Berkhamstead vs Gresley Rovers
N – ice one Gresley – Andy Parker – Burton Mail
Gresley Rovers staged their own ice spectacular at Berkhampsted on Saturday to earn a place in the last 32 of the FA Vase.
Rather than Torville and Dean though, Rovers boss Frank Northwood had evergreen striker Brian Beresford and defender Stuart Evans to thank for starring roles that brought Gresley back from the brink of what could have been an embarrassing defeat.
In the end a 2-1 win proved highly meritorious considering that Rovers did not even arrive at the ground until five minutes after the scheduled kick off and were then required to perform on a pitch so frozen that, in more ordinary circumstances, the game would surely not have been allowed to start.
For Gresley, however, circumstances are rarely ordinary when it comes to FA Vase ties. And in the chequered chapters of their recent history in the competition, Saturday’s game will not go down as a memorable one – if not for brilliant football then for a display of nail-biting brinksmanship.
Rovers were in control for much of the opening 90 minutes. However, after seeing an early effort disallowed for offside and what seemed a clear penalty claim turned down – striker Carl Rathbone the central figure in both incidents – they allowed their hosts to take the lead at a decidedly uncomfortable stage of the game.
There were anxious moments aplenty before Gresley snatched a leveller three minutes from the end of normal time, completing their hard-fought task after two minutes of an unwelcome extra 30 minutes.
It could have been so different if Rathbone’s first-minute shot past keeper Scott Ashcroft had not been accompanied by a linesman’s flag. Coach Steve Dolby insisted afterwards: “There was no way Carl was offside – he came from behind a defender and it was a perfectly good goal.”
Referee Ward, however, did not see things the same way and Rovers’ chance of settling any early nerves was gone.
Instead it became a game of half chances with Ashcroft holding on to a low shot from Paul Acklam, pawing Jason Minton’s header to safety and then watching in relief as Neil Lovell’s drive flashed inches past a post.
Berkhamsted had barely had a chance of not by the time the second half was well under way but suddenly they went within an ace of grabbing the lead.
Danger man Gary Harthill, consistently the source of all the home side’s threat, suddenly found himself free down the centre and produced a venomous shot towards the top right corner of the net that produced a magnificent save from Bob Aston.
That should have sounded danger bells in the Rovers rearguard but, after Rathbone had gone crashing down in the penalty area only for the referee to wave play on, Berkhamsted took the lead with an excellent goal.
Paul Hobbs’ corner was cleared back towards the flag and his second cross was met superbly at the far post by Harthill’s athletic volley, leaving David Clover to despatch a six yard chance with equal aplomb.
Northwood replaced the troubled Frank Nuttall with Kieron Smith to add extra attacking weight in the final stages and in the 87th minute dividends were reaped. Beresford for once escaped the Berkhamsted offside trap onto Acklam’s through ball and the exposed Ashcroft was given no chance.
Freezing fog added to the general misery of the scene as extra time began but there was soon joy for Gresley.
Rathbone’s run down the right was ended unceremoniously but from Richard Denby’s free kick to the far post Evans climbed above everyone to net with an emphatic header.
Berkhamsted Town (0) 1
Gresley Rovers (0) 2
(after extra time. 90 mins 1-1)
Scorers: Clover 77 (Berkhamsted Town); Beresford 87, Evans 92 (Gresley Rovers).
Berkhamsted Town: Ashcroft, Brown, Herdman (Garrini 97), Jeffery, Clover, Roach, Ranger, Hobbs, Harthill, Winks, Walker. Sub not used: Conroy.
Gresley Rovers: Aston, Barry, Nuttall (Smith 81), Denby, Evans, Minton, Wardle, Rathbone (Land 102), Acklam, Beresford, Lovell.
Gresley man-of-the-match: Jason Minton.
Referee: A W Ward (London).
Attendance: 337
