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Rivals throw out the form book
Story courtesy of
Form goes out of the window when near Banks’s League neighbours Rocester and Gresley Rovers meet.
That was the case a week ago when Rovers, riding high in the table, were held to a draw by Rocester, who are enduring what is by their lofty standards an awful season so far.And by all accounts it will be just the same again when the two sides meet at the Moat Ground on Tuesday for a Banks’s Premier League Cup first round replay, a trip to Blakenall awaiting the winners.
Romans boss Alan Beaman admits: “Maybe we are Gresley’s bogey team , I’ve certainly got grounds to say that. We haven’t been playing well by any stretch of the imagination but their was no fear among my players when we met Gresley on Saturday.”
From the South Derbyshire viewpoint, Rocester games are always tough encounters, reckons keeper Bob Aston.
“Local derbies are always that little bit harder to play in,” says Aston. “On a different level to our, look at Liverpool and Everton last Saturday. The game was really close in the end. There’ll be a big crowd at Gresley on Tuesday, maybe eight or nine hundred and that all adds to the pressure.
“Rocester are not a bad little footballing side. They let you play, and they always seem to manage to score against us. Maybe that’s because there are always mistakes in these sorts of games.”
Aston rates Rocester’s former Burton Albion flier Tony Hemmings as the Romans’ main threat.
“He’s very quick and he can change a game if you let him get involved. Having said that, John Barry marked him out of the match on Saturday. Mick Collins seems to have a habit of scoring in these games as well – it’s terrible.”
Meanwhile, Aston one of Gresley’s most consistent performers in recent seasons since his move from Eastwood Hanley, is happy with his team’s unbeaten start to the league programme – although he believes there is still room for improvement.
“We’re doing all right but we’ve got to achieve more consistency over 90 minutes. That’s all that’s lacking at the moment. Everyone is playing well and the lads that have come in have all made a contribution. Neil Lovell has come on as substitute and got goals. Steve Adcock got 20 minutes against West Bromwich Town on Tuesday and scored the winner, and the big lad Ian Heap came into the side and did well to set up our first goal.”
