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Rovers time to tough it out
Story courtesy of
The going gets tough for Gresley Rovers tomorrow as they go into the first of three crucial matches in an eight-day spell.
Rovers fans who rubbed their hands with glee at the prospect of a “better standard” of football after their team’s promotion to the Beazer Homes League might have been visualising just the kind of fixtures that lie in the offing for the Steve Dolby’s Moatmen.Tomorrow’s visit of Newport AFC – ranked among the serious title contenders in the Midland Division – is followed on Wednesday by a potentially hazardous Barclays Southern League Cup trip to Sutton Coldfield Town and on Saturday by the equally difficult sortie into the Northamptonshire den of FA Vase rivals Rushden & Diamonds.
Newport – rated “the most professional set-up in the division” – bring an unbeaten away record in league games to the Moat Ground to present what will surely be Rovers’ most testing Beazer fixture to date.
The Welsh outfit – formed from the ashes of defunct Football League club Newport County – have lost only twice at their temporary Gloucester home this term – a 3-0 defeat by title favourites Nuneaton Borough followed by a somewhat surprising 1-0 reversal at the hands of Weston-super-Mare last Saturday.
Midweek cup rivals Sutton have lost only one game of any description all season – a 3-2 Worcestershire Senior Cup defeat by GM Vauxall Conference side Kidderminster Harriers.
As a result, the side managed by former Burton Albion boss Chris Wright await a prize FA Cup First Round trip to Bolton Wanderers and are still in the FA Vase, while remaining handily placed in the league with six wins from eight games – the most recent a 2-0 victory over Gresley’s Vase opponents Rushden.
Gresley boss Dolby was a spectator when the big spending Kettering club earned the right to entertain Rovers with a 2-0 first round replay win over Halesowen Harriers. Dolby rates his rivals as a good side, particularly defensively, but they showed they can score goals by handing out an impressive 6-2 drubbing to Beazer Southern Division leaders Buckingham – who have lost just once in 12 league games and conceded only 10 goals.
Rovers face a hard week. But when the going gets tough….
