Gedling MW.....................0
Greenwood Meadows ....4 (Sheavills 4, Hodgson 39, Stephens 70, Hopper 73)
Miners winning run ends as powerful football from Nev Silcockās side take all three points at Plains Road
Both teams came in to this holiday fixture in good form and for the first half hour produced a fine display of football. First to trouble the scorers was Ricky Sheavills in the 4th minute when he wasn't closed down sufficiently enough and was allowed to and fire a low shot past Carl Najuk for the lead. Gedling replied when Simon Labbate scraped the bar with a fine effort.
Meadows custodian Danny Dobbie was allowed to stay on the pitch after handling the ball well outside of his box, Mr Hunter only brandishing a yellow. This was the first of many dubious decisions by the man in black, no doubt in his desire to impress the watching assessor. Dobbie excelled himself mid way through the half with a super point blank double save from Kieran Wells.
Greenwood were playing some fine attacking football prompted by some good midfield play from ex-Miner Karim Ibrahim, Jaylee Hodgson stinging Najuk's hands from distance. The home side should have levelled the scores after half an hour. Brad Wells fed George Bradley out wide right and Kieran Wells headed his well flighted cross towards across goal narrowly failing to reach Gareth Ellis coming in at the far stick.
The 33rd minute produced the first real flashpoint. Labbate needlessly kicked out at Jack Caulton, the referee immediately brandishing a red card. Six minutes later and the visitors doubled their lead. Hodgson held off two defensive challenges to score from 18 yards. Just before the break Ellis fired a free kick inches wide.
A half time back line reshuffle, now playing three at the back, was needed to counter the 1 man disadvantage with defender Marc Williams replacing midfielder Reece Campbell. Two minutes in and the cause was effectively lost. Brad Wells was dissmissed by the referee for a challenge on Ibrahim with most present thinking a yellow was sufficient punishment.
Nine against eleven proved too much and the Miners conceded 2 more in the 70th and 73rd minutes from Jack Hopper and Kristian Stephens to seal their fate. But for some fine keeping by Najuk the result could have been much wider.
A bad day at the office for the Miners. It would have been difficult with a full team on the pitch against a buoyant Greenwood team who eased to victory playing some fine flowing football.
The nine men did their utmost to stem the tide but it was not to be and the Squad need to regroup and get cool heads on when they visit Anstey next.
Att ~ 53
Referee ~ Chris Hunter
Gedling MW ~ Najuk, Muldoon (Pass 72) Bradley (C) Labbate, Peet, Marzano, Campbell (Williams 45) Ellis, K.Wells (Bedward 75) B.Wells, Jeffery.
Red cards ~ Labbate (33 foul) B.Wells (47 foul)
Greenwood ~ Dobbie, Fafflick (Caulton15) Sheavills, Lopez, Simms, Pollard (Jack Hopper 61) Robinson, Ibrahim (C) Blair, Stephens, Hodgson.
Sub not used ~ Joe Hopper
Yellow card ~ Lopez 89 (foul)