Brigg Town FC 3 Gresley 3 - Evo-Stik League Division One South

Brigg Town FC attacked first and Bruno Holden touched the ball on from the right wing to Paul Grimes but he was tackled outside the area.

Gresley soon responded with some neat passing down their own right wing resulting in a corner kick when Chas Fisher cut out Richard Hanslow’s attempted cross, WRITES BOB TAYLOR.

The ball fell kindly to Michael Nottingham but came off him for Miles Fenty to gather it. Josh Davies then played a cross field pass for Danny Buttle on the left wing and his pinpoint cross was headed marginally wide of the upright post.

The visitors took the lead in the ninth minute when RICHARD HANSLOW worked his way into space behind the Brigg defenders on the right and struck a rising shot into the roof of the net from twelve yards out.

Five minutes later, Brigg were two down and looking shell-shocked after Richard Hanslow found the same space and forced Miles Fenty into a save but the ball dropped at the feet of JORDAN NADAT for an easy tap-in.

Within a minute, Brigg reduced the arrears when the ball was worked well down their left wing and switched into the penalty area for PAUL GRIMES to turn and hit a shot into the corner of the net from fifteen yards out.

Gresley had another good chance to restore the two goal lead after Jamie Barrett was played clear down the middle of the pitch but he blasted his shot over the bar.

Continuing to dominate the first twenty five minutes of the game, a delightful passing move from Sam Woods, Royce Turville and Richard Hanslow resulted in the latter curling a shot past the upright of Miles Fenty’s goal. For the rest of the first half, Brigg gradually got more into the game and had increased possession.

Josh Davies was brought down on the edge of the penalty area by Michael Nottingham but the free kick went into the defending wall and out for a corner kick, which was eventually cleared.

Paul Grimes and Bruno Holden looked threatening and combined well for the latter to have a shot saved by Gary Hateley.

Danny Buttle was getting more service and able to take on his marker, Sam Woods, to deliver telling crosses across the penalty area. With two minutes of the first half remaining, Brigg levelled the score when Bruno Holden played the ball out to the left wing for Danny Buttle to send over another cross to the far post where BRUNO HOLDEN rose to head it into the top corner of the net

Having worked hard to get back into the game in the first half, Brigg started poorly again in the second conceding a corner kick on the right after five minutes play. From Dean Rathbone’s kick, JORDAN NADAT ran into the goal area unmarked to head Gresley back into the lead. Brigg defended two more left wing corner kicks but a deflected shot went narrowly over Miles Fenty’s cross bar.

After sixty-two minutes, Brigg were level again after a free kick from Josh Davies wasn’t properly cleared and the ball was played back into the area for PAUL GRIMES to feed off Bruno Holden’s pass before hitting a stinging shot into the corner of the net.

Brigg created good opportunities to take the lead but Bruno Holden’s shot was tipped over the bar by Gary Hateley and Liam Davis went close after his telling run into the penalty area.

Brigg were finishing the second half strongly and Paul Grimes created two more golden scoring chances by unselfishly pulling the ball back from the left for Liam Davis to drive a shot wide and then for substitute James Windle to be denied by a great save by Gary Hateley.

Danny Buttle’s cross from the left wing was deflected for a corner kick by Marc Strzyzewski’s block and a couple of successive corner kicks were cleared up the pitch.

Danny Buttle was stopped again by a late crude tackle from Jamie Barrett sustaining an ankle injury and needed to be substituted for the last minutes of the game.

Fenty, Archer, Dudley, Davies, Hellewell, Fisher, Ashton, Davis, Holden, Grimes, Buttle; subs, Broughton, Windle and Paczkowski for Buttle, (89), Davies (79) and Holden (79); Gee and Zand not used.

Attendance: 105.

Brigg travel to Newcastle Town on Tuesday evening and then follow this up with another home game against Chasetown on Saturday afternoon.