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King Richard Burton Mail
Story courtesy of Burton Mail
Much has been made of the enforced absence through injury of various members of Gresley Rovers much-vaunted strike force in recent games.
But manager Frank Northwood is equally concerned about a key player from the midfield department who is also struggling with injury at the moment.Just how important Richard Denby’s contribution to Gresley’s rise to the Banks’s League summit is reflected both in his Mail merit marks for December and for the season so far.
Denby tops both tables with an average of 7.5 and 7.1 respectively. A few could argue that the former Alfreton playmaker – a target for Northern Premier outfit Worksop earlier this season – is a deserved leader.
So it could well be that Denby’s troublesome hamstring could have a greater bearing on the destination of the title this season than injuries to other Moat Ground stars.
The mighty midfielder was missing from the Rovers side that toiled against Harrisons in the final game of 1988.
Denby made a brief return when he appeared for the first half of the game at Malvern on Monday but limped out of the action as Gresley struggled to a torrid draw.
So Rovers fans will be hoping against hope that Denby is back in time for the upcoming crunch games with Rushall and Blakenall.
Mail Merit Marks
December
Richard Denby 7.5
Martin Haskins 7.0
Dean Page 7.0
Overall
Richard Denby 7.1
Dean Page 7.0
Ian Wells 6.7