22nd March 2008

Both teams have suffered a dip in form of late. On the 15th March The A side got horribly wrong in the last 30 minutes of the away game to Arnside Reserves, after the leading the game 1-0 for 70 minutes through a Lee Williams strike. Tiredness, a dodgy U shaped pitch and dodgy officiating got the better of The Gregson. Arnside scored 4 times in the last 30 minutes to take all the points, one goal was well off side another should have been disallowed for a push in the box. Gregson also had a stone wall penalty waved away when Oliver Bailey was up ended when sure to score. So it should have been 2-2, so there. Gregson B lost a close match to Villa Royale 2-1, which was described in the Lancaster Guardian as "the most exciting divison 4 match of the day". This loss marked the end of a fabulous 5 game winning streak.

Gregson A had a difficult match at home to Heysham on the 22nd March. They ground out a scoreless draw. Keeper Calclough was sent off  

8th March 2008

With no B game this week, the Gregson A team travelled to Grange over sands with the full team rosta to call upon. Confidence was high that all three points could spirited away from the sea side location without much ado. The Gregson scored early doors through the prolific Dom Williams, the game looked to be a routine affair with the lions share of possession belonging to Gregson in the first half hour. But for the remaining 15 minutes of the second half the Gregson lost their bearings. Grange shot a warning shot across the bows and hit the post and where soon level via the penalty spot as the pacey right winger was brought down in the box by centre back Tim Hall.

Gregson started brightly in second half with Chris Hinchliffe centering for Lee Williams  to hit a low drive powerfully on target which the grange keeper did well to keep out. Dom Williams showed great skill to evade defenders and to hit a rasping drive but was again denied by the grange keeper. Grange took the lead through a freakish goal. Using the wind to good effect the Grange keeper smashed a goal kick deep into the Gregson half which eluded the Gregson back four, found the only piece of firm ground on the pitch. The ball bounced higher than the on rushing keeper Calclough anticipated and the goal found the Gregson net. It was a hammer blow which dented Gregson confidence and two more goals where shipped without reply. Twenty minutes to go and substitutes where brought on and the formation changed to 3-4-3. The Gregson managed to get within striking distance of a draw through goals from Dom Williams, who can now boast 6 goals in 3 games, and Adrian Thomas who scored a well taken 5th of the season from the edge of the 18 yard box at the end of a good team move, this would his last game of the season. The Gregson pressed looking for the equaliser, but it would never arrive. With 3 games to go and a possible 9 points to be gained it is near impossible to gain promotionthis season.          

1st March 2008

Glory, Glory, Gregson F.C. or something like that. But the Reds keep marching on. Gregson A went to Bolton-Le-Sands to replay the game that was never was. A slip of the pen had meant that the this fixture whch ended 3-3 last year was to be re run at the request of Bolton-Le-Sands. Having already notched up a cup victory and a win at home to Baileys boys, Bolton-Le-Sands must have thought that another 3 points were in easy reach as they looked to consilidate their lead in division 3. But the first string of the Gregson outfit had another version of the story to tell and came away with all three points after comprehensively beating the league leaders 3-1 at home.

The conditions were poor with a muddy, rutted pitch and swirling winds to deal with mistakes were common, with the players unsure whether to keep the ball on the ground or to go long. The Gregsons first goal came in the first half. Golden boot contender Josh North had gotten to the by line, his chip to back post eluded the Bolton-Le-Sands keeper and left Dom Williams with a simple tap in. The Gregson looked good value in the first twenty minutes but Bolton-Le-Sands came on stong after that. They equalised when centre back Adam Connerton was caught in possession whilst trying to keep the ball alve. Keeper Calclough got hands on the shot but the delfected ball looped into the top corner. Soon after BLS had a goal disallowed for off side and centre back Stevenson survived  what looked like a stone wall penalty having brought down his man in the box. The Gregson survived to half time but had a number of chances of their own, two of the best fell to Josh North who was unlucky not to get his name on the score sheet with a least one of his attempted lobs over the Bolton-Le-Sands keeper. The Gregson had a fantastic second half. The back four and keeper were resolute and kept a clean sheet second half. The Gregson wings were used to good effect and Chris Smith scored a wonderful team goal. His superbly timed run was spotted by Michael Clegg who cooly slotted the ball through Peleesque for Chris to side foot home with first time shot. Dom Williams who had missed a one on one opportuinty when certain score made no mistake with the third goal. Bolton-Le-Sands pushed 3 upfront to chase the game. The new striker made little impact, save to slide into the brick shit house that is Calglough who recipricated by grinding his face in the mud. Cue team melee. Both players were yellow carded. The Gregson withstood the Bolton-Le-Sands pressure for the last 10 minutes to win the game at a canter and to move into 4 place in the league.

