Market Drayton are complete with fine win

He said: "There have been games when we've played better in spells, but over 90 minutes I think that was our best yet.

"We have often needed great determination grinding out vital results and also had brighter spells going forward racking up goals – but as a complete performance, I thought this was the game when we really put it all together."

Another major bonus for Town was that they did it without arguably their two key players this season.

Top scorer Scott Ryan, who joined Newtown in midweek, and central defender and skipper Paul McMullen, who was not available.

The duo's absence was evident in the opening half-hour, as Gresley demonstrated why their record of eight Evo-Stik League South away victories was second only to runaway title contenders Stafford Rangers.

Town were battered by a veritable bombardment of shots as the visitors' fast and inventive forwards let fly from a worrying assortment of angles and ranges.

But this shoot on sight approach was ultimately their undoing.

For while the ball was forever flying around and over his goal, Town goalkeeper Ash Rawlins had surprisingly few actual saves to make.

But he must have been relieved when Jordan Ball and John Guy fluffed easy chances.

Town were testing the opposition, too, Craig Ryan's unlucky lob going just wide of the far post and Cohen Bramall's thunderous shot on the run flying wide.

But with Ryan excelling in his new role as strike leader and organiser, Lynden Campbell and Will Whieldon growing in midfield strength and the back four clamping down, Drayton went from strength to strength.

James O'Neill, who joined Town as a striker but played central defence to cover for McMullen, showed he still knows where the goal is by rifling home a spectacular free-kick for Town's opener on 53 minutes.

Ryan had earned the free-kick just outside the penalty area and got Town's second from very nearly the same spot some 20 minutes later.

He took Simon Everall's cross to turn past his marker and crack in a fine right-footer. Gresley had fitfully threatened an equaliser, but that was the end of them.

Just to make sure, Jeff Watkins capped his key defensive performance with a crisp header from a well-worked corner.

By then, only the partial failure of the floodlights – half were made inoperable by a fault – threatened Town's march to victory, which they hope will continue when Carlton Town visit tomorrow evening.