Midland Football League Premier Division
The Moat Ground, Church Gresley
Saturday, 28th September 2019, 3.00pm
Gresley Still Without A League Win
On this showing it’s going to be a long, long season for the Moat faithful. Gresley seemed totally out of sorts and apart from just two or three players the team looked devoid of grit and fight especially when Lye re-took the lead.
This was not the game for the purists. Two teams languishing near the foot of the table and both desperate for points played out a game that was not easy to watch. There were moments of decent football but only a few and mostly from the visitors.
After the game Gresley manager was furious and declined to speak after the match after seeing his side beaten yet again.
Gresley were without Joe Haines but there was another new face on the bench who had recently signed for the club.
Lye set a marker of intent early on with Jordan Davies firing a shot from the left just over the bar. The visitors were having much the better of the opening minutes and took the lead on 10 minutes with Dominic Dell beating the Gresley back line and finished by slipping the ball past Ben Allsop.
The lead lasted just 7 minutes when a fine cross from the right by James Bennett-Tindall found Nehemia Zazi at the far post and the forward duly headed home.
The rest of the half had nothing to report of note with Dell hitting a weak low shot which Allsop scooped up being the only shot on target.
At the break Jordan Fitzpatrick replaced Dave McDermott but it was the visitors who were asking the questions of the Gresley defence.
The pressure told on 60 minutes when Lye re-took the lead. A run down the left ended with a low ball into the box near the near post. Somehow, Sammy Prince, with his back to goal, managed to backheel the ball through the legs of Allsop and into the net.
It could have been worse for Gresley on 71 minutes when the ball was heading into their net until Joel Howes managed to race back to clear the ball off the line.
Gresley felt aggrieved on 80 minutes when Zazi appeared to be hacked down in the area only for the referee Charlie Dickens to wave the appeals away.
Gresley went close to levelling a few minutes later. Awarded a free kick on the edge of the area Samuel Pilkington struck his kick well enough and was unlucky to see the ball strike the top of the bar.
With Gresley pushing forward, they were caught by a long ball which picked out Lye substitute Alex Sarmenio who smashed the ball past Allsop.
