Buxton vs Gresley Rovers
Kieron’s a cracker – Andy Parker – Burton Mail
Striker Kieron Smith has waited a long time to end Gresley Rovers’ goal drought. On Saturday he chose the perfect moment to end a three-month barren spell.
Smith’s brilliant 72nd-minute strike clinched Gresley’s second consecutive Derbyshire Senior Cup Final appearance and kept the Moatmen on course for a brilliant treble. More importantly, it paved the way for an historic all-local meeting between Rovers and neighbours Stapenhill.
Gresley’s place in what they hope will be their first of two cup finals this season – they play Hinckley Athletic for a place in the Banks’s League Cup Final on Saturday already 2-0 ahead from their first leg – was achieved with surprising ease and maintained the Moatmens’ astonishing run of success over Northern Premier opposition. Buxton claimed to be itching to erase the memory of a 6-1 semi-final defeat at the Moat Ground last season, but there was little hard evidence to support that claim.
The home side, wind assisted in the first half, seemed to have the perfect chance to punish Gresley as they established an early territorial advantage. But with Rovers keeper Bob Aston in superb form, the Banks’s League leaders eroded the will of the home side with a highly disciplined defensive performance.
Buxton missed their best chance to capitalise on home advantage with a series of early misses. Centre half Lee Nixon put a free header from Bill O’Malley’s 13th minute corner narrowly over, then the unmarked Paul Bennett shot too high from a good position after the home side had won a head tennis duel in the Gresley box. After that the spotlight moved to Gresley.
John Bottomley’s tremendous tackle on the half way line thwarted an attempted breakaway and when the ball was quickly transferred via Paul Acklam on the left to Richard Denby in a central shooting position his shot was deflected just wide. Gresley’s clarion call had sounded.
Just five minutes later Buxton’s dismal season was in tatters. Graham Jones, ever industrious in the Gresley front line, switched play from right to left, Martin Dick centred far post and there was Jones again to steer the ball back across goal to present Acklam with a two-yard tap in.
The home side responded by producing their most threatening spell of the game up to the break, Aston punching over as Michael Bartholomew homed in on Stuart Lowe’s cross then Jones scooping the ball off the line twice in the space of 10 seconds after Aston had failed to get any power behind a punch Paul Bennett’s corner.
Gresley showed their hosts how to use the strengthening, swirling wind to full advantage after the turnabout and should have been two up after just five minutes, Jones capitalising on a defensive mix-up and racing clear into the box, only to shoot high over from close in as the ball bobbled badly.
Three minutes later it was Acklam’s turn to shoot too high, a spectacular effort from Jones’ headed pass whistling into the crowd.
To their credit, Buxton responded with their best football of the tie without seriously troubling Aston. Instead, the price of pressure was to leave themselves exposed at the back and, from a typically huge Aston clearance, Gresley secured victory.
Acklam raced clear down the centre and shaped for a pot at goal only to nod the ball to his left where Smith coolly allowed it to bounce over his head before turning to beat Gary Carlton with a low, acute angled shot.
That was Smith’s first goal of 1989: “Much needed.” Said the Mansfield-based striker afterwards.
But he vowed: “There’s more where that came from if I just get a run in the side.”
And he admitted: “ I was going to shoot first time but I’m fed up with missing half chances – this time I wanted to make sure.”
And that was exactly what he did to ensure one of local football’s great confrontations was firmly in the offing.
Buxton (0) 0
Gresley Rovers (1) 2
Scorers: Acklam 38, Smith 72.
Buxton: Calton, Pickering, O’Malley, Halliday, Nixon, Brown, O’Connor, Bartholomew, Lowe, Curran, Bennett. Subs not used: Hill, Harris.
Gresley Rovers: Aston, Bottomely, Dick, Denby, Haskins, Page, Moore, Smith Acklam, Jones, Lovell. Subs not used: Astley, Guest.
Gresley man-of-the-match: Martin Haskins.
Referee: P J Robinson (Duffield).
Attendance: 320
