GSA Sports 1 Brocton 0

A balmy spring day following a fairly lengthy dry period had left the pitch hard and     bobbly and although Brocton produced a few passing moves which could have led to some success, it was the home side who dealt much better with the conditions.

Playing and maintaining to the end with high energy, GSA Sports had a twin approach. When gaining possession they got the ball forward quickly and often aerially, turning the defence for bright, quick forwards to attack and supported in as many numbers as could get there. When not in possession, they harried equally quickly and did not give any Brocton player time on the ball.

There were one or two bright moments early on for the visitors. Richards Jones and Miller combined well down the right flank, exchanging passes until Jones cut back from the bye line Miller unfortunately miscued his shot.

Then Gary Fife slipped his way through the defence to pull back for Lee Scott, whose shot on this occasion was well blocked and eventually cleared.

In between those two forays, Sports gave warning to their visitors not to put too much emphasis on attack as on both occasions swift breaks took them right into the danger area and whilst both attacks were repelled, the second was only with a kick out from keeper Mike Shelper, the signs were posted.

The break through came almost on the half hour, when an overlap on the left from just such a break resulted in a low cross which eluded several legs before being met on the far post with a simple tap in from Grey.

Immediately Fife was in the action once more on the edge of the penalty area, but had to juggle a difficult before finding Charlie Woollat to the left. Woollat found Miller coming in from the right and his shot brought a full length save, back towards his own goal from the keeper, who had advanced in an attempt to act as sweeper. Having performed minor heroics, the keeper then nearly spoiled his day by miss kicking the following goal kick directly to Miller whose quick thinking strike over the keeper’s head also cleared the bar.

The second half produced no more goals and precious little goal mouth action, but the Sports players continued their high tempo approach and rarely looked like relinquishing their lead. The keeper did well to adjust to a wicked upward deflection of a shot from Gary Fife and Ben Harrison was a whisker away from reaching a Fife free kick which found its way to the far post, but the only real chance came and went as a desperate appeal went up for hand ball on the edge of Sports’ area, but the referee was  unimpressed and although it looked a certainty, the result was the right one on the day.