Barwell vs Gresley Rovers
Saturday's game against Barwell away saw a very changed side from previous weeks with debuts being given to Sam Blount, Moussa Sella from an unpronounceable Dutch second division side and Jermaine Liburd an old boy returning from Boston United.
What on paper looked to be a comfortable Rovers win turned out to be a lot more difficult as Barwell played more or less their first team.
After a hard fought first half with Rovers up against the wind and slope I was happy that we came in at the break at 0-0.
In the second half we had much the better of the chances with Liburd, Sella and Hurr going close, but the signs of a break away goal by the home side were always there, and with 10 minutes to go the signs became reality when Barwell broke and scored, poor marking on our part.
White in the Rovers goal had saved a certain goal not 5 minutes earlier, so the warning shot had been fired.
It took a cheeky little lob from new boy Liburd with five minutes remaining to level the game, the acrobatic celebration was one worth seeing again.
In the last ditch attempt to win the game Ward and Mawbey followed Pickering into the mix to try and grab a winner, but it was not to be and the points were shared.
Not a bad result against a first team and yet another game involving three "former" youth team players not to mention the three lads making debuts.
I know it's half way through the season but I think I might start nominating a manager's player of the game, so for last Saturday it has to be young Chris Vernon, never gave up throughout and was first to everything.
Simon Van-de-Broucke
Reserve Team Manager
