Gresley Rovers vs Stapenhill
Beresford lands the KO blows - Rex Page - Burton Mail
Brian Beresford, Gresley's Old King Goal, produced another show stopping performance at the Moat Ground last night.
The 37-year-old striker even managed to upstage big Frank Bruno with a heavyweight display of finishing that left his old club Stapenhill out for the count.
Bruno was greeted with warm applause after agreeing to kick off the match in aid of Radio Derby Money Mountain appeal, but it was nothing compared to the ovation Beresford received from the 506 hardy souls who braved a night of driving rain and wind.
Stapenhill had their moments and would have snatched an early lead if Darren Marsh had possessed finishing skills as finely honed as those of his Gresley rival.
But once Beresford met Richard Wardle's cross to convert a routine 17th minute header there was only one team in it.
He struck again in dazzling fashion two minutes before the interval when the Swans' offside trap was sprung by Richard Denby's pass and Beresford's immaculately timed run.
The Gresley striker spurted into the area and brilliantly wrong-footed goalkeeper Dave Bolton before driving in a left foot shot.
Rovers' overwhelming superiority was confirmed on the half hour when Beresford completed his hat trick by meeting Craig Weston's cross to despatch a convincing header into the far corner.
Stapenhill were lucky to escape defeat by a more severe margin.
Bolton squeezed a series of acrobatic saves between moments of typically eccentric behaviour, while Paul Acklam could hardly believe his eyes when his shot refused to cross the line after hitting the inside of the post.
The gulf in class was so obvious that Rovers were able to stroll through the final 20 minutes with only ten men on the pitch after Tony Coppinger had brutally kicked the luckless Scott Elliott out of the game.
Rovers boss Frank Northwood seethed: "It was a disgraceful challenge. The lad should have been sent off."
Gresley Rovers (2) 3
Stapenhill (0) 0
Scorer: Beresford 17, 43, 60.
Attendance: 506
