UniBond League Division One South
The Moat Ground, Church Gresley
Saturday, 5th April 2008, 3.00pm
Rovers Blunt The Steels Hopes
Jordan Nadat returned to the squad in place of Tony Hemming for this match against play-off hopefuls Stocksbridge Park Steels.
Midfielder Lee Mellon failed a fitness test before the game, Tom Groves was not available and striker David Blenkinsopp was given more time to recover from a chipped bone in his toe.
The visitors started off brightly and were soon putting the Rovers goal under pressure. A good run down the left by Jamie Vardy resulted in a cross that Andy Ring almost got a touch to at the far post.
That should have served as a warning because a similar move resulted in Steels taking the lead after just 4 minutes when Ring this time managed to shuffle the ball into the net from close range.
Rovers hit back and were level just four minutes later. Nadat collected Brian Woodhall's pass down the left and hit a low shot that took a deflection and ended up in the net despite an attempt from defender Brett Lovell to try and hook the ball off the line.
Although the ball took a decent deflection no one could deny the youngster his first goal for the club.
Things could have got even better for Nadat when he hit a rasping low shot but Steels keeper Richard Siddalls, diving to his right, pulled off a fine save to deny the winger.
Jamie Hood almost got the vital touch from a free kick from Shaun Ridgway but then at the other end of the field Steve Kennedy hit a volley from Alvyn Riley's corner just over the bar.
Rovers took the lead on 26 minutes when after a great move from Woodhall he picked out Ridgway who curled a sublime curling shot from the edge of the area around the diving Siddall and into the far bottom corner.
The home side almost extended their advantage within seconds of the start of the second half but Ridgway's stinging shot was acrobatically tipped over by Siddall.
Steels should have levelled things just after the hour but Riley, in acres of space in the area, scuffed his shot with only Rovers' keeper to beat and the ball went straight into David Clarke's arms.
Substitute Joe Carter almost scored but at the wrong end. Woodhall had made a fine run down the right and fired a vicious shot that Carter tried to head clear but the ball rocketed past his keeper and just over the bar.
Steels almost got back on terms right at the end of the game when a free kick from Mark Ward seemed on target but Clarke reacted well to make the save.
Woodhall finished the game off in style in time added on. The striker collected a pass from substitute Chris Sleath inside the visitors half and made a run through the middle before flying across the area and after turning a defender hit an unstoppable shot past Siddall and into the far corner for his first goal for Rovers.
Manager's View
"It was a totally different match to the one against Retford the other night. It was two sides scrapping and battling for everything really which wasn't much.
"What little positive football that was played was in the first half. The second half was just a battle of attrition but at times in this league it's what get you points. "I was pleased with the character and resilience showed by the players in the second half if a little disappointed that we didn't get the ball down and work it as well as we had against Retford.
"From our point of view it was pleasing that the neutral would have looked at that fixture today and said that Stocksbridge needed the points for a play-off push and Gresley it was going to be an end of season affair.
"I don't think anybody could criticise us today for that. The effort and endeavour was there, we lacked again quality at certain key times particularly in the second half, which was a little frustrating.
"There was a little bit of class at the end from Mr Woodhall. I'm so delighted he's got his first goal for the club it's much deserved in the last four or five games he's played for us.
"The first goal was credited to Jordan Nadat. It took a little bit of a deflection - I think he was helping it into the area - but he'd had an outstanding first half and it took a bit of deflection but obviously he just turned 17 and trying to make a name for himself in non-league football so he's claimed it. It has been credited to him so hopefully that will him a little bit of confidence boost.
"Jordan did well, but we felt he was tiring a little bit just after the hour mark and he's got a little knock on his ankle as well which we are icing up now so he's done well.
"Andy Roberts has put another decent ninety minutes in. I thought he got a little exposed - he's got to be a little stronger on the goal. He had a little bit of a warning before the goal in the fourth minute when their number eleven got around us a little bit too easy. He did well on the first occasion but he just got shrugged off it for the goal but apart from that I don't think he put a foot wrong to be honest.
"We had two 17-year-olds down the left flank and we were a little concerned that we might get a little exposed down there, lack of experience but no, it's positive from those two lads today - very pleased.
"I decided to go with Miles (Chamberlain) but I don't know how. If you'd have seen him limping out of the ground on Tuesday and after speaking to his father before the game he didn't go to work on Wednesday and he couldn't move his leg and fully expected it to seize up over night.
"He called me late on Wednesday to say he'd got a little more movement and on Thursday he thought he might have a chance and then he phoned me on Friday and said that he's declared himself fit which was outstanding.
"I was very pleased because with Tom Groves out of the country at the moment for the last couple of games he's our usual deputy, if we have to have to bring Dan Douglas inside, at full back so it would have given us a headache.
"Miles, apart from maybe just feeling himself into the game for the first five minutes, I thought he did superb today - him and Jamie Hood were magnificent today they rarely missed a header so it was very pleasing.
"Shaun Ridgway has a groin injury. We were a little concerned ten or fifteen minutes before he came off. Our physio noticed it before Shaun shouted anything that it was tightening up a little bit.
"Again limited for options but one thing Paul Edwards gives you versatility so we dropped Paul in there. He didn't do a lot but what he did he kept our shape. Paul is struggling himself with injuries at the minute so we use him sparingly.
"Hopefully, the fact that we haven't got a midweek game Shaun might recover enough for next week.
"Lee Mellon came in to do a fitness test but to be fair as soon as the physio got his hands on him he knew he wasn't going to pass it so hopefully another weeks time he'll be fit for the Sheffield game and being a Sheffield lad he's desperate to be involved.
"We've criticised Shaun for his shooting ability and then he goes and pops in a goal like that with his left peg so that's nice for Shaun. He's had a torrid time up to the last few games but he's showing us a little bit more now the sort of the performances we know and love Shaun for in the last two or three games so I'm pleased for him.
"In fairness we are not sure where Brian Woodhall's best position is. He's very good upfront and you can see some of the ability he possesses but his natural position you could see when he tended to drift out wide a little bit in some of our forward play.
"It's frustrating for us because we then didn't have bodies in the box. We tried to change it about a little bit in the second half tactically to give them a bit more of a problem from Brian but them we didn't use him.
"But Brian's got great individual ability and he finds pockets of space, he's good on the ball and he's got that little burst of pace and he's a strong lad as well. He's only twenty and he's also got a twin brother whose coming training this week so if he's anything like Brian we could have another decent asset in him as well."
