Pelsall Villa vs Gresley Rovers
Gresley sound out a FA Vase warning – Andy Parker – Burton Mail
Gresley sounded an FA Vase warning to watching Littlehampton scouts at Pelsall.
Rovers’ semi-final opponents will be told that the Banks’s League leaders are full of goals – though on the evidence of Saturday’s performance they will concede as well as score them.
For while Pelsall’s suspect defence was thoroughly exposed, manager Frank Northwood will have noted that the home side were allowed to score twice at their leisure in the second half.
It was the sort of defensive display that made the FA Vase clash at Knowlsey such a thriller – and not of the type that earned Gresley glory at Harwich.
The difference on Saturday was that Rovers were already three goals ahead and in total control before Pelsall were allowed to dip their bread.
Neil Lovell led the way with an excellent effort on 25 minutes, skipping past a couple of defenders on the edge of the box before launching an unstoppable shot into the top corner of keeper John Peace’s net.
Nine minutes later Keiron Smith showed razor sharp reflexes to net from six yards after Paul Acklam pushed a Richard Denby free kick into his path, then, Acklam cleverly made space for a third after escaping onto a Carl Rathbone header.
Bob Aston saved well from much-travelled striker Les Tonks after Martin Dick made his only error of the game – his first for six months after a cartilage operation – but was powerless to prevent Colin Johnson from netting when the striker broker away after Andy MacDonald cut out a pass by Denby.
Peace needlessly felled Rathbone to set up Stuart Stoke’s 62nd-minute penalty and the goal scoring was completed when Aston could only push a swerving effort from Carl Duffus onto a post, leaving Tonks to tuck away the rebound.
Pelsall Villa (0) 2
Gresley Rovers (3) 4
Scorers: Johnson 55, Tonks 79 (Pelsall Villa), Lovell 25, Smith 33, Acklam 34, Stokes (pen) 62 (Gresley Rovers).
Pelsall Villa: Peace, Lycett, Hall, Coles, MacDonald, Haytree, Overton, Johnson, Tonks, Gough, Duffus. Subs not used: Morris, Hart.
Gresley Rovers: Aston, Barry, Dick, Denby, Land, Astley, Stokes, Smith, Acklam (Adcock 40), Rathbone, Lovell (Weston 64).
Gresley man-of-the-match: Keiron Smith.
Referee: B D Priest (Halesowen).
Attendance: 160
