UCL Division 1
April 4, 2023
Six of the best for Gedling in a vital victory.
The Miners had been in poor form lately and found themselves in the drop zone before the game and started slowly and on 8 minutes Grantham Academy hit the front, a ball over the top saw Oli Skinner poke past the oncoming Louis Richardson from 16 yards but the visitors felt there was a handball in the build-up.
Gedling began to find their feet and on 18 minutes they were level, Greg Tempest found Ruben Wiggins-Thomas in space, and he played in Zachary Hill who slammed an effort past the keepers near post from 10 yards for his 2nd goal in 4 outings.
On 20 minutes Tempest whipped in a corner that Adrian Hawes headed at the keeper from a narrow angle but just 50 seconds later the Gedling centre back found the net from a brilliant Jahren Barrow cross that Hawes headed into the corner from 15 yards to give the visitors the lead.
Gedling continued to push and on 27 minutes the influential Tempest almost had his name on the scoresheet after Courtney Hastings did well to hold the ball up and Tempest then powered an effort which the keeper saved well to keep the score to 2-1.
Hill was also causing havoc down the right, and he nearly added his 2nd of the night on 34 minutes as he won back possession and drove to the edge of the box before his right footed effort was beaten away by the hosts keeper.
In the first minute of first half stoppage time the miners scored again, a short back pass saw Wiggins-Thomas pounce to slot the ball into the bottom right corner from 8 yards for his 7th of the season and to give the visitors a deserved 3-1 half time lead.
Gedling didn’t drop off and just 3 minutes after the restart the lead was extended, Hill did brilliantly to keep an overhit ball in and he layed it back to Barrow who whipped in another superb cross and Hastings powered a header into the top left corner from 15 yards.
Just 3 minutes later Hastings could have scored again after Hill picked him out in the area, but Gedling’s number 9 couldn’t quite get his shot off and the defender blocked.
On the hour the experienced Wiggins-Thomas almost scored a wonderful solo effort as he drove to the edge of the box and took on 2 players with some brilliant skill, but his effort was well saved by the Grantham keeper.
But just 2 minutes later Gedling added a 5th of the night, Kieran Harrison whipped in a free kick which the skipper Josh Thornton headed into the bottom right corner for his 3rd of the season and the kill off the game.
The scoring was complete in the 80th minute as another short back pass was capitalised on this time by Hastings who rounded the keeper and scored for his 2nd of the night and a 10th of the season.
Hastings should have had the match ball as Paolo Piliero slipped in Wiggins-Thomas who squared to Gedling’s top scorer, but he fell over before he could take his short and the chance was gone bit Gedling earned a massive 3 points to lift them back out of the drop zone with 3 games to go.
Gedling MOM – Zachary Hill
Gedling Team – Louis Richardson, Jahren Barrow, Ross McCaughey, Kieran Harrison (Danny Dixon 62’), Adrain Hawes (Josh Stevenson 66’), Josh Thornton (C), Zachary Hill (Niall Hylton 69’), Greg Tempest (Fenn Davies 69’), Courtney Hastings, Ruben Wiggins-Thomas, Paolo Piliero
