Racing Club Warwick vs Gresley Rovers
Rovers left to rue ones that got away - Andy Parker - Burton Mail
Goal difference could be crucial as the race for promotion from the Beazer Midlands Division reaches its climax in two weeks' time.
And if that is so, Gresley Rovers could have cause to look back on their trip to doomed Racing Warwick on Saturday with considerable regret.
Despite dominating the home side for virtually the whole of the 90 minutes, Rovers were only able to score twice when they could easily have run up double figures, with manager Steve Dolby admitting afterwards: " I'm happy with the win at this stage of the season but we could have done with a higher score."
Warwick's appalling pitch and a series of scrambled saves by keeper Neil Stephenson were the main contributory factors towards Rovers' disappointment, although Dolby, while admitting that this team still played as if still suffering from fatigue, was delighted to see a sequence of five games without a win ended.
There never seem much likelihood of an upset after Warwick winger Darren Deeley had volleyed an eighth-minute chance wide of the target, Rovers creating with Mark Hurst in particular threatening to run the home defence ragged.
Craig Weston curled a cross shot fractionally wide then when it seemed Graeme Rigg must score his first league goal for the club the Racing Club defence somehow hustled the ball to safety from a goalmouth melee.
Five minutes after the half time Hurst provided the breakthrough, seizing on a defensive error after Devaney had flicked on Aston's long kick to drill the ball under Stephenson's dive.
Two minutes later the striker was wondering how he hadn't completed an astonishing hat trick, first seeing a shot that seemed destined for the net scrambled off the line then having another effort blocked by the keeper's legs.
But with the returning Scott Elliott's energy and drive ensuring Rovers hardly missed the half time loss of Richard Wardle with concussion Rovers continued to power forward against a home side reduced to 10 men after a linesman spotted Brendan O'Hare sly punch on Martin Dick.
Devaney saw two shots blocked, again when a goal seemed certain, and substitute Mike Taplin twice went close before Devaney finally put the issue beyond doubt with an emphatic header after Weston had supplied a peach of a cross from the right wing.
Substitute Gil Land seemed certain to add a third when Elliott's left wing cross provided him with a free header at the far post but Stephenson produced yet another astonishing save to send Rovers home victorious but far from satisfied.
Racing Club Warwick (0) 0
Gresley Rovers (0) 2
Scorers: Hurst 50, Devaney 83.
Racing Club Warwick: Stephenson, Kelly (Derby 90), Scrimshire (Fitzhugh 82), Whitehouse, Wall, Gethfield, A Evans, Titterton, O'Hare, Cairns, Deeley.
Gresley Rovers: Aston, Dick, Foster, Denby, Evans, Rigg, Wardle (Taplin 45), Elliott, Weston, Devaney, Hurst (Land 80).
Gresley Rovers man-of-the-match: Scott Elliott.
Referee: C P Baker (Malvern).
Attendance: 207
