Bolehall Swifts vs Gresley FC
Bolehall Swifts 5 - 3 Gresley Youth
Gresley Youth made the short trip over to Tamworth and played their full part in an entertaining match which took place on a damp surface that looked likely to cut up badly, but held out long enough to see the visitors take the lead three times before coming away pointless after unfortunately conceding two extremely late goals.
Early pressure from Gresley failed to produce results as they were restricted to long-range efforts before the home side started to come more into the game, threatening to score from close in on several occasions but being thwarted by some desperate defending and the usual excellent display of goalkeeping from Luke Hemingway.
Swifts did clip the bar from distance and were denied a penalty when the referee blew for a foul, but decided on a free-kick to the home team when the alleged offence clearly took place inside the area.
The only goal of the first-half arrived eight minutes before the interval when a breakaway move by Gresley resulted in Callum McBride having only the keeper to beat, his shot being assisted into the net by a defender rushing back to cover the goal line.
More drama ensued at the other end as Hemingway once again prevented a leveller by diving amongst onrushing feet.
H/T 0 - 1
Just after the restart and the scores were level as a cross from the right was forced over the line by Bolehall to herald the arrival of end to end goalmouth action, which resulted in Gresley restoring their advantage four minutes later as a ball over the top of the hosts' back four saw two players converging on goal and Sam Kirk taking control to fire past the keeper.
On 59 minutes Swifts somehow managed to convince the officials they had brought the scores level as another cross from the right was eventually cleared away after a goalmouth scramble, neither referee or linesman able to positively confirm the ball had crossed the line, but inexplicably deciding to award a goal.
Five minutes after that debacle and Gresley were ahead yet again as Rikki Birch found himself one on one with the keeper after a good ball in from the left and calmly slotted home.
Only two further minutes had elapsed and it was stalemate once more when a home player found himself through on goal and fired in at the near post.
Gresley substitute Luke Watts was then cynically scythed down as he broke free on the left and had to be replaced as he was unable to walk, the final insult being no award of a free-kick and no booking.
A deserved point for Gresley looked on the cards at this stage, but disaster struck two minutes from time as a Bolehall corner was headed in, followed by a tap-in on the line after a free-kick was played into the box just before the final whistle.
Goals: Bolehall: 48, 59, 66, 88, 90.
Gresley: McBride 37, Kirk 52, Birch 64.
Gresley: Hemingway, Pearson, Metcalfe, Gee, Hickman, Watson(? - 55), Kirk, Simpson, McBride, Birch, Sharp(Watts 54, Jones 77).
