Note that this page is from our Gresley Rovers archive. It may not be related to the new Gresley Rovers (formerly Gresley FC until 2020).
Goals! goals! goals!
Story courtesy of
The Great Gresley goal glut continued unabated at Rushall in Mid-week. And now the cavalier attacking style developed by manager Frank Northwood has taken Rovers within sight of a tantalising target…to score 100 West Midlands League goals in a season.
Gresley’s ruthless 7 – 0 execution of the Walsall side on Tuesday took their tally to 62 goals in 23 games – an average of 2.69 goals a game. If that striking rate can be maintained in their final 15 games of the season the magical three-figure target will be reached.Astonishingly, they have devoured 36 goals in their last nine games, seven of which have been played on opposition territory.
It would be unrealistic to expect that sort of striking rate to be maintained, Rovers are in such irresistible form at the moment that there can be few West Midland League defences capable of stemming the tide.
A century of goals is not, of course, top priority at the Moat Ground. That is to win the league title for the first time, but it would be a considerable consolation should, as still seems probable, the championship trophy remains locked away at The Grove home of Halesowen Town.
Northwood: “To be honest it’s not something that I have thought about, but I must admit it would be a marvellous achievement.”
The only cloud on the horizon for Gresley is that they face the prospect of their all-conquering squad being disturbed by injury and unavailability.
Striker Reg Priest is nursing an ankle injury, though he may be considered for tomorrow’s Moat Ground clash against Tividale.
And midfield player, Robert Philpott may face a spell on the sidelines because of injury, which forced him to miss the second half of Tuesday’s game.
Gresley will also be without exciting midfield player John Laws tomorrow. He is on duty for the British Colleges X1.
It is because of these uncertainties and because of the risk that other players could pick up knocks in the busy end of the season programme that Northwood has attempted to reinforce his squad.
He has reached agreement to use two experienced strikers on an occasional basis should his resources be stretched to breaking point.
Hednesford’s John Branch was quickly followed into the Moat Ground fold by Oldbury’s Alan Bourton, a much-feared player with his previous club, Atherstone.
Both players have expressed an interest in making their moves more permanent, but for the time being at least the Southern League clubs will have first call on their services.
Nonetheless, these latest moves reinforce Northwood’s view that the title can still be won. He wants to make certain that thier rapidly developing challenge does not falter in the final straight.
