Gresley Rovers vs Rocester
Action replay – Andy Parker – Burton Mail
A goal four minutes from the end of an incident packed and often enthralling Banks’s League Cup replay at last gave Gresley Rovers a victory over Rocester last night.
Neil Lovell’s late strike finally gave Gresley a return for long periods of domination against a side reduced to 10 men after 40 minutes by Paul Ede’s sending off, but Rocester battled so passionately they had every right to be bitterly disappointed in defeat.
Indeed, the East Staffordshire side could even have grabbed an unlikely victory after hauling themselves off the floor in the second half and only the width of a post deprived the ever-dangerous Tony Hemmings of a goal that his skill and pace always threatened to provide.
But Gresley were determined to put the record straight after failing to beat the Romans in five meetings over the past two seasons and their joy was unconfined when Lovell popped up to head home the rebound after Paul Acklam’s effort had come back off the bar.
Rovers had begun as if intent on burying their Rocester bogey as quickly as possible and man-of-the-match Mark Deaville was called to make his first save of the game after just two minutes, tipping over Acklam’s fierce drive after Kieron Smith had set up the chance with a superb right wing cross.
Rocester’s efforts to contain their host’s enthusiasm earned lectures for John Meyer and Nigel Mottram, then Martin Dick received a finger-wagging after illegally blocking Hemmings’ advance down the left.
Gresley were soon sitting comfortably in the driving seat, though, with Rocester forced to concede a string of corners as Lovell and John Barry supplied a regular service of crosses from their respective flanks.
And when Mottram gave Mick Collins a glimpse of goal at the other end the big striker – normally so deadly against his old club – headed straight into Bob Aston’s arms.
Paul Ede was first in the book for a lunge at the grounded Steve Adcock before Collins turned up in his own goal area to clear Steve Astley’s angled drive off the line. Then superb approach work involving Acklam, Lovell and Andy Moore ended with Adcock squeezing the ball wide from six yards.
Tragedy struck Rocester moments later, though, when Ede sent Scott Elliott crashing just outside the penalty area and was inevitably dismissed. Then Deaville almost gave Gresley the lead with his only mistake of the game, the ball almost crossing the line after he fumbled Moore’s corner at the near post.
With a strong wind now in their favour 10-man Rocester pluckily took the game to Gresley after the break but the verbal support of stand-in boss Stuart Chapman was not to referee Watson’s liking and the book was soon out again – for the ninth time in the tie.
Rocester were undeterred and Chris Nixon’s shot flew through a forest of legs before going just wide. Then Collins, whose enthralling battle with Rovers skipper Gil Land was a crucial feature of the game, set up Hemmings for a run, a shuffle and a turn on the left of the Gresley box followed by a stinging shot thumped back off the near post.
Astley and Adcock fired just over at the other end as fortunes continued to fluctuate, then Deaville produced great saves to thwart Acklam and Moore after Barry had provided measured crosses.
Former Burton Albion striker Dave Wood joined the fray for the final 10 minutes and was soon in the thick of it. A mis-hit shot set up a frantic melee in the Rocester box and when Acklam fired against the bar Lovell gobbled up the rebound to finally settle the tie.
Gresley Rovers (0) 1
Rocester (0) 0
Scorer: Lovell 86.
Gresley Rovers: Aston, J Barry, Dick, Elliott, Land, Astley, Moore, Smith, Acklam (Wood 81), Adcock, Lovell. Sub not used: Page.
Rocester: Deaville, P Ede, Nixon, Mottram, Damjanovic, K Barry, France, Mayer, Collins, M Ede, Hemmings.
Gresley man-of-the-match: John Barry
Referee: L L Watson (Coventry).
Attendance: 635
