Burton Albion vs Gresley Rovers
Brewers' spot luck - Rex Page - Burton Mail
Local football's balance of power threatened to continue its journey across the River Trent at Eton Park last night.
A controversial Ian Straw penalty on the stroke of half time gave Burton Albion a share of the honours in the opening leg of their private battle with Gresley Rovers for the Johnson Cup.
But all the indications were that the intervention of referee Paul Roberts may have only delayed the moment when Albion are forced to yield to their oldest enemy.
Gresley, too, needed help from Roberts to get on the scoresheet, Brian Beresford giving them a 27th minute lead from the spot.
With more careful finishing, however, Rovers could have built a useful lead by more legitimate means in a first half dominated by their fluent passing and eager running.
Both managers claimed to be happy with the performances of their respective teams, yet the widest grin deservedly belonged to Rovers' Frank Northwood.
It was only when Gresley withdrew midfield general Richard Denby and Paul Acklam, their leading scorer, at half time that Albion were allowed to wrestle territorial advantage from their visitors.
Rovers drove forward impressively from the start and should have punished a gaping Albion defence twice in the first ten minutes, but Acklam pulled a left foot shot wide and, more surprisingly, Beresford hoisted the ball over with only Nick Goodwin to beat from 15 yards.
The pressure finally told when Ken Geelan was lured into an over-zealous challenge on Wardle for a penalty that was comprehensively converted by Beresford.
There could have been more. Goodwin brilliantly held onto a cross from Frank Nuttall with Gresley players queuing up and the newly-signed Scot failed to convert John Barry's cross at the far post.
Albion had barely produced a noteworthy attack when they suddenly found themselves level.
Alan McLaren brushed against Craig Weston as he surged into the area and when the Brewers' midfielder finished flat on his face Roberts awarded a penalty that Straw emphatically drove home.
Gresley were not nearly so effective going forward after the interval, though Beresford swept a dangerous centre across the face of the Brewers' goal.
Albion, in contrast to Gresley's more stylish approach, heaved the ball forward more in hope than expectation, but their perseverance began to pin Rovers into their own territory.
And when Fiddler introduced an entirely new attack in the 58th minute, the first serious questions were asked of a Gresley defence not noted for its durability in the face of sustained pressure.
Mick Curry's back header was saved at the foot of the post by Bob Aston, before the first of two firmly driven shots from Scott Cordner forced the Gresley keeper to concede a corner.
Burton Albion (1) 1
Gresley Rovers (1) 1
Scorers: Straw (pen) 45 (Burton Albion); Berrisford (pen) 27 (Gresley Rovers).
Burton Albion: Goodwin, Bottomley, Foster, Straw, Geelan, Simms, Sallis (Gee 58), McLaren (Cheatle 66), Lycett (Curry 58), Davies (Gaffney 66), Hall (Cordner 58).
Gresley Rovers: Aston, Barry, Dick, Denby (Venning 45), Land, Evans, Weston, Wardle (Page 64), Acklam (Lovell 45), Beresford, Nuttall.
Gresley Rovers man-of-the-match: Stuart Evans.
Referee: P Roberts (Swadlincote).
Attendance: 583
