Droylsden F.C.-The bloods on the net!

DROYLSDEN 1 – 2 GRAYS ATHLETIC

BLUE SQUARE PREMIER - Saturday 1 September 2007

Report by Dave Leach

It certainly was a Gray day for Droylsden on Saturday, as the Bloods slipped to their fourth consecutive defeat to leave them still searching for their first victory in the top flight. In the majority of the games played so far, they have more than held their own to a certain extent and they are not a million miles away from being a good competitive side in this division. Indeed, they more than matched Grays at the Butchers Arms and their defeat owed as much to bad luck as to the visitor's talents, with the woodwork being the culpable villain of the piece.

Boosted by the return of full backs Danny Warner and Steve Halford, the home side started brightly and after five minutes, Jody Banim made progress down the right flank before sending in a cross that Flitney just about took from the head of the lurking Terry Fearns. Cooksey replied for Grays when he robbed Halford and advanced into the box only to be dispossesd by Colin Cryan. Oli then swung in a dangerous cross form the right that Paul Phillips collected under pressure from McAllister.

The Bloods then fluffed a good opportunity to take the lead when on twenty minutes, Ged Murphy won the ball in midfield and fed Banim, who in turn cleverly played the ball into the path of Steve Daly who held off his marker before shooting past Flitney only to see the ball roll agonisingly wide of the upright. The dangerous O'Connor responded for Grays by firing a vicious shot just wide of the Droylsden post from a good position.

The game was flowing nicely and the chances continued at either end. Twice in the space of minutes, the unmarked McAllister headed wide from free kicks when it seemed that he must score. Then at the other end, Jamie McGuire was upended just outside the Grays area by Day. From the resulting free kick, Gareth Morris crashed his shot against the defensive wall, with the ball deflected towards the bottom corner of Flitney's goal, but the visiting keeper made a flying save to push it out for a corner. Barnard then hit the post for Grays on the stroke of half time after good work by Cooksey.

In the second half, it was Droylsden's turn to hit the woodwork when five minutes in, Fearns held off the attention of two defenders to hit a rising shot against the post. The ball rebounded out to Banim but his follow up shot was cleared off the line by Stuart and the chance was gone. The two close calls then came back to haunt the Bloods minutes later when Grays took the lead, after a low cross from the left into the home side's area eluded everybody, except the predatory McAllister who just about got to the ball ahead of Burke to tap home on the line.

Droylsden responded positively and some fine link up play between Fearns and Daly resulted in the latter crashing a shot against the crossbar with Flitney well beaten. However, minutes later, after Phillips had made a great one-on-one save to deny O'Connor, Daly received his due reward when he scored his first goal of the season to bring the Bloods back on level terms.

McGuire sent Warner scampering away down the left flank and the long serving defender sent in a superb cross that the grateful Daly headed powerfully past Flitney from the edge of the six yard box. The relief around the ground was evident and with their tails up the Bloods pressed for a winner and they very nearly got it when on seventy seven minutes the ball fell to McGuire on the edge of the Grays area. Unfortunately, his rasping volley flew just millimetres wide of the upright.

Then at the other end of the pitch, Cryan had to be alert to clear a goal bound shot from O'Connor off the line. As the game headed into the final stages, and with Droylsden continuing to pour forward looking for a winner, they were hit by a sucker punch with five minutes remaining, when O'Connor emerged from a tussle with Burke to round Phillips and slide the ball into an empty net from a tight angle. Burke had appeared to have been fouled in the build up to the goal but these decisions go against you when you are down there.

With virtually the last kick of the match, Droylsden had one last opportunity to equalise but after being fed by a good ball from Marsh-Evans, the unmarked Robin Gibson blazed his shot wide with the goal at his mercy.

Next up for Droylsden is a home tie against title favourites Stevenage and judging by this display, the Bloods are more than capable of causing an upset, provided Lady Luck can somehow find her way back to the Butcher Arms.

DROYLSDEN Phillips, Warner, Murphy, Burke, Halford (Marsh-Evans 72), Fearns (Gibson 82), Cryan, McGuire, Morris, Banim, Daly (Salmon 75)

Subs not used Lynch, Senior (G/K)

GRAYS Flitney, Stuart, Ashton, Sambrook, Barnard, Cooksey (Grant 69), Gross, O'Connor, Hearn (Day 16), McAllister (Kedwell 86), Oli

Subs not used Knowles, Watson

ATTENDENCE 592

REFEREE Mr M A Taylor (Sheffield)