Match Photos
Bromsgrove Rovers vs Gresley Rovers
Bromsgrove stop Gresley in their tracks
What can you say about a performance from Gresley who for possibly 60 of the 90 minutes had had the best of this FA Cup match and then embarrassingly caved in and allowed their hosts a score that more than flattered them.
Manager Jon Newsome expressed his disbelief after the game and described his side as a "roller coaster ride."
Newsome stuck with what was a winning formation against Atherstone midweek picking himself to start the game in the middle of a back three.
It had all started so well for Gresley when for the first 15 – 20 minutes they had looked the more dangerous of the two sides making the best of the chances.
Slowly, the home side began to come more into the game but did not seriously trouble James Lindley in the Moatmen's goal.
On 31 minutes Michael Crawford swung in a free kick and striker Chris Parkins got his head to the ball and was unlucky to see it come back off the post with keeper Matt Lowe stranded.
Gresley had another couple of decent chances when Parkins and then Newsome had shots comfortably saved by the home keeper.
The on 45 minutes Bromsgrove got a slice of FA luck when Paul Danks received a free kick from Steve Pope and he did well to pull the ball back from the bye line to Kevin Banner. The wing back, unmarked, scuffed his shot and Lindley, looking has if he had the ball safely in his hands embarrassingly allowed the ball to float through his hands and into the net.
After the break Newsome was forced into making a change. He had pulled a hamstring during the first half and brought on substitute Mark Peters in his place. Gresley then reverted to a 4-4-2 with Richard Wardle dropping into the back four.
The visitors came out like an express train and had Bromsgrove on the rack for the first 20 – 25 minutes. It seemed an equaliser was certain to come with Parkins going close and Crawford having a cracking shot superbly tipped away by Lowe.
On 61 minutes Jamie Barrett had what was probably the best chance of a Gresley leveller.
Neil Kitching received a throw-in and superbly turned the defender and made headway into the box. The striker then saw Barrett unmarked and gave him a pinpoint pass but the young midfielder put his shot wide with the goal at his mercy.
The last 14 minutes were a mix of poor defending and poor goal keeping and turned a game that was very even into an undeserved route.
On 77 minutes a long ball by Mark Benbow had the Gresley defence all at sixes and sevens allowing Danks the opportunity to stroll through the back line and with Lindley in two minds, slot the ball rather easily into the net.
That goal seemed to be the signal for Gresley to give up and more home goals came embarrassingly easily.
On 82 minutes Danks put a through ball to Richard Burgess and with Gresley half heartedly appealing for off side and standing still instead of playing to the whistle Burgess was allowed to cross the ball to Steve Frost who had the easiest of tasks of slotting the ball into the net.
Worse was to come and it only took a minute! Burgess was again put through a rather static defence by Danks and this time the substitute took the ball on himself and beat the dither in Lindley to make it 4 – 0.
The Gresley fans thought that was enough and was hoping the referee would end the madness, but no, there was even more to come.
On 84 minutes the rout was completed by Grant Beckett who got on the end of a long ball in the left of the area. Lindley again caught in two minds attempted to get at the ball but Beckett got there before him and lifted the ball over the keeper's head and into the net completing a miserable afternoon for Gresley.
Newsome will have a massive task on his hands to try and lift the spirits of a side who had, for much of the game, matched the league leaders easily and then amazingly collapsed feebly handing Bromsgrove their pass into the next round.
With Gresley in this form who knows what the game on Saturday at Mangotsfield will produce. Knowing this team they will probably win; lets hope so and get this awful last 15 minutes out of their system.
The manager's view
"This was a difficult result to accept. I just don't know what to say about it really. It's like being on a roller coaster at Gresley at the moment.
"We never really got started again. I sensed it before the game and I tried to gee people up and get them going. But they thought it was going to be easy and it showed in their performance in the end.
"I tweaked my hamstring after about 20 minutes and it just got worse and then I did it again just before they scored. It's just one of those things really, not being fit and trying to throw yourself in. But that's not an excuse. I thought we were second best in areas again. We capitulated towards the end and it was embarrassing. Bromsgrove are embarrassed about it.
"I don't like to pick out individuals but I have my concerns about a few. It's strange really we got tanked by Solihull last Saturday and then we got a great result on Tuesday and then we go and get tanked again today. I asked them in the dressing room 'why do they think it happens, what do they think the reasoning is behind it'.
"I just think we are a very quiet, nice group of players but nice players don't win anything.
"We started well in the second half. Jamie Barrett had a chance and I thought we were going to come back and win it. I know that sounds stupid after being beaten 5 – 0 people will read this and think I've gone mad.
"Bromsgrove said to me at the end that the score flattered them and that it was never a 5 - 0 game. But football is all about taking chances and sticking them in the back of the net and they did that five times, full stop, end of the game.
"It's alright being pretty and looking nice and hitting nice balls here there and everywhere; trying to do this and that if you haven't got the cutting edge and you don't stick the ball in the back of the net and keep it out of the other end you won't win matches.
"That's what football is all about. People make it complicated and it's not. I think we try to make it too complicated and we don't play when we should and then we play when we shouldn't…we've got things back to front.
"When they scored their second goal we went to pieces and that's what was embarrassing. It's all right saying we did well until the last ten minutes but when the whistle blows and you've got beaten 5 that's what matters.
"There are a few questions to be asked to be honest. I've got to try and pick them up again for next week's game. It's another away game and what that will bring who knows?
"Gary Smith and Neil Kitching will be missing for the next few game so that will be their opportunity for some others who have been disappointed not to be playing and if they don't take their chances then that's up to them.
"It seems that every time we go away I say the say thing, that I'm disappointed but I can't think of any other words that sums it up.
"Today's result has stumped me. The players are louder now in the dressing room than they've been for the last three hours. It must be a mental thing. We get a good result midweek and we think we're good players again then we go out and get beat 5 –0.
"I'll have to take a look at myself and how I get them going before a match……we'll see!"
Bromsgrove Rovers (1) 5
Gresley Rovers (0) 0
Scorers: Banner 45, Danks 77, Frost 82, Burgess 83, Beckett 84.
Bromsgrove Rovers: Lowe, Benbow, Banner, Clifton, Brighton, Pope, Dyson (Frost 75), Southwick (Cartwright 66), Palmer (Burgess 59), Danks, Beckett. Subs not used: Read, Thomas (gk).
Gresley Rovers: Lindley, Bluck, G White, Cheetham, Newsome (Peters 45), Crawford, Gray (Alexander 59), Wardle, Kitching, Parkins, Barrett (Hobby 68). Subs not used: Hopkins, Roberts (gk).
Gresley Star Man: Chris Parkins – deserved a goal.
Referee: A Hendley (Wolverhampton).
Attendance: 732
