Gresley Rovers vs Witton Albion
Gutsy Rovers fight back – Andy Parker – Burton Mail
Frank Northwood put it in a nutshell when he said: “We looked dead and buried – but we showed great character to come back and make a draw.”
For that was the story of Gresley Rovers’ latest battle with the might of the HFS Loans League. Previously, such matches in the Northwood era have ended in triumphs. But Witton Albion on Saturday were no Buxton or Matlock Town.
The Cheshire side looked so incisive, so powerful and so direct in the opening stages of Saturday’s First Qualifying Round that by the time Gresley had time to pause for breath they were two goals down.
But the Moatmen, to their immense credit, stuck to their own footballing style, fought back and have the chance to earn a home tie against Warrington by winning at Witton’s new £1m purpose-built stadium tomorrow night.
Elementary defensive errors will have to be eliminated if Rovers are to upset the odds. For Saturday’s blunders at the back were ruthlessly exploited by Witton.
Rovers seemed to have weathered an early storm of pressure, during which Witton forced a string of corners and a typically smart save from Bob Aston, blocking Mark Edwards stinging drive at the foot of a post, before Neil Lovell erred fatally.
An intended backpass was too short for Aston but not for the speedy John Coleman, who dashed in, rounded the keeper and scored clinically from a tight angle.
Ten minutes later it was 2-0. John Bottomley and Steve Astley both had chances to clear but neither did. Edwards dashed in, Aston saved well again but the ball was cleared only as far as Coleman who drove in a low shot from outside the box that tucked itself just inside Aston’s right hand post.
Gresley had barely had a look in at the other end at this stage but within five minutes they had reduced the arrears with an excellent goal.
Denby, outstanding in midfield, curled a perfect free kick from the left wing and Gil Land, temporarily relieved of his hectic defensive duties, arrived at the far post to place a header past keeper Andy Newell.
Stung into fierce retaliation, Witton’s aristocrats raged back. Astley redeemed his earlier error by blocking Tony Jarvis’s goalbound shot then Aston provided the highlight of the game with a brilliant reaction save, somehow keeping out a point blank header from Paul Dawson that had “goal” written across it in letters a yard high.
Still Witton made and missed chances but there was suddenly a suggestion that their heavy artillery might be shielding a weak point or two at the back.
Sure enough, when Mark Bromley’s upfield punt found Brian Beresford in a one-on-one with full back Simon Mourne, Witton were breached.
In a situation tailor-made for Beresford’s skill, the wily striker twisted and turned, Mourne stuck out a leg and referee Hubbard, whose cupboard had previously been bare from Gresley’s point of view, had no real alternative than to point to the spot. Beresford despatched the kick with aplomb.
Witton, their energy sapped, withdrew into a defensive shell after this and, despite the introduction of both substitutes in a bid to complete an unlikely turnaround, Gresley were forced to concede a draw that promises a long and probably fruitless journey.
Gresley Rovers (1) 2
Witton Albion (2) 2
Scorers: Land 33, Beresford (pen) 52 (Gresley Rovers); Coleman 18, 28 (Witton Albion).
Gresley Rovers: Aston, Bottomley, Bromley, Denby, Land, Astley, Guest, Smith, Maddocks (Adcock 73), Beresford, Lovell (Simpson 52).
Witton Albion: Newell, Burrell, Mourne, Dawson, Ellis, Boyle (Higginbotham 81), Barnett, Lodge, Edwards, Jarvis, Coleman. Sub not used: Brown.
Gresley man-of-the-match: Richard Denby.
Referee: J Hubbard (Leicester).
Attendance: 395
