Evo-Stik NPL Division One South
Watermead Lane, Loughborough
Saturday, 13th April 2013, 3.00pm
Ten Men Gresley Hold On For A Point
Gresley made the short trip to Loughborough to take on Dynamo and returned home with a share of the points despite playing for an hour with just ten men as Mickey Lyons was red carded just before the break.
There were changes made to the starting eleven with Jamie Barrett replacing the unavailable Gareth Langford and Royce Turville taking the place of the injured Jordan Nadat who did make a place on the bench.
It was the visitors who went closest first with Richard Hanslow forcing a good save off Dynamo keeper Kahil Mann-Kler and then Michael Nottingham heading Lyons' cross straight at the keeper.
The best chance so far came for Gresley when Kristian Cox made his way into the area but blasted his shot from a good position well over the bar.
Gresley keeper Gary Hateley was then tested when Reece Lester hit a stinging shot that the keeper did well to push away. From the resultant corner by Dan Henton a shot hit the underside of the bar and somehow was scrambled off the line and cleared. Hateley made another fine save this time to push Rob Norris's well struck volley away.
The action went to the other end where Hanslow found himself through but after rounding the keeper his final shot was blocked by a covering defender.
Dynamo took the lead soon afterwards. A shot was blocked and the rebound came out to Lester who smacked the ball past Hateley.
Arguably the turning point of the game came with just eight minutes of the first half remaining. Referee Mr Dadley, who had made some poor decisions resulting in a rash of quick yellow cards for Gresley, took exception to another tackle by Lyons and showed a straight red card which was a little harsh.
The poor decisions continued three minutes later, this time it was the home side on the end of it. Hanslow was in the area and according to the referee was fouled leading to a spot kick which Turville converted emphatically.
Gresley needed to re-group for the second period being a man down and by and large they did it very well. Indeed there were times when they could have taken the lead.
Jordi Gough threaded a superb pass through to Hanslow who raced down the left cut into the area and hit a shot which Mann-Kler did really well to turn away for a corner.
The width of the bar then came to Gresley's rescue when Matt Langham's powerful header from a corner crashed back off the woodwork and as the pressure continued Hateley once more came to his side's rescue making a top-draw save to stop Norris's point blank shot.
More pressure on the Gresley defence saw the ball end up in the net but the upraised flag stopped the celebrations and then substitute Jamie Clarke's curling shot shaved the far post as it flew wide as Dynamo threatened.
It was then the turn of the home keeper to show he wasn't going to be outdone by Hateley. Barrett hit a shot which looked odds on to fly into the top far corner but somehow Mann-Kler managed to claw the ball away for a corner.
The final chance of the game went to the home side when Norris once more curled a shot goalwards but Hateley was more than up to the task and saved well at his far post to ensure his side's share of the points in a hard fought game.
Manager's View
"That was a hard earned point. Obviously having found ourselves down to ten men and having to defend for long periods in the second half it was a very hard earned point.
"If I'm honest, which I always try to be, I feel we are a little fortuitous to come away with a point with all the opportunities Loughborough had in the second half - they hit the woodwork. There was one particular move, a cross from the right hand side and a fantastic header which is straight down my street, I love football like that. I don't know whether Gary Hateley got a touch on it but it hit the bar and we managed to clear it. Gary made two or three other good saves and at times our goal led a bit of a charmed life.
"I was disappointed in the second half that we didn't make more of an effort attacking wise but having said that with ten men it was more important that we kept our shape. So yes, it was a hard earned point.
"It was a frustrating afternoon and Mickey Lyon's sending off put paid to a possible win. We were one-nil down at the time so the lads did well to battle back to level but we didn't really show any attacking prowess in the second half.
"Regarding their penalty, I thought there were better shouts before that and if I'm honest I thought we were a little fortuitous to get it if I'm being honest. I wasn't complaining because we had bigger shouts before that so I guess in that respect it evened itself out and obviously Royce Turville put it away.
"We were limited in our attacking options today. We named Marc Goodfellow on the bench as he'd done some part of the warm-up but he was just feeling his ankle too much to consider sending him on. Jordan Nadat's ankle is not too bad; it's his hamstring that is causing him some problems. He's had some treatment over the last couple of days but we daren't risk any more than fifteen, twenty minutes. He came on and did that for us. With both Gareth Langford and Phil Massingham not available today we were limited in the options and everyone has played their part and contributed to a hard earned point.
"I popped into the ref's room at half time to have a word and offer some advice and I thought in the second half he handled the game fairly well. There were two or three incidents or challenges for both sides where I think he made the wrong decision which caused a little bit of frustration between the teams and I suggested at half time that maybe the situation was of his own making. And, in fairness to him, he and his team handled the game much better in the second half. He did acknowledge the word I'd had with him at half time and thanked me for the professional way I went into the dressing room.
"I had no qualms for the sending off. I thought it was a yellow rather than a straight red. Mickey Lyons sort of dipped his foot in the water rather than stamped but he was already in a yellow so a red or another yellow card he would have been off anyway"
