Gresley Rovers vs Tamworth
Rovers in fourth place – Richard Whitehead – Burton Mail
Gresley Rovers emphatically underlined their potential as serious challengers for the Banks’s West Midlands League title at the Moat Ground last night.
The Moatmen totally outclassed their local rivals with another fluent display of attacking football.
Although, the margin was only 2–0, Rovers could and should have further boosted their goal difference against a Tamworth side still trying to shrug off the psychological effects of Saturday’s traumatic FA Vase exit.
Kevin Banton started the evening off on the right note with a spectacular 14th minute free kick strike and Brian Beresford made the points safe with his 25th goal of the season 16 minutes from time.
Beresford’s goal rounded off a second half in which Gresley eased effortlessly into overdrive to continually carve open a pedestrian Tamworth defence.
In fact it was only some slack finishing and several excellent saves by stand-in ‘keeper Andy Edwards that kept Tamworth’ hope of salvaging something flickering.
Edwards had already pushed away Reg Priest’s powerful long-range drive when Rovers snatched the lead.
Tamworth’s Duncan Heath was rather unjustly penalised for a foul on Banton but the winger took full advantage of his good fortune to fire a searing 25-yard shot into the top right hand corner.
The visitor’s only act of retaliation was a long-range drive from midfielder Bobby Atkins which dipped inches over the bar.
But apart from that Rovers’ increasingly impressive back-four combated the aerial menace of Tamworth’s highly-rated top scorer Andy Maddocks.
And after the interval the Moatmen stepped up a gear to impose their superiority on the game.
John Laws saw a long-range effort saved after a thrilling burst of pace had taken him by the dawdling defence but at the other end Karl Austin showed his prowess on his home debut by tipping away a Roger Smith drive which took a wicked late deflection.
That was Tamworth’s last real threatening moment and twice the slick combination of Beresford and Reg Priest carved open opportunities, which went begging.
But the final blow as finally delivered by Beresford when he raced on to a through ball and rounded Edwards before rolling in a shot from a narrow angle.
Beresford nearly made it 3–0 before the end but his close range shot on the turn thudded against the bar.
Gresley Rovers (1) 2
Tamworth (0) 0
Scorers: Banton 14, Beresford 74 (Gresley Rovers).
Gresley Rovers: Austin, Attley, Earley, West, Dolby, King, Philpott, Laws, Priest, Beresford, Banton. Sub: Davey
Tamworth: Edwards, Lockett, Smith, Atkins, Brown, Hayward, Howells, Heath (McKee 69), Maddocks, Ward, Reeves-Jones.
Referee: A Hackett (Great Wyrley).
Attendance: 315
