Evo-Stik NPL Division One South
The M Club Stadium, Clayton, Newcastle-under-Lyme
Saturday, 19th March 2016, 3.00pm
Gresley Fall Short
It must be so frustrating for Gresley manager Gary Rickett's, Jamie Barrett and Dave Langston as once more, for the umpteenth time this season, they have had to make changes to their side. This time even more so with players injured, unavailable and suspended.
Ricketts' was without John Guy and Jake Carlisle through suspension, Lucas Harrison work commitments and with both Chris Richards and Martyn Smyth sidelined due to hamstring injuries.
This meant he needed help to bolster his depleted side. Four new signings were made in time for the game with Michael Pearson, Mirza Sejdic and Brad Smith on work experience from Burton Albion and midfielder Dexter Morris-Clarke from Brocton. Young Reserve team player Sam Wright was brought in to fill the left back slot.
Liam Holt returned to the side after recovering from injury and serving a two game ban and Jack Langston managed to get to the game straight from a holiday.
The game for all intents and purposes looked and felt like a duel between two midfield sides almost safe from relegation and with little hope of grabbing a play-off slot but the defeat meant a fifth consecutive defeat equaling the run of losses in late September and early October.
Clear-cut chances were few and far between but it was Gresley who went close first. A good move started by Pearson also included Langston and Ryan King ended with the ball being returned to Pearson who put his shot over the bar.
Langston then drilled in a low shot which was blocked but Newcastle began to find their feet and were pressing Gresley back winning several corners which all came to nothing.
Another good move saw Ricketts find Holt whose first time lob almost caught home keeper Dave Parton out but the keeper did well to get his fingers to the ball and send it over the bar.
The first half ran out with no further chances for either side.
Frustratingly, the second half was not quite as good for the Moatmen which is something we've seen before as they cannot produce a ninety minute performance but they did carve out the first chance of the second half.
A pass from Ricketts sent Pearson racing down the right and when he got near to the bye-line he sent in a low cross which fizzed through the Newcastle box and just evaded the touch of Holt racing in at the far post.
The home side took the lead in a rather fortuitous way. A shot from Harry Clayton on the left took a huge deflection which wrong footed Gresley keeper Matt Cottrell who had the original shot covered. It was a blow for the visitors who had clearly matched their opponents up until that point.
Langston, who had driven to the game direct from Manchester Airport, was replaced by Sejdic but Gresley were finding it difficult to make the final ball into the Newcastle half to try and grab a share of the points which they deserved.
Clayton sent a shot across the face of Gresley's goal as Newcastle searched for a second goal while at the other end King's cross was headed back into the area by Pearson to Holt who planted his header wide of the far post.
Gresley's midfield were now finding it hard to penetrate the home defence and were being out worked by their hosts. A warning came when Jordan Cole put a shot across Cottrell's goal followed by another a minute later.
Gresley got caught by a sucker punch almost on the final whistle. Pressing up the pitch they were beaten by a quick break finished by Jim Garlick who's shot beat Rob Peet, who had replaced the injured Cottrell a minute earlier, despite the keeper getting a hand to the ball.
