Evo-Stik East Division
Forest Town Stadium, Forest Town, Nottingham
Tuesday, 11th September 2018, 3.00pm
Unlucky Gresley
The travelling faithful would have traveled back to South Derbyshire after this match with mixed emotions. Disappointed that their side did not get at least a point they fully deserved and encouraged by witnessing arguably the best performance from their team so far this season.
The front three of Martin Smyth, Kieran O’Connell and Alex Steadman were working together well and were having an impact on the game from the off with Smyth being extremely unlucky not to have bagged himself at least 3 or 4 goals!
The game was in complete contrast to the drab affair on Saturday with both sides pushing forward especially in the first half when Gresley took an early lead only to be pulled back by two goals for AFC Mansfield before the break.
However, the second half was dominated by Gresley, but the ball just wouldn’t drop kindly for them despite their fervent endeavour and work rate.
Gresley came out strongly and took an early lead with the goal of the game when Smyth collected the ball in the middle of the pitch on 3 minutes before smashing an unstoppable shot from all of 25 yards past the static Jason White.
However, the lead lasted just 7 minutes. Gresley were caught out by a long punt down the middle and Brad Wells got the better of two defenders before rounding Livesey and slotting the ball into the gaping goal.
Gresley were inches away from regaining the lead on 23 minutes. Smyth beat two defenders and hit a low shot which flew just wide of the far post. The Bulls had their chance minutes later, but their shot also went wide of the far post.
Smyth was unlucky again on 29 minutes, again after beating his markers he struck a shot which came back off the base of the far post.
Mansfield was a tad fortunate to take the lead on 32 minutes when Lynton Karkach burst into the area on the left shadowed by Mark Branch. Karkach hit a cross which struck Branch’s arm from close in and the referee Mr Tinsley harshly adjudged that it was deliberate and pointed to the spot.
Karkach chose to take the penalty kick himself only to see his well struck shot come back off the bar but was saved any embarrassment when team mate Nick Guest reacted the quickest to head the ball back into the empty net.
Gresley keeper Jack Livesey made a good block with his legs before action at the other end saw Smyth finish a good footballing move with a scuffed shot which frustratingly once more flew the wrong side of the upright.
The Bulls almost added another goal in the first five minutes of the second half, but it was a Gresley player who went close for them. Trying to defend a cross from the right the ball came off Eric Graves and was heading into the net until Livesey diving full length to his left managed to push the ball away.
That was largely the end of any more threats from the home side as Gresley began to dominate proceedings. Albert Lansdowne was unlucky to see his run into the area end with a shot which White managed to block at the near post.
Smyth, who by now must have been wondering that it was not going to be his night, as once more he went close to scoring. This time he hit a shot on the turn but straight at White.
Substitute Luke Morgan, on for Jamie Barrett, fired his shot over the bar followed by Smyth also going over the bar with his free kick from the edge of the area.
Steadman fired a shot straight at the home keeper with three minutes of normal time remaining and in time added on went even closer to grabbing a deserved share of the spoils. Steadman had made his way into the area and hit a low shot across the goal which was heading into the bottom far corner of the net until White diving to his right managed to stretch out his arm and stop the ball in its tracks.
It’s been used as a bit of a clique before but tonight the better team lost. Gresley will play a lot worse than tonight and win but on this showing there is much to be encouraged about if Gresley can maintain this sort of showing.
