Chasetown vs Gresley Rovers
True grit wins day for Rovers – Andy Parker – Burton Mail
Gresley coach Steve Dolby paid tribute to his team’s battling qualities after a gritty all-round performance has earned three points and the satisfaction of a revenge victory over Chasetown, early season winners at the Moat Ground and one of only two sides to have beaten Rovers in the league this term.
On this form it will take a hell of a side to become the third. For this was an impressive performance from Gresley right through from the masterly Bob Aston to striker Paul Acklam whose two goals were the fruits of a tremendously hard-working performance in both halves of the field.
Said Dolby: “The attitude throughout the side was so much better today. At Malvern, in our last game, we tended to stand off the opposition and let them play but today we closed down Chasetown down a lot more quickly.
“I think we realised today that we’ve got to work as hard as the opposition before we can beat them. Our workrate was tremendous and I felt we were always going to win because of that. The lads have set themselves a standard today and there’s no reason why they should drop below it. We’ve got four good players on the sidelines but there’s no easy way back into the side for any of them. And the good thing is we don’t have to rush any of them back into the side before they’re fit, which I feel we did with Richard Denby at Malvern.”
Denby was back on the injured list again for Saturday’s excursion joining dead-leg victim Kieron Smith, flu-bound Ian Wells and long term causality Tracey Norton, who aims to be back in training in a fortnight.
None need rush back. Gresley had the necessary grit in midfield courtesy of hard man Michael Guest, a resolute defence and an attack in which the return of Graham Jones was a crucial factor in a vital victory.
Both Dolby and Jones’s strike partner Acklam were quick to doff their caps to Jones’ workrate and physical presence, which had been so badly missed at Malvern.
Indeed, it was Jones’ cultured flick from Bobby Evans’ cross midway through the first half that allowed Andy Moore to find Acklam unmarked in the middle and although the striker made poor contact home keeper Dave Weale still had no chance.
Everything is going right for Acklam at present and he admitted: “That one hit my ear and rolled down my arm before going in but when you score that sort of goal it gives you confidence to have a go for more.”
That confidence showed just after the break when the diminutive Moore climbed through a thicket of towering defenders to help on Aston’s mighty kick upfield and Acklam resisted the temptation to blast the ball goalwards before coolly chipping Weale and finding the top corner.
The two goals were fitting reward for a commanding performance for although Chasetown threatened sporadically Gresley’s rearguard had hitherto never looked in danger apart from Aston spilled a ferocious shot from Andy Cox on 25 minutes, the vigilant Martin Haskins making a timely clearence.
Chasetown threatened to come good with the game entering its final phase but Aston broke their hearts with a string of superb saves, first diverting Charlie Blakemore’s cross shot wide of a post, getting down superbly to Gary Smith’s shot through a crowd of defenders and then flying from his line to cut out Jon Rose’s cross.
Chasetown (0) 0
Gresley Rovers (1) 2
Scorer: Acklam 27, 52.
Chasetown: Weale, Cox, T Jones, Cotterill (Robinson 79), Richards, Rose, Shelton, Smith, Tonks, Blakemore, Sharratt (Rogers 63).
Gresley Rovers: Aston, Dick, Perry, Guest, Haskins, Page, Moore, D Wells, Acklam, G Jones, Evans (Bottomley 79). Sub not used: Fernihough.
Gresley man-of-the-match: Paul Acklam.
Referee: D Lee (Sheffield).
Attendance: 150
