Chasetown vs Gresley Rovers
Cup luck runs out on Rovers - Andy Parker - Burton Mail
Gresley Rovers produced their best form of the season at the Scholars last night - only to be pegged back to a West Midlands League Cup draw by Chasetown.
Rovers bounced back from the shock of conceding an unfortunate early goal to the cup holders to dominate the game and take the lead through excellent strikes by Paul Acklam and Carl Rathbone.
But just as it seemed Chasetown - who visit the Moat Ground for a league game next Tuesday - were down and out they snatched an unexpected equaliser to earn a barely deserved draw.
Gresley boss Frank Northwood said afterwards: "I think their manager summed it up when he said that, if justice had been done, we could have won by six. We played some super football but Lady Luck wasn't with us."
Good fortune was instead on the side of the home team in the 7th minute. Full back Andy Cox pumped a speculative cross into the Gresley box and as a pose of defenders converged to snuff out the danger an intended clearance rebounded off Tony Dixon and looped over Bob Aston's head into the net.
The setback prompted a furious response with Acklam and Rathbone both going close before Craig Weston hit an excellent first time cross from Gil Land's pass for Acklam, arriving with perfect timing, to convert from close range.
Neil Lovell thumped a John Barry cross just wide of the target then provided an inch perfect cross only for the out-of-touch Kieron Smith to mistime his header and send the ball flying wide from six yards.
Strike partner Rathbone made up for the lapse, though, with a superb strike. Picking up Barry's pass in the box, he turned a defender before crashing in a rasping drive that keeper Andy Withington got a hand to but could not keep out.
Gresley continued to dominate but on 66 minutes Chasetown full back Andy Cox put in an inspired run and cross to set up Dixon's second with a near post header.
Chasetown (1) 2
Gresley Rovers (1) 2
Scorers: Dixon 7, 66 (Chasetown), Acklam 28, Rathbone 54 (Gresley Rovers).
Chasetown: Withington, Cox, Hill (Yates 65), Shelton, Jones, Rose, Hyden, Langston, G Smith, Collins, Dixon. Sub not used: Leak.
Gresley Rovers: Aston, Barry, Dick, Denby, Land, Page, Weston (Evans 83), Smith (Astley 76), Acklam, Rathbone, Lovell.
Gresley man-of-the-match: Carl Rathbone.
Referee: G Banwell.
Attendance: 200
