-Mare: Ganfield, Lee (Miller 72), Bird (Bevan 55), Cross, Kilgour (Mehew 81), Jackson, Mills, Slater, O’Hagan, Haldane, A Hopkins. Subs not used: Thomas, Hunt.
Rovers Star Man: Stuart Evans – another strong display.
Referee: C Pawson (Sheffield).
Attendance: 348
