Evo-Stik South
Greenfields Sports Ground, Greenfields Lane, Market Drayton, Shropshire
Saturday, 28th April 2018, 3.00pm
Gresley End Season With A Defeat
Despite the harsh score-line every travelling Gresley supporter gave the Gresley lads an ovation as they left the pitch.
It was well deserved too, as the club, as a whole, owe these lads and the stand-in management an enormous amount as they stuck with the club in this difficult week putting their bodies on the line and at the end many of them could hardly walk and another had to stretchered off the pitch at the end.
Gresley manager Gary Norton fielded a young side with 16-year-old Mitchell White once more taking up the right back slot with Mark Branch and Lucas Harrison adding the experience.
Market Drayton needed to win to be sure of their step 4 survival but as the results unfolded at the end Romulus were the side dropping out of the league as they could only draw at Kidsgrove.
Town started strongly forcing a save from Gresley keeper Callum Hawkins who pushed away a well struck effort with just 2 minutes on the clock. Gresley struck back almost immediately with Zack Hill firing wide from a good cross by Kane Lee.
Max Atkins then hit a good shot to test home keeper Mate Dzecki who had to dive smartly to his right to prevent the goal. Atkins followed his shot up a couple of minutes later firing a shot straight at the keeper.
Gresley were playing well and were pressing forward when against the run of play Town took the lead. A ball was played through the visiting defence but the initial shot came off the base of the far post and bounced across the face of the goal where Daniel Beddows stabbed the ball home.
The visitors ended the first half the stronger and could feel themselves hard done by to be a goal behind at the break.
Gresley started the second half with Lee hitting a shot which Dzecki had to parry while for the visitors Hawkins made a superb save from point blank range with the rebound being fired over the bar.
Town were looking to extend their lead with Glyn Coney curling a shot which went the wrong side ot the top corner.
The Gresley young players were beginning to tire and a three goal spell in 9 minutes knocked the stuffing out of them.
Gresley’s desperate tired defending started to get a bit sloppy and Town doubled their advantage on 64 minutes when Gresley failed to clear a ball in their area and Jud Ellis took full advantage firing a low shot across Hawkins and into the bottom far corner.
On 70 minutes they scored again when substitute Charlie Knowles, who had only been on the field a minute, made use of some dallying in the visiting defence to fire home goal number three and four.
Gresley were out on their feet but a brave blocked denied their hosts a certain goal followed by Hawkins acrobatically tipping over another effort from Knowles.
With time almost up a weary Gresley defence made a slip allowing Knowles to race through and this time he made no mistake slipping the ball past Hawkins.
Gresley’s afternoon ended with Ryan Clemson having to be stretchered off with an ankle injury.
It will be interesting to see if Gresley will visit Market Drayton next season as it looks very likely that they will be placed in the West Division of the Evo-Stik League.
