Match Photos
Gresley Rovers vs Rugby United
Saturday saw our 1st home game of the season and against Rugby Utd in the league, a team who did the double over us last year.
We started the game brightly, and played some decent football in the opening few minutes, then disaster struck, we gave away an unnecessary free kick on the edge of the box on the 10 minute mark, the free-kick was taken and to be fair it was a poor one, but as our look is at the moment it took a wicked deflection and ended up in our net, giving Pemberton no chance.
We worked hard for the rest of the half and went close ourselves; the ball just wouldn't drop for us.
Then the sucker punch, as we pushed for an equaliser Rugby broke down the right, their wide player found himself in a lot of space near our corner flag as M.Brown and Cox stood off, both players indecisive about who was to get across and stop the cross, neither did, and in came the cross to the far post, where the striker had lost his marker Harrison and slammed in a fine header, 2-0.
The half time saw the withdrawal of Miller and Waite due to injury and the introduction of Blackshield and Harris, both made good busy starts to the second half, as our formation changed to 3-5-2, we enjoyed our best 25 mins of the season, resulting in us getting a goal back after Harrison hit a quality 30 yard ball down the channel, which Blackshield latched onto at the same time as the keeper, they tackled and Blackshield broke free and slotted the ball home, 2-1.
We were totally dominating our visitors at this point, but were unable to add to our tally, lady luck will re-join us again very soon, I hope.
Rugby added a third late on when indecision at the back again cost us, 3-1.
The performance on the whole was a massive improvement and pleased and the period in the second half pleased me very much, that is the standard the lads have now set, and the standard that needs to be repeated for longer periods of the games to come.
The only sour note of the day, apart from the result that is, was the sending off, of Brady in the last minute, for retaliation.
Next week see the visit of Boldmere St. Michaels.
Squad
1. Pemberton
2. Harrison (manager's man of the match)
3. Cox
4. M. Brown
5. Brevett
6. Brady
7. J. Brown
8. Draycott
9. Miller
10. Waite
11. Barker
12. A. Reid
13. Harris
14. Blackshield
Simon Van-de-Broucke
Reserve Team Manager
