Evo-Stik NPL Division One South
The Moat Ground, Church Gresley
Saturday, 3rd November 2012, 3.00pm
Dynamo Dimmed By Gresley Spark
Gresley got back to winning ways with a dogged performance against near neighbours Loughborough Dynamo at the Moat Ground as Phil Massingham, Jamie Barrett and James Jepson goals won the day.
Changes were made from the midweek defeat at Sutton Coldfield with Rob Spencer replacing the suspended Marc Goodfellow and Matt Roome taking the right back slot from Sam Woods who is injured. After his impressive first two games Jordan Nadat was given the start at the expense of Richard Hanslow who took a place on the bench.
Gresley started well with Massingham fire a miss kick just wide from Roome's cross. Two minutes later Michael Nottingham powered a header straight at Dynamo keeper Michael Quirke. Nadat also went close after Roome cleverly lofted a ball to him and he in turn looped a high shot which Quirke did well to reach over his head as he was running back towards his goal.
The Moatmen went close to opening the scoring when Barrett hammered a volley which was blocked on the line but they didn't have to wait long as two minutes later the expected goal arrived. Spencer as usual was running hard and made a dash from the halfway line down the flank and laid the ball on for Massingham who hit his shot past Quirke.
Gresley continued in the second half where they'd left off in the first and went inches from extending their lead when Massingham flicked Jepson's free kick just wide of the far post.
Dynamo levelled when a quick break saw the ball played forward to two players who were easily two yards off side and with the Gresley players appealing for offside Hateley brought down one of the players involved and referee Mr Husband pointed to the spot from where Rob Norris sent Hateley the wrong way.
However, Gresley regained the lead barely two minutes later. Jepson sent over a free kick into the area and Marc Strzyzewski headed goalwards but the effort was blocked and Barrett was quick to react ramming the ball home.
Spencer went close to adding to the home side's score when he only just failed to get on the end of Nottingham's header at the far post from Jepson's free kick.
Dynamo should have levelled things again when Matt Langham beat a flat Gresley back line only to fire his shot woefully wide of the mark.
Gresley got the goal their play deserved when Jepson fired a free kick from the left into the far corner of the net.
Again Dynamo threatened to breach the Gresley defence when a cross from Ash Way was headed wide of the far post by Langham.
That was to be the last action for Langham as he was replaced by former Moatman David Blenkinsopp and on 82 minutes he could have marked his return to the Moat Ground when he slid in to hit Dom Brennon's cross from the right against the bar with the rebound being hit well over by a Dynamo player racing in.
Gresley substitute Lavell White made an instant impact making a good run down the right and Massingham hit the resultant cross brilliantly but Quirke got the faintest of touches to steer it onto the bar to deny the frontrunner. Nadat, who had been causing the Dynamo defence all sorts of problems, then warmed Quirke's hands with a stinging shot but the very last say in the match went to Dynamo as substitute Jake Dake Brown somehow managed to squeeze his powerfully hit shot between Hateley and the near post deep into time added on.
Manager's View
Martin Rowe
"We are a little Jekyll and Hyde at the moment; we are either good or bad. Even the other night we weren't bad we just made silly mistakes at the back. Today we cut that out and I thought we deserved a win today and we really should have won by more.
"Their opening goal looked a mile off side to us and I don't know where the linesman was but officials make mistakes and you just have to get on with it and carry on.
"I thought we showed great character in the second half and I thought Jordan Nadat had an exceptional game and made the difference between the two sides.
"Jamie Barrett is doing very well in midfield for us and it was Royce Turville's first game back with us today and he was a bit surprised. 'Jamie playing in midfield?' I said yes Royce and he's been doing really well and he's put in another good performance today. Jamie's took and played really well in there and I'm sure it will continue.
"It's a massive boost to us that James Jepson has decided to stay with us. Nobody wanted him to go but when you get an offer like that from Kings Lynn you've got to seriously think about it but overall he likes playing for Gresley FC. It's about the football and the lads in the changing room who are a good bunch of lads who he enjoys. If you're enjoying your football no matter how much money sometimes you have to stay and that's what he's done.
"There's every temptation to play Royce Turville on Monday at Romulus in the Doodson League Cup. I think we'll play a few others as well because playing on that sort of surface don't do us any good especially with ankles so we might look to bring a few reserves in and a few of the younger players to have a look at them.
"We arrived a bit early today to try and sort a few things out and Sam Woods thought he was going to be alright but in the warm-up his groin just wasn't right so unfortunately we had to take him out of the squad but Matt Roome's come in and had an exceptional game today. I thought he played very well and it's just unfortunate that he's at University in midweek."
