Evo-Stik Division One South
Novus Stadium, Kidsgrove
Saturday, 11th April 2015, 3.00pm
Five Up For Gresley
This could quite easily have been one of those games to have tripped Gresley up as their opposition are fighting for points at the bottom of the table but in the end it was a comfortable win for the Moatmen.
Gresley were two up by half time and then added three more in the second period to keep their play-off hopes alive as they moved up to 4th in the league.
Manager Wayne Thornhill made changes with an eye on the trip to Leek on Wednesday. Jamie Barrett had not recovered from his knee injury picked up on Monday so John Guy came in alongside Mitch Hanson who missed the Coalville game due to work commitments.
Alex Steadman was on the bench alongside Martin Smyth giving starts to both Chris Richards and Rob Mulonga. Striker Luke Edwards also made a welcome return to the squad.
It was soon evident that Kidsgrove would continue where they left off at the Moat three weeks ago with Gresley striker Kieran O'Connell a marked man. The 'robust' tackles were soon raining in with O'Connell doing well to contain his anger at times.
However, his persistent bothering of the home defence soon produced dividends when he was tripped in the area and referee Richard Woodward didn't hesitate in giving the penalty. With Steadman on the bench, Hanson resumed the task of taking the spot kick he'd had earlier in the season, and he duly sent keeper Joe Hemmings the wrong way to give the visitors the lead.
Kidsgrove hit back and should have levelled things just after the half hour mark. Billy Beresford found himself in on goal but with only the keeper to beat he fired wide of the mark.
Three minutes later the home side had an even better chance of drawing level. Ross Davison made a run into the area and Hanson was shepherding out by the near post but Davison appeared to trip over his own feet and to the anger of Hanson the referee pointed to the spot. However, justice was done as the young Gresley keeper Liam Roberts saved Anthony Malbon's kick to keep his side in the lead.
With the first half almost at an end Gresley went two up. Richards made a fine run down the left and as he got into the area put a low ball into the box where Mulonga was on hand to push the ball into the net. O'Connell almost added a third seconds later when he ran through on goal only to put his shot wide of the far post.
Five minutes into the second half Gresley got their third goal. O'Connell laid the ball back to Karl Ashton who struck a low shot from the edge of the area into the bottom corner of the net.
Goal number four came with six minutes remaining. A good move saw Hanson pick out substitute Steadman, who had replaced O'Connell, but he scuffed a shot which came off a defender into the path of fellow substitute Hayden Johns who fired the ball home, his first for the club. The goal could be a fitting end to Johns' Gresley career as the popular New Zealander returns home next week after a two year stay in the UK with just the Leek game left, if picked.
The fifth and final goal came four minutes later. A short corner on the left by Richards to Langston saw the ball returned to the youngster and as he strode into the area he was tripped giving Gresley their second spot kick of the match. Hanson once more sent Hemmings the wrong way with his kick.
Gresley almost fluked a sixth goal when Jack Langston produced a fine diving save from Hemmings with the rebound hitting the back of midfielder and the ball flying inches wide of the far post.
