Match Photos
Chasetown vs Gresley Rovers
Simon Van-de-Brouck on the Reserves game against Chasetown
On Saturday we travelled to Chasetown for our third away game in a row and still searching for our first victory.
We fielded two debutantes in the form of central defenders Todd Perry and Tom Guiney who have joined us from Atherstone and the welcomed return of striker Mykey Pryce.
It was Mykey who nearly got us off to a flyer within 60 seconds when he broke through the Chasetown back line and left them for dead, only to over run the one-on-one straight into the keepers arms.
That was very much the flavour of the first half; we'd defended with great composure and created seven or eight great well-worked openings only to find the killer touch wasn't there. Then came the sting, the first real chance they got they took - one-nil to Chasetown.
Justice at last on the stroke of half time Ryan Yearsley fired a shot low past the keeper, which came back off the post to Ryan who calmly tapped in the rebound.
At half time I told the lads that we had to start taking our chances and punishing teams. I also told them from past experience against Chasetown that they wouldn't give up and that we still had a lot to do to win this game. Obviously this fell on deaf ears, because we came out in the second half strolling and looking very sluggish and got what we deserved, Chasetown took the lead for the second time in the game.
Fortunately we decided to knuckle down again and although the football we played in the second half didn't compare with the quality of the first, the heart and desire did and we reaped the reward with great finish from Mykey Pryce towards the end of the game.
Right at the death we could have taken all three points if firstly Earl Alexander, then Tom Bartram, had found the net from good chances, but that was the story of our day really, that and two lost points!
Something I've spoken to the players about over the past couple of games is that not only do we need to start playing more football but we need to develop a never say die attitude as well. On Saturday we did that, more so in the first half, now the lads have set the standard and that is what we want to be achieving week in week out.
If we continue to play as we did in the first half on Saturday and start to punish teams a bit more, then our first win won't be to far away.
