Pre-Season Friendly
The Moat Ground, Church Gresley
Saturday, 14th July 2018, 1.00pm
Comfortable Win For Gresley
This was a very comfortable win in very uncomfortable conditions. Three months ago, the Moat Ground ground staff were praying for some fine sunny weather as, along with many pitches, the pitch was suffering from the seemingly nonstop deluge but today after weeks of hot sunny weather without a spot of rain the pitch is now rock hard and beginning to show the signs of suffering from a drought.
Credit to all the players they coped with the strength sapping heat and put on a decent show for Gresley’s first pre-season game.
Among the starting eleven were the recent signings all familiar faces to the Moat faithful. Kieran O’Connell, Eric Graves and Martin Smyth.
Gresley started well with Smyth bringing out a good save from Thringstone keeper Connor Cannon turning away a powerful header.
The home side took the lead on 12 minutes when Damo Lawrence clumsily brought down Cameron Steele in the area. Smyth took the resultant penalty sending the keeper the wrong way.
Minutes later the trickery of O’Connell almost produced a second goal. After receiving a short corner from Mark Branch he shrugged off his maker and turned deep into the area only to fire his shot into the side netting.
Steele went lose to increasing Gresley’s lead when he headed narrowly over the bar a delightful cross from the left by Graves.
With four minutes of the first half remaining O’Connell got the goal he deserved. After picking the ball up 25 yards out he ran into the area before firing a low shot across Cannon and into the far bottom corner of the net.
As is normal for these type of games Gresley made several changes and were soon on the scoresheet again. With three minutes of the second period gone a footballing move from defence to attack ended with Smyth slotting the ball past Cannon.
On 50 minutes Gresley extended their lead further as Albert Lansdowne got on the end of a superb cross to fire the ball home from close in.
A pinpoint defence splitting ball from Smyth sent Graves in on goal but some brave goalkeeping from Cannon denied him the chance of goal number five.
However, Gresley didn’t have long to wait for another goal as another good footballing move was finished with aplomb by O’Connell in the centre of the area.
Fittingly Smyth scored goal number six and with it completing his hat-trick on 63 minutes. Smyth then turned supplier with a pass to substitute Dominic Allen who’s resultant well struck volley flew just over the bar.
Zac Evans added goal number seven when he rammed home from close in a ball from Steele who had done well to cut the ball back from the bye line.
Another of Gresley’s second half substitutes, Josh Garland, hit a shot from distance which was well saved by Cannon.
Gresley’s final goal came almost on the ninety-minutes when Evans got on the end of a superb through ball and despite the attentions of a defender and the onrushing Cannon deftly lobbed the ball into the empty net from the edge of the area.
