Gresley Rovers vs Dudley Town
Never mind more glory there was nothing but gloom and despair for Gresley Rovers has they crashed dismally out of the FA Cup at the very first hurdle on Saturday.
Perhaps Steve Dolby's team, who was famous progress in the competition last season marked one of the pinnacles of their recent success, were already thinking of more big days to come when they took to the Moat Ground against Dudley Town, but soccer's greatest knockout competition is littered with broken dreams and usurped heroes.
Whatever that was passing through the minds of Dolby's team, it certainly wasn't the task in hand. Despite taking an early lead, not at any point did they remotely resemble the team unbeaten in the Beazer Premier this season.
As he grasps for straws of consolation, at least the Moat boss can console himself in the knowledge that his team can surely never produced as inept a performance as this one again.
Dolby had declared beforehand that the secret of success was to match Dudley for effort, then beat them for skill. They managed neither.
The writing was on the wall even before David Taylor fired Rovers ahead after just eight minutes, meeting Andy Crannage with a precise shot after catching veteran defender Chris Field in possession just inside the town half.
Dudley had been drawn with purpose, yet Rovers were strangely lackadaisical, giving a more than passing impression of a team that believed it only needed to turn out to progress to the next round.
Dudley, perhaps sensing it might be their day, took the game to their hosts from the off. Yet Rovers failed to respond to the challenge.
Only keeper Stuart Ford was to emerge with any credit as Gresley were clinically closed down, cut out and cast adrift.
Only a series of undignified clearances denied Dudley an early leveller as Gary Piggott quickly enhanced his reputation as one of the Midlands Divisions best strikers. The lively number 10 was a thorn in Rovers side, twice putting shots narrowly off target and continually creating openings.
Only once did Rovers threaten to build on Taylor's early strike, Ady Mann and Graham Fowkes combining to set up a thumping shot for Andy Gardner that Crannage bravely pushed to safety.
Far more of the action came at the opposite end, where Toby Hall, no stranger to Rovers from his west Midlands League days with Halesowen Harriers, twice shot just off target from chances eked out by the lively Adam Patrick.
Brian Horseman unwittingly blocked a Piggott volley to give Rovers another left off, then Ford came to the rescue to keep Gresley's noses in front at the break by getting down to block Adrian Cooper is firmly struck 25 yarder.
Rovers fans had every right to expect an improved performance after the break but their team continued to get worse instead of better, an 80th minute shot on the turn by substitute Mark Hurst representing in their only genuine goal attempt of the entire 45 minutes.
Dudley, on the other hand, were raining shots on Ford's goal. Steve Ingram forced one good save after a neat build up on the left straight after the restart; Patrick hit a rising drive that the keeper fingertipped over the bar; Patrick's corner from the right was headed just over by John Horne; then Piggott's crossfield ball released Patrick to fire in another unchallenged shot that Ford grasped despite a deflection.
No surprise, then, when Dudley levelled. Nick Stanborough, attempting to clear Mike Williams shot, instead sent the ball bulleting towards his own net. Ford again saved, pushing the ball on to the crossbar, but when substitute Paul Parker knocked the ball back into the six yard box, Hall was unchallenged as a headed in from a yard out.
Dolby introduced all three of his substitutes in a bid to inject some life into his listless side, but still nothing would go right, even though Rovers should have had a penalty when Jones clearly leaned all over Taylor in the box and Lewis Claxton was fortunate to stay on the field when he downed the Rovers striker as he threatened to burst clear through the centre.
Ford delayed the inevitable with a superb save from Cooper after an exchange of passes when Piggott put him clear, but when Rovers failed to clear a throw in from the right Piggott reached the byline and squared for Hall, again unmarked, to tap the ball over the line.
Two minutes in injury time had already gone, and Rovers were doomed to ignominy and humiliation.
Thankfully, there is enough of the season left to bury the memory - but it will take some burying.
Gresley Rovers (1) 1
Dudley Town (0) 2
Scorers: Taylor 8 (Gresley Rovers); Hall 62, 92 (Dudley Town)
Gresley Rovers: Ford, Horseman, Denby, P Wardle, Stanborough, Fowkes (McGovern 64, Rigg, Garner (Weston 82), Mann (Hurst 64), Taylor.
Dudley Town: Crannage, Richards, Brown (Claxton 25), Horne, Jones, Ingram, Cooper, Williams, Hall, Piggott, Patrick (Parker 57). Subs not used: Osborne.
Rovers man-of-the-match: Stuart Ford
Referee: G Stretton (Enderby)
Attendance: 541
