Guiseley vs Gresley Rovers
Former Gresley boss Frank Northwood took an FA Umbro Trophy VIP trip to Yorkshire on Saturday - and looked on as Paul Futcher's Class of '96 finally put one over the club that held a Wembley Indian sign over his 1991 heroes.
Futcher's latest feat was to send out a side that emphatically scratched Rovers' five year itch and gained revenge for the FA Vase defeat.
Rovers built their victory on two first half goals, one fortuitous, one an isolated flash of brilliance from the otherwise subdued Justin O'Reilly, followed by a back-to-the-wall rearguard action in a second half totally dominated by the home side, who needed only to put away a fraction of their chances to have chalked up another victory over the Moatmen.
The spies that told Futcher pre-match to expect a rugged and robust examination were fully correct. Guiseley hustled and snapped with a razor-edged venom that, fortunately, ran out when the gargantuan Mick Norbury and his quicksilver strike partner, Lutel James, reached the penalty area.
Intelligence reports that the high-riding UniBond Leaguers lacked pace at the back and, in Steve Dickinson, had a keeper with an Achilles' heel when it came to kicking were also correct, and it was exploiting these weaknesses that Rovers dominated the early exchanges.
Futcher's men attacked from the off and inside 10 minutes they had established a precious lead.
Graeme Fowkes took a corner from the left, Paul Wardle charged in to thunder a header against the bar and the Guiseley defenders grouped behind the ball to apparently snuff out any chance of Rovers taking advantage of the rebound.
But the ball fell to Stuart Evans 12 yards from goal and, when the defender hoisted the ball over his shoulder in the direction of the net, Dickinson was nowhere and skipper Colin Hogarth's attempt to head off the line proved futile as the unwitting shot crept beneath the crossbar.
Back stormed Guiseley in a manner that made it all too apparent that the cut glass rosebowl presented to Rovers chairman Peter Hall in recognition of the fifth anniversary of the two sides' Wembley epic was their only goodwill gesture of the afternoon.
James, not for the last time, used his pace to escape down the left, Wembley survivor Billy Roberts flashed a cross towards the brooding presence of Norbury and it took the bravest of diving headed clearances from Tony Marsden to clear the danger.
Then player-manager Mitch Cook thumped in a piledriving 22-yard free kick after Paul Wardle's foul on Norbury that forced Stuart Ford into a string of excellent saves. From Cook's corner, Norbury crashed a header goalwards only for Andy Garner to block on the line.
It was classic cup action but Rovers were giving as good as they got and were soon forcing their hosts to backpedal, Paul Kendall clearing desperately from the six-yard area after Marsden had made good headed contact with Richard Denby's free kick.
Back came Guiseley, Norbury again meeting a Cook corner with his head only for the ball to thump against a post, Ford saving bravely as Roberts attempted to force the chance hone from point-blank range.
Rovers breathed a sign of relief - and went further ahead. Evans cleared through the centre, O'Reilly chased down the dithering Dickinson who then recovered to block Garner's follow-up shot but was powerless to prevent O'Reilly swivelling to shoot from a tight angle into the bottom far corner of the net.
It was difficult to see how Guiseley could shake Rovers from their advantage as half time arrived because the home side had seemingly thrown everything at their guests.
Impressively, though, the home side redoubled their efforts after the restart and Rovers were soon in trouble, Peter Atkinson missing a glorious chance to reduce the arrears when James escaped down the left and picked out the full back with a perfect far post cross that the veteran of '91 miscued horribly.
Then Cook found space on the opposite flank to sling in a near post ball to Norbury whose header had the home crowd on its feet - and back on their backsides again just as quickly as it flew agonisingly wide of Ford's dive - and post.
James shot wide again after again escaping Evans' attentions, substitute Stuart Taylor put an even better chance wide after Norbury's flick had put him clear then forced Ford into the save of the game with an angled drive.
Guiseley's followers sighed and muttered of it not being their day: it wasn't. Hopes were raised, though, when Guiseley scored with 10 minutes to go, Cook launching a long throw from the right into the near post and Norbury flicking a back header under the bar.
It was tension time now for Rovers' travelling army as Norbury headed just over, Ford saved from Cook and Norbury and Paul Bottomley both saw on-target shots blocked by a despairing Rovers defence.
But Guiseley could not break through and 90th-minute substitute Kevin Allsopp almost settled it when he seized on Atkinson's blunder.
One chance remained for Guiseley as James crossed deep in injury time, and Bottomley, breaker of Rovers hearts both in 1991 and two years later as a Bridlington player, made contact with a firm header. But things, it seems do have a way of evening themselves in time. The ball flew over, and Rovers' fans began to party.
Guiseley (0) 1
Gresley Rovers (2) 2
Scorers: Norbury 90 (Guiseley); Evans (10), O'Reilly (30) Rovers
Guiseley: Dickinson, Atkinson 
, Hogarth , Brockie (Flanaghan 81), Kendall (Taylor 58), Bottomley, Cook, James , Norbury, Thew (Outhart 77), Roberts.
Gresley Rovers: Ford, R Wardle, Horseman, Denby, P Wardle , Evans, Castledine, Fowkes (Guyett 82), Marsden, Garner (Hurst 70), O'Reilly (Allsop 90)
Rovers Star Man: Stuart Evans
Referee: D Pugh (Wirral)
Bookings: Rovers P Wardle (ungentlemanly conduct), Garner (kicking away): Guiseley: Atkinson (foul on Marsden), Hogarth (handball), James (foul on R Wardle).
Attendance: 790
