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Kieron in for Rovers
Story courtesy of
After two weeks of unremitting gloom there was finally some good news for Gresley boss Frank Northwood last night.
Striker Kieron Smith, out since October after suffering a depressed fracture of the cheekbone in a league game against Paget Rangers, declared himself fit to return for tomorrow’s trip to Halesowen Harriers.The news came as a much-needed tonic for Northwood who said: “We’ve missed Kieron badly. He’s one of several players who we can ill-afford to be without. The decision to come back had to be his, though, not mine.”
Smith, a miner, has one of the hardest jobs going as a face worker and reckoned if he could stand work he could stand a game of football.
“He’s missed being in the side and he’s itching to get back,” said Northwood.
Fellow striker Tracey Norton – surely the unluckiest player at the Moat Ground – misses out again with a hip injury and fellow forwards Paul Acklam and Steve Adcock have less-than-evens chances of starting tomorrow.
Nonetheless Northwood is pleased to be going into a testing game. “I’d rather be going to Halesowen than Tipton,” he said last night. “It suits us to have a hard game. All sides have bad runs and we’ve just got to be patient. The lads suffered psychologically in the three games against Paget. They’ve still got those defeats in their minds and they’re lacking confidence – but I’m certain we’ll bounce back.”
