Match Report  |  Tividale vs Gresley FC

This was as hard a game that Gresley has played so far this season as they had to battle a very heavy pitch, a strong tackling side and a blustery wind. Add to that they had Mitch Hanson (illness), Matt Roome (leg injury), Luke Edwards (hamstring) and John Guy (knee) all missing. Manager Wayne Thornhill also discovered that Lucas Harrison was feeling ill although he managed the full ninety minutes; Ryan King was also ill although he agreed to take a spot on the bench and Callum Riddell unavailable.

Thornhill was at the ground early and after a walk on the pitch decided to reassess his tactics for the game and they paid off.

Gresley started well and a shot almost straight from the kick-off by Alex Steadman almost gave the visitors an early lead with not even a minute on the clock but the effort just cleared the bar with keeper Charles Price well off his line.

The opening goal came for the visitors on 24 minutes. Steadman made a run into the area only to be dragged to the floor by Richard Huckfield who was fortunate to only receive a yellow card as Steadman had clearly got the better of the last defender.

Mr Khan pointed to the spot and Steadman chose to take the kick himself and despite some tricks from Price such as standing just a foot away and then clapping his gloves as loudly as he could the Gresley forward had the last laugh sending Price the wrong way.

Gresley went close to doubling their advantage minutes later when Steadman made a good run down the left and sent in an inviting cross which Kieran O'Connell racing into the box headed wide.

However, they didn't have long to wait for another goal. Another 'robust' challenge from the home side gave Gresley a free kick 25 yards out on the left. Harrison sent in the perfect ball and Jake Carlisle hardly had to move to head home his first goal for the club.

The nearest Tividale got to threatening the Gresley goal came just before the break when Karl Edwards headed narrowly over from Daniel Ashton's free kick.

Within two minutes of the second half starting Gresley's Rob Mulonga went close to adding a third goal when his cross-come-lob caught Price out but the effort just skimmed the top of the bar.

Tividale went close to reducing the arrears when substitute Mark Smith's header from a free kick was cleared off the line by Eric Graves.

The hosts were beginning to get back into the game and were putting the Gresley back line under any concerted pressure for the first time and that pressure reaped its reward on the hour mark. A free kick by Zach Foster found the head of tall substitute Smith who flicked it on to the far post for Nigel Penney to hammer into the roof of the net.

Gresley hit back and Steadman fired a shot over the bar followed by a good run down the right by O'Connell which also ended with the ball flying narrowly over the bar.

Yet another 'robust' tackle produced a free kick on the left which was taken by Jack Langston and his sweetly struck curling kick was unfortunate to come back off the junction of bar and far post.

Gresley's third goal was a peach. With Tividale's defenders quite high up the pitch Langston launched the ball over their heads and Steadman ran forward took one touch before burying the ball in the back of Price's net.

The visitors could have added another goal in time added on when a quickly taken short corner on the right saw substitute Chris Richards lay the ball back to Langston who agonisingly shaved the outside of the far post.

The very hard earned, yet thoroughly deserved, three points sets Gresley up nicely for the tough set of games over the festive period starting on Boxing Day at Coalville.