A TWO-MINUTE second-half hat-trick from young striker Richard Hanslow helped Gresley to their biggest win since forming just over 12 months ago.
Other goals were added by Brian Woodall (2), Gareth Langford, Chris Bate, Jordi Gough and a fourth for Hanslow late on.
Gresley started in the best way possible by scoring after just three minutes when Liam Hebberd’s run down the right ended with a perfect cross for Langford to powerfully head past stunned Nomads keeper Ryan Simmonds.
Further pressure from the visitors saw Bate fire well over the bar from distance, but a slight hesitation from the keeper led to Gresley’s second goal.
The ball was rolling towards the edge of the area and Simmonds seemed to be caught in two minds.
Woodall took advantage, robbing Simmonds of the ball and coolly rolling it into the empty net.
On 19 minutes, Tom Land was unlucky to see his header from Woodall’s corner fly just the wrong side of the far post.
Although two goals down, Anstey, to their credit, continued to play good, flowing football but with no end result as their moves broke down in the final third.
It was Gresley who looked the more likely to add to their tally, with Woodall curling a shot just wide, while Nomads’ cause was not helped on 26 minutes when skipper Jimmy Latham, lying on the floor, kicked out at Mickey Lyons.
Ten minutes earlier, Latham had received a yellow card for a tangle with Langford, who was also booked, and so his second yellow saw the midfielder trudge off the field.
Simmonds was by far the busier of the two keepers, but he could not prevent Woodall claiming his second goal of the game when he met Hebberd’s superb cross from the right at the far post.
Unfortunately, this was the last action for Hebberd, who picked up an injury with three minutes of the half remaining and was replaced by Hanslow.
There was still time in the half for Gresley to make it 4-0, with Jamie Barrett the provider of the cross that saw Bate head past Simmonds at the far post.
They went close three times in the opening 10 minutes of the second half, with Carl Slater having his effort well blocked by Simmonds, Woodall’s delicate chip falling wide and Adam Betteridge’s shot deflected over the bar.
Hanslow’s first proper touch of the game was a poor one, but he certainly made up for that by rattling in three goals in two minutes.
The first came on 59 minutes when he was picked out by a pass from Woodall and the young striker turned his marker on the edge of the area and slammed the ball past the keeper.
Hanslow added two more in rapid time in an incredible spell of football.
Anstey were rocked back on their heels and, on 64 minutes, Gough added goal number eight. His first attempt was blocked but he followed up quickly and fired home.
Gresley did have the ball in the net again six minutes later through Lee Sutton, but it was ruled out for offside.
Land again went close with a volley that screamed by the far post and, on 80 minutes, Simmonds made two very good blocks to deny both Sutton and Hanslow.
Hanslow topped off a good performance with the final goal of the game — and Gresley’s ninth — on 89 minutes.
Receiving the ball with his back to goal just outside the area and with little support, he turned and tricked his way past two defenders and dinked the ball past Simmonds.
GOALS: Langford 3, Woodall 13, 29, Bate 44, Hanslow 59, 60, 61, 89, Gough 64.
NOMADS: Simmonds, Stacey, Armson, Thraves, Preston, Hussey (Lightbown 46), Rudkin, Latham, York, Shutter (Packer 78), Helps; sub not used: Frattaroli.
GRESLEY: Hateley, Bate, Gough, Land, Barrett, Slater, Lyons, Hebberd (Hanslow 42), Woodall (Sutton 59), Langford (Hill 76), A Betteridge; sub not used: Coulson.
BOOKINGS: Gresley — Langford; Nomads — Latham (Nomads).
SENDING OFF: Nomads — Latham.
REFEREE: D Tracey (Nottingham).
ATTENDANCE: 201.
