Blyth Spartans vs Gresley Rovers
Stuart Ford was heckled and booed by Blyth's vociferous fans throughout Saturday's thrilling FA Umbro Trophy clash at Croft Park - then given a rousing ovation from the same spectators, as Gresley emerged triumphant.
The north easterners may be fiercely partisan in their support, but Blyth's fans at least clearly know a match-winning performance when they see one - and Gresley's place in the last 16 today owes a huge debt to Ford's magnificent display.
With typical modesty, the Sheffield-based keeper was reluctant afterwards to elaborate on his performance, but conceded: "I was pleased with one or two of the saves I made, especially one effort I blocked with my feet in the first half."
Ford's wonder stop - and it was by no means his only one of the afternoon - was indeed crucial.
Rovers, after making an encouraging start during which Brian Horseman, released on the overlap into the Blyth box by Andy Garner, might have done better than shoot straight at the keeper, eventually subsided beneath a blitz of Blyth attacking and went behind after 18 minutes.
Ford was powerless to stop Stuart Young heading in a Mark Proctor cross after the former Forest and Middlesbrough midfielder had seen a right wing free kick returned to his feet.
Ford had already been forced to spread himself at the foot of a post to keep out another effort from Young when he made his most important intervention of all, a flying leap across an empty net somehow proving sufficient to deny Richard Bond after Horseman, chasing back to clear from Proctor, had inadvertently played the ball into the winger's path.
Rovers were thus able to reach the half time break with their moral battered but their hopes of a result still intact: hopes that were considerably raised when Andy Garner, a content threat to the home side whenever he received the ball in or around their danger zone, turned superbly on the edge of the box only to deliver a shot a yard high and wide of the top corner.
Two minutes later after the restart Garner's strike partner, Justin O'Reilly, went one better. Fouled on the left by Stephen Raffle, who had barely given the youngster a sniff of the ball in the first half, O'Reilly was on hand to prod the ball across the line after Paul Wardle had headed down Richard Denby's expertly flighted free kick.
Blyth's vociferous supporters were stunned, and their team responded with more ferocious attacking. Rovers, though, were not about to be dominated again and debutant midfielder, Steve McGinty sent O'Reilly away in search of his second with a timely tackle by Raffell being required to deny Rovers the lead.
Ford came to the fore again when he advanced from his line psyche out Young after the striker had forced himself past Paul Wardle, but it was blow for blow now and Richard Wardle almost replied with a goal when he linked neatly with O'Reilly and lofted the ball over Paul O'Connor only to see it drift agonisingly wide.
Ford trumped sweeper when he raced out to head away from Young, then O'Reilly brought the best from the Gresley keeper's opposite number when he blocked O'Connor's clearance only to elicit a brave recovering save when he fired towards the net.
Gary Castledine, more effective by now after being largely passed by earlier in an uncomfortable central role, saw a low shot pushed round the foot of a post, O'Reilly shot straight at the keeper then Ford produced yet another magnificent save to deny Young after the striker had arrived at the far post to meet a Proctor cross from the right.
Castledine shot wide after a central run had taken him clear with just the keeper to beat but the midfielder then turned up in a more familiar wide position to play a major role in Rovers' decider, wriggling his way to the byeline and pulling the ball back for Garner to rifle the ball high into the net from close range.
Blyth still could not beat Ford. Skipper Stephen Pyle, who had seen one thumping effort pushed away in the first minute of the half, burst through again to repeat the effort but the Gresley keeper flew across his goal to tip the ball to safety.
Bond made a meaty contact six yards out, but again Ford was there, then, in the final minute, Pyle crashed a half volley towards the top of the net from 18 yards but, almost inevitably, Ford soared to tip the ball over.
Blyth Spartans (1) 1
Gresley Rovers (0) 2
Scorers: Young 18 (Blyth Spartans), O'Reilly 47, Garner 82 (Gresley Rovers).
Blyth Spartans: O'Connor, Curry, Cole, Raffell, Gamble, Walker, Proctor (Nicholls 84), Boon (Wheatley 84), Pyle, Young, Bond. Sub not used: Corner.
Gresley Rovers: Ford, R Wardle, Horseman, Denby, P Wardle, Evans, Castledine, Fowkes, McGinty (Guyett 72), Garner, O'Reilly. Subs not used: Hurst, Taylor.
Gresley man-of-the-match: Stuart Ford.
Refree: K Scoffham (Tynemouth).
Attendance: 626
