Stapenhill vs Gresley Rovers
Kev plays heroes and villains – Andy Parker – Burton Mail
It all turned sour for Stapenhill’s Kevin Joyce just as the burly striker was poised to lift the laurel wreath of victory at Edge Hill last night.
Joyce’s header climaxed the move of the match to give Stapenhill a 76th minute lead in the hitherto disappointing Bass Vase Centenary match.
But in a thrilling last gasp effort, acting Gresley skipper Michael Guest stole an equaliser after keeper Dave Bolton missed a Martin Dick corner and the destination of the trophy was decided on penalties.
With the teams locked on 5-5 on spot kicks, Neil Lovell beat Bolton to give Gresley the lead and the hapless Joyce, who had earlier vaulted the perimeter fence in delight after converting Kevin Bird’s right wing cross, could only hang his head in despair as Aston beat out his kick.
Really, though, his Stapenhill team-mates should have been looking at each other for answers. The Swans, playing much nearer to full strength than a patchwork Rovers, dominated most of the game but could not find a way past Aston.
They were guilty too, of failing to force the pace over 90 minutes which would surely have produced a result.
Martin Fox produced the nearest thing to a goal for the Swans with a swerving shot on the turn on 55 minutes and Tony Coppinger headed a Bird free kick over when well placed before the same two players combined again on the right to set up Joyce’s chance.
There seemed no back for Gresley until substitute Graham Fearn, strutting his skills, drove in a searching right wing cross that almost produced a goal for Kieron Smith.
Instead Bolton forced the ball away for a corner then completely misjudged Dick’s kick, allowing Guest to steal in at the far post and thump a header into the bottom corner of the net.
Dick, Fearn, Paul Dearn, Paul Turner and Andy Maddocks were all successful from the penalty spot for Gresley while Bird, Brian Beresford, Darren Blower, Clive Arthur and Chris Caulton all enjoyed success for the Swans before Aston’s decisive save.
Stapenhill (0) 1
Gresley Rovers (0) 1
(Gresley won 6-5 on penalties)
Scorers: Joyce 76 (Stapenhill); Guest 89 (Gresley Rovers).
Stapenhill: Bolton, Arthur, Cooper, Pearsall, King, Caulton, T Coppinger, Bird, Joyce, Fox (Blower 63), D Coppinger (D Coppinger 45).
Gresley Rovers: Aston, Pickering, Dick, Dearn, Guest, Lovell, Turner, Duggins (Fearn 58), Smith, Davey, Wain (Maddocks 45).
Referee: Keith Hackett (Sheffield).
Attendance: 500
