Gresley Rovers vs Sutton Coldfield Town
Makeshift Moatmen no match for Sutton - Andy Parker - Burton Mail
Vase heroes Gresley were brought back down to earth with a hefty crash in the Evans Halshaw Floodlit Cup at the Moat Ground last night.
Rovers rested five of the 13 on duty in Saturday's epic victory at Knowsley and their reshuffled side was no match for an impressive Sutton Coldfield.
Such was the visitors' domination that Gresley did not manage an attempt on goal until the 87th minute, substitute Clive Walker's header flying well wide of the target.
Sutton, on the other hand, needed just 10 minutes to open the scoring, striker Gary Smith shrugging off Dave Sherry's challenge on the edge of the box before firing a spectacular left foot drive into the top corner of the net.
Gresley tried hard to make a game of it but with stand in striker Steve Astley and new signing Gary Gamble unable to form any kind of coherent link in attack it was the visitors who made all the chances.
Smith should have added to his early goal in the 32 minute but he stabbed a Nigel Richards cross wide but after 60 minutes he was instrumental tin Town's second goal.
The lively front-runner burst through the middle and when Gil Land intercepted keeper Tony Moore was forced to make a diving save to prevent the ball from flying into the net. But he was powerless to stop Paul Hunter from following up to net the rebound from a tight angle.
Dispirited Gresley were in disarray by now and an inevitable third goal came when Smith released Hunter down the middle to fire past the exposed Moore.
Gresley were desperate to give the 317 crowd something to cheer but when Paul Acklam finally got in the telling cross from the right Walker's header flew wide to complete a night of misery for the Moatmen.
Gresley Rovers (0) 0
Sutton Coldfield Town (1) 3
Scorers: Smith 10, Hunter 60, 82.
Gresley Rovers: Moore, Barry, Trend, Denby (Walker 45), Land, Sherry, Stokes, Astley (Weston 63), Acklam, Gamble, Elliott.
Sutton Coldfield Town: Belford, Matthews, Richards, Keogh, Tucker, Hadland, McLaren (Dale 73), Smith, Hunter, Whitehouse (Sturgeon 67), Biddle.
Gresley man-of-the-match: Gil Land.
Referee: S G Stretton (Leicester).
Attendance: 317
