Pre-Season Friendly
The Moat Ground, Church Gresley
Saturday, 23rd July 2016, 3.00pm
Gresley Hold On For Fine Win
Gresley took on a youthful Port Vale side at the Moat Ground on a sweltering afternoon in their sixth pre-seaon game and their third at home.
Manager Damion Beckford-Quailey was short of a few players, Matt Roome, Rob Peet, Ben Gough, Tandai Chitiza, Ryan Walker, Josh Egginton and Jordan Wakelain through holidays, family commitments and illness, but still had the depth to his squad to carve out a fine win.
Gresley created two half chances in the first few minutes with a shot from distance by Matt Melbourne and a free kick from Pearson Mwanyongo flew just over the bar.
They went even closer five minutes later. Courtney Meade ran down the left before cutting in and hitting a low shot which cannoned back off the post.
More good football went unrewarded when Meade sent Toby Fura forward but again the final shot went over the bar.
Gresley took the lead on 25 minutes. Fura threaded a great ball into the area for Mwanyongo to run onto but he was brought down by Vale's keeper Joe Slinn and the referee had no choice but to point to the spot. Mwanyongo dusted himself down and steered a low shot into the bottom right corner.
The first attempt of note from the visitors came five minutes later. Michael Coulon raced down the left cut in to the area and shot but Gresley keeper Tom Allen made a good save at his near post. This was followed a few minutes later with another shot, this time from James Steele, which Allen also dealt with.
The half ended with Gresley doubling the lead. Meade sent Dexter Morris-Clarke through and the substitute finished well.
Vale came for the second half looking far more determined and the reduced the deficit on 53 minutes with a shot from Coulon which seemed to wrong foot Allen and the ball flew into the net over his head.
Meade raced forward but his shot was blocked by the onrushing keeper. The ball came back to new signing Ben Harris who, on seeing the goal unguarded, lobbed the ball back but wide of the gaping target.
The play was flowing from end to end and Vale almost scored when a low shot was fired in but it crashed against the base of the near post.
What surely would have been the goal of the game came in the dying seconds of the game. A fine flowing move from Gresley ended with Eddy Samba dashing into the area before releasing the ball to Reece Morris who hit a shot on the run only to see his superb effort thump the underneath of the bar and away to safety.
