Gresley Rovers vs Wolverhampton Casuals
Acklam powers in for Rovers – David Lawrence – Burton Mail
Three goals from a bundle of chances were enough to give Gresley Rovers the points against their Black Country visitors at the Moat Ground last night.
Had Lady Luck been on their side and had the Moatmen’s front-runners been razor sharp, the margin of victory would have been far greater.
But, as Frank Northwood said after the game, a win is a win and Gresley did as much as was necessary to take themselves four points clear at the top of the Banks’s League Premier Division table.
“They came back at us in the second half. It is easy to see how they have won a few points. But we sneaked the goals at the right time,” said Northwood.
How right he was. The game was in danger of turning into a drab and dreary affair matched only by the weather when the Moatmen notched their goals.
The first of the evening came after Rovers had already squandered a hatful of chances. Martin Dick thundered in a fierce cross and Paul Acklam rose above his marker to send a looping header over keeper Sam Cooper and into the empty net.
Gresley’s breakthrough came after 26 minutes but by that time they should have been well on their way to victory.
In the opening five minutes Kieron Smith’s first touch eluded him in front of goal and Andy Moore blasted over from the edge of the area after completing the hard work.
But spurred on by some sterling work at the back from Paul Fernihough and Dean Page, the Moatmen searched for a second. Just moments after conceding the first, Wolverhampton were far too casual and relaxed after the impressive Paul Tudor had flicked Fernihough’s header off the line.
Dick collected the clearance and rifled in a cross for Acklam to nip in front of the keeper to head home his second of the evening.
Smith had two more chances in the minutes before the interval but was put off sufficiently by the visiting keeper.
The Moatmen relaxed long enough to allow Casuals back into the game, but their perseverance led only to missed chances in front of goal and Rovers bounced back to increase their tally.
Steve Astley, himself denied by Taylor just seconds after replacing the disappointing Tracey Norton, had another shot blocked by Phil Dutton.
The ball for once ran kindly to Smith who volleyed it past the helpless keeper.
Gresley Rovers (2) 3
Wolverhampton Casuals (0) 0
Scorers: Acklam 26, 29; Smith 74.
Gresley Rovers: Aston, Bottomley, Dick, Denby, Fernihough, Page, Moore, Norton (Astley 70), Acklam, Wells, Smith. Sub not used: Fearn.
Wolverhampton Casuals: Cooper, Griffiths, Tudor, Dutton, Hadfield, D Walters (M Walters 36), Drury, Ingleby, Pincher, Loftus (Lawler 70), Chalk.
Gresley man-of-the-match: Paul Fernihough.
Referee: H Underwood (Redditch).
Attendance: 310
