Sutton Coldfield Town vs Gresley Rovers
Whistle stops Gresley – Andy Parker – Burton Mail
A strange mixture of reserve team players, triallists and first team fringers brought Gresley Rovers’ Evans Halshaw Floodlit Cup campaign to within one game of it’s conclusion at Coles Lane last night.
It was a competition Rovers need never – indeed, some would argue ought never – to have entered.
Since the club’s season was overtaken by success elsewhere, it has been an unnecessary and unwanted congestive agent on the fixture list and – as last night’s attendance of around 40 clearly displayed – it is of little interest to supporters either.
However, the unfamiliar collection of Moatmen and Sutton’s reserve team did conspire to serve up what was, in the end, a reasonably entertaining spectacle and if it was of interest to anyone it would have been so to Rovers’ new reserve team boss Brian Bignall, who has rejoined the club pledging to bring in new faces and in the hope of finding first team players of the future.
Bignall saw Andy Moore give Rovers the lead by slipping the ball past Town’s unprotected keeper from close range after a poor back pass, then go two up when John Bottomley headed a Moore corner from the left in at the near post.
Gresley looked to be cruising to victory but the game then turned on two controversial decisions from referee Michael Carrington.
First he allowed Carlton Miller to shoot into an unguarded net after Tony Moore had dropped a cross, with the keeper complaining bitterly that he had been fouled.
Then, after consulting a linesman, he decided that Miller had been held back as he attempted to break clear and John Flaherty equalised from the penalty spot.
There was no arguing about Town’s winner. Palmer volleyed a glorious decider after Jason Blackmore headed down.
Sutton Coldfield Town (1) 3
Gresley Rovers (2) 2
Scorers: Miller 35, 61, Flaherty (pen) 56 (Sutton Coldfield Town); Moore 7, Bottomley 34 (Gresley Rovers).
Sutton Coldfield Town: Parsons, Hancel, Evans, Houghton, Flaherty, Harrison, Blackmore, Kilfoyle, Casey, Sutor, Miller (Wright 91). Sub not used: Walker.
Gresley Rovers: T Moore, Sherry, Dick, Bottomley, Gamble, Page, Weston, Haynes, Trend, A Moore, Christopher. Subs not used: Sharp, Noble.
Gresley man-of-the-match: Dean Page.
Referee: M Carrington (Loughborough).
Attendance: 40
