NINE-man Gresley were denied victory at Stratford Town on Saturday as the hosts levelled six minutes from time after two visiting players were sent off.
An entertaining game, which had seen the Moatmen take a 2-0 half-time lead through Marc Goodfellow’s brace, was turned on its head as Adam Betteridge was shown a straight red card for a tackle on former Gresley player Danny Haynes.
A second yellow card for Rob Spencer minutes later gave the home side the incentive to press forward and equalise, and in the end, Gresley did well to hold on for a draw.
Manager Gary Norton was forced to make a late change to his side as striker Richard Hanslow was taken ill before the game, which meant that Royce Turville started up front alongside Dean Oliver.
New signing Danny Holmes came into the midfield to replace Gareth Langford, who was unavailable.
In the first 15 minutes, neither side carved out a clear-cut chance, but on 24 minutes Gresley took the lead when Holmes brilliantly picked out Goodfellow on the left, and he strode forward to hit a shot that took a deflection off Haynes and beat keeper Richard Norris.
A couple of minutes later, Stratford did have the ball in the net, but the effort was ruled out for a handball.
Turville then went close to doubling Gresley’s lead after being put through by Goodfellow, but the final shot was too close to Norris, who made the save.
The striker then was just a couple of inches away from connecting with Oliver’s cross from the right as Gresley continued to press forward.
With four minutes remaining of the first half, Gresley got the second goal they deserved when Goodfellow beat Norris from the left with a stinging low shot into the far corner of the net.
And they could have gone into the break with a bigger advantage, but Spencer flashed his shot just past the near post.
A moment of slack defending saw Town reduce the deficit on 59 minutes.
A half-clearance was returned with interest by Haynes, and with Jordi Gough desperately trying to cover, the defender managed to cross to Alsop, unmarked in the middle, who got his head to the ball and flicked it past Gary Hateley.
Hateley did well to push Mykel Beckley’s low shot away for a corner at the near post as the home side threatened, and from the flag kick, Martin Thompson’s effort was tipped backwards by Hateley, with Spencer on hand to clear off the line.
Goodfellow went agonisingly close to completing his hat-trick when he saw Norris off his line, but his lob skimmed the top of the bar.
On 69 minutes, Town were denied by the woodwork as a cross-shot from substitute Joe Wright clattered the base of the far post, with Ricky Baker doing the same minutes later.
Goodfellow went close again when he collected a short corner just failed to curl the ball in at the far post.
Then came the two red cards, and from the free-kick for the second, Stratford equalised as Liam Reynolds teed up Baker to fire in a low shot that was turned home by Alsop.
Gresley then did well to keep Stratford out as the hosts went looking for the winner.
However, Gresley could have sneaked victory themselves from a clever free-kick after Goodfellow, charging through the middle, was brought down from behind just outside the area.
The winger looked to be lining up a shot but cleverly slid the ball to Oliver, whose shot was blocked by Norris.
STRATFORD: Norris, Haynes, Baker, Reynolds, Gregory, Parker, Herlihy (Wright 58), Alsop (Holford 90), Thompson (Molynuex 75) , Beckley, Murphy. Sub not used: Faulds.
GRESLEY: Hateley, T Betteridge, Gough, Barrett, Nottingham, Spencer, Lyons, Holmes, Oliver, Turville (A Betteridge 77), Goodfellow. Subs not used: Hanslow, Dillon, Bryant, Barrow.
BOOKINGS: Town — Herlihy; Gresley — Spencer, Goodfellow.
SENDINGS OFF: Gresley — Spencer, A Betteridge.
STAR MAN: Best game so far in a Gresley shirt and scored two good goals REFEREE: A Khalfe (Bromsgrove) ATTENDANCE: 248.