If things were going well for the Gregson at Bolton-Le-Sands the B team were turning on the style and routing Burton Thistle reserves 7-1. This victory took their unbeaten run to 5 on the back of their 4-3 victory against AFC college last week and are now surely contenders for team of the month. Micheal Leadson bagged himself a brace to take his tally for the season to four. New strker John Edgerton helped himself to four with some clinical finishing and player manager Richard Barton notched up his second of the season to complete the rout and to climb the league to 7th place             

16th February 2008

Its been a hard winter for the Gregson, the club looked in peril post Christmas. The outlook looked bleak, with points deducted for irregulariites, training facilities under threat and almost 20 players suffering from injury it was increasingly difficult to field two teams. The league were watching.   

The Gregson appear to have emerged from winter hibernation like a hungry grizzly and have started to maul teams around them as if they had stolen its spring time snack. So on glorious a sunny day in February both Gregson sides won convincingly. Gregson A won at home to Grange Reserves, and took the lead through a typical Dom Williams top corner pile driver. The Gregson A side never looked back, and Williams the only player to turn up with his finishing boots doubled the lead wth a low drive for his sixth of the season to wrap up the points. Grange barely had a chance with sturdy defensive work from the back four and fine box player from Veteran keeper Calclough.

Gregson B won their third game on the bounce and powered passed Bentham Res for the first time this season. Paul Tunstall got his fourth of the season from the spot and Chris Pike struck a fine hattrick. Michael Thompson wrapped up the scoring to win a now typical free scoring game.   

5th January 2008

Happy new year. The Gregson first string began the new year in fine style. Stamping their credentials as potential third divison champions by hammering league leaders Carnforth Rangers Reserves 5-0. It was an awsome display the Gregson back four where in fine form, erecting an unbreachable barrier for the Carnforth Reserve strikers. Michael Moore started the scoring, blasting in the rebound from a Michael Clegg penalty. Josh North, a revalation upfront, won the  penalty and scored an individual wonder goal. Dom Williams hit an unstoppable top corner drive to mark the birth of his second daughter Meg, cue Bebeto style celebrations. Both Eugene McCann and Oliver Bailey returned from their long injury lay offs to score. Eugenes goal a bottom corner pile driver from 20 yards was a thing of beauty, Oliver Baileys finished off a fine team move Henry style latching onto a Lee williams assist. On this form with a fine keeper, stingy back four,  the partnership of Hall Stevenson, talented engine room with Thomas and Clegg understanding evident yesterday and fine wing and wing back play coupled with the clinical finishing lacking in previous performances, the Futures bright the futures Gregson.

Gregson B were away playing Moguls on St Georges field. Reports from the players reveiled that after losing the toss the conditions played a large part in the 4-1 score line, with wind against them and low sun to cope with Gregson B lost 3 goals in the fisrt half. The second half was different story Michael Thompson scoring a fine goal and the back four only conceding one to Moguls. the game was marked by good sportsmen ship and all players remarked how enjoyable the game was to play in.              

3rd November 2007

Gregson A last years finalists went out of the divisional cup with a wimper, where as Gregson B went out with a roar. No cup runs for either string of the Gregson F.C. this season. Gregson A went out at home beaten by Bolton le Sands, conceding a goal either side half time when leading the game comfortabley from a Michael Clegg penalty. The second goal was a goal keeping blunder, the keeper who had been solid through out the first half came out for an unchallanged catch, lost his footing and slipped to floor, allowing the bolton le sands striker to nod home into an empty net from a yard out. Despite continuous pressure from the Gregson they could not find the key to unlock the Bolton le sands defence, Lee Willams, Dom Williams and the young substitute all came close. 

Striker Bailey sustained an injury after being upended for the umpteenth time by the Bolton le sands number 9. Bailey could take no further part in finding the equaliser, unable to use his blisterting turn of pace as a result of the blow to the knee. As so often is the case the attacking team were hit by a sucker punch. With nothing to lose and in search of an equaliser to force extra time, the back line became stretched and Bolton le Sands capitialised with another goal from a close range header. Game over and an end to the cup dream for this season for the first string.

Gregson B provided something of a thriller and showed the A side what fighting spirit was all about, playing away against the youthful Bentham Reserves. Two goals from Nathan Moorby one from Paul Tunstall and another from Steve Longstaffe saw the game tied 4-4 at full time. In the end the young legs of the Bentham players won the day in extra time knocking in a further trio of goals to seal the victory. Both teams are now free to concentrate on their respective leagues.