Pre-Season Friendly
Loughborough College, Loughborough
Saturday, 10th July 2010, 3.00pm
First Pre-Season Win For Gresley
Gresley travelled to Loughborough College to take on last season's Leicestershire Senior League Champions Thurmaston Town.
The game on the college's 3G pitch started in bizarre circumstances when Gresley were asked to play the first half wearing their training bibs after a mix up with the kits. Gresley were asked to play in their away white strip as Thurmaston would be wearing red only for Town to turn out wearing Black and White stripes!
In sweltering conditions Town made the early running with forcing a corner that resulted in a low shot from Gav Hall that was well held by Gresley keeper Gary Hateley.
Gresley hit back with Tom Betteridge providing his brother Adam with a great cross but the final shot hit the side netting.
Town's former Leicester City and Aston Villa striker Julian Joachim had a half chance but could only fire a shot wide of the far post.
A good move saw Royce Turville push the ball for Tom Betteridge to hit a stinging low shot that the Town keeper did well to push away diving to his right.
On 25 minutes Gresley took the lead when Carl Slater made a good run through the middle and ended with a low shot that beat the keeper with the aid of a slight deflection.
Within minutes Gresley almost doubled their lead but another good save from Town's keeper, this time diving to his left, denied them.
With just minutes remaining of the first half Joachim fired wide and Danny Gallagher's shot was well saved by Hateley. From the resultant corner Troy Bucalossi went close putting his header over the bar.
It was Town's turn to wear their training bibs for the second half but unfortunately they obscured the shirt numbers on the back of their shirts making it almost impossible to identify their players.
Gresley started the better of the two sides with a good break out of defence that ended with Slater putting a superb pass through for Brian Woodall but his shot hit the side netting.
On 56 minutes Town drew level. A free kick was only half cleared by the Gresley defence and the ball landed kindly for Joachim who made no mistake blasting the ball past Hateley from the edge of the area.
Slater then finished another good move on 62 minutes with a shot that whistled over the bar and then Tom Land went even closer but his header from Mickey Lyon's corner clipped the top of the bar.
However, Gresley didn't have long to wait to regain the lead. A minute later Adam Betteridge made a superb run down the left before supplying a perfect cross the found Rob Spencer at the far post who finished the move off with a fine header into the net.
Slater went close to doubling his tally but the keeper again proved his worth with yet another fine save to deny him.
Both sides made several changes but Town looked to be physically tiring from the heat and Gresley took advantage and started to control the game and carve through the defence with ease.
Woodall provided Lyons with a chance but the crisp low shot was well saved by the keeper but he couldn't do anything to deny Gresley from getting another goal which their play deserved.
On 78 minutes a good run down the right saw Chris Bates send over a low cross into the box where Lee Sutton was waiting to slot the ball home from close in.
The visitors almost added a fourth at the end of the game but Woodall put his header just wide of the post.
Manager's View
"There were lots of positives we could take away from today. The pitch time the lads have got. Training is all well and good but there is no substitute for proper match practice.
"It was a fairly comfortable performance against a strong side. The pleasing thing was we started the game with just one new face in there and most of the substitutes that came on were familiar from last season so in that respect there is that continuity which perhaps we haven't had in the past with quite a volume of players coming in to the club with new trialists.
"Normally at this time of pre-season you are looking at a lot of numbers but this season we've decided to do it differently as we've been fortunate to get the guys to commit early enough to know we haven't got to bring too many trialists in.
"I was pleased with the performance because we moved the ball well and it was nice to get the win but as I've always said in pre-season it's not about the win it's about getting the guys back out there, getting the understanding back between each other again.
"I thought we were a little bit rusty shape wise and some of the work off the ball, midfield and back four shape needs some work and it was frustrating we conceded a sloppy goal from a set play having pointed out at half time that we need to get organised a bit quicker and get tighter from set plays.
"But that apart, I don't think Gary Hateley had a save to make so it was a pleasing first ninety minutes."
