REECE Styche had a penalty saved and both sides were reduced to ten men as Glapwell defeated Chasetown 1-0 on Saturday, Lee Gregory grabbing the decisive goal. Click below to read the full report.
GLAPWELL 1 CHASETOWN 0, UNIBOND LEAGUE DIVISION 1 SOUTH, SATURDAY 7TH NOVEMBER
LEE Gregory’s first half goal was the difference as Chasetown tasted defeat at Glapwell on Saturday, with both sides reduced to ten men, writes Dave Goddard.
Chasetown began brightly and took the game to their hosts, and were awarded a penalty as early as the second minute when Reece Styche was brought down. The striker got up to take the spot kick but keeper Neil West got down low to block his shot and the Scholars’ hopes of an early lead were dashed.
A John Branch cross then caused chaos in the Well defence but Styche was unable to complete his shot, and a succession of crosses thereafter pushed the home side further and further back into their own half. Danny Smith headed over the bar after West failed to get on the end of Styche’s cross, and the Well defence was working overtime to block a flurry of shots, the impressive Styche getting closest to the target as he fired just over after being set up by Duncan Horler.
On 32 minutes, however, it was Glapwell who took the lead totally against the run of play. Chris Slater tried to head the ball back to Scholars keeper Ryan Price, but his effort was not strong enough and allowed Gregory to slot the loose ball home.
Price then scrambled away a free header from 45-year old Neil Grayson before a further mistake by Slater looked set to lead to a repeat of the earlier goal as Gregory again picked up the loose ball, but this time Price was able to block his shot and a corner resulted.
Half time: Glapwell 1 Chasetown 0.
Three minutes into the second half Glapwell defender Adam Walker appeared to throw a punch at Styche following a tussle for the ball, and referee Murphy showed the home man the red card.
For much of the half the hosts were content to get as many bodies as possible behind the ball leaving a single man up front, and Chasetown were reduced to speculative long range efforts, West pushing away a Styche shot on 63 minutes and Horler hitting the crossbar.
The Scholars went close on 75 minutes when Tom Marshall managed to break forward, but his shot was deflected away for a corner, and Glapwell’s first chance of the half soon followed when Damien Magee’s free kick floated into the box, but the visiting defence was able to clear.
The Well’s leading scorer Ian Brown was introduced to the attack and unleashed a good shot in the closing minutes which was halted by Price, before the second red card of the game was awarded to Slater after he brought down Conor Higginson in the final minute with the latter sending his free kick straight at Price to conclude the action.
It’s back to the Scholars Ground for the side this Tuesday as they host Carlton Town (7.45pm kick-off) before travelling to Kidsgrove Athletic next Saturday (3pm kick-off).
Glapwell: West, Darkin, Magee, Walker, Kennedy, Timons, Kitchen, Burdett (c), Grayson, Gregory, Kimberley. Subs: Higginson (Grayson 88), Muldoon, Brown (Gregory 68), Goward (Kimberley 85), Richmond.
Chasetown: Price, J Branch, Milligan, Slater, Thomas, Marshall, Steane, Egan (c), Styche, Smith, Horler. Subs: Birch (Smith 61), Batchelor, Titchiner (J Branch 57), Miller, M Branch (Milligan 69).
Goals: Gregory 32.
Referee: Mr M Murphy.
Attendance: 108.
