Rushden & Diamonds vs Gresley Rovers
Gresley bow out battling - Andy Parker - Burton Mail
Gresley Rovers' hopes of a place in the quarter-finals of the Barclays Southern League were drowned in the clinging mud of Rushden & Diamonds' Nene Park last night.
Heavy afternoon rain meant the Irthlingborough pitch was in just as poor condition as it had been when Rovers squelched to a 2-2 FA Vase draw earlier in the season and thus a Rushden side better suited to the appalling conditions were able to gain a measure of revenge for their defeat in the replay and a subsequent Beazer Midland League game.
Two defensive lapses by Rovers in a first half in which they matched the home side chance for chance - forcing a corner count 11-1 in their favour - gave Rushden a half time lead which they were happy to sit back on after the break as Rovers slipped and slithered to defeat.
There was little evidence of the mean streak displayed by Rushden at the Moat Ground last month until late in the first half when full back Barrington Leslie was fortunate to escape punishment when he appeared to headbutt Martin Devaney, laying the Rovers striker out.
Earlier, Leslie had been instrumental in both Rushden goals, bursting clear on the right to set up a close range header for Glenville Donegal on 21 minutes and 14 minutes later again crossing from the right for the unmarked Ollie Kearns to guide a skilfully placed header into the bottom corner of the net.
Rovers' finishing, alas, was not of the same calibre. Robbie Briscoe saw a shot blocked on the line seven minutes after the opening goal after Craig Weston had picked up a backpass that stuck in the mud and taken it round keeper Kevin Shoemake, then Graeme Rigg's effort was similarly hacked to safety after Shoemake had dropped a Richard Denby corner.
Then Rovers were desperately unlucky when Richard Denby's deflected free kick beat the keeper only to come back off the bar.
As playing conditions worsened after the break, suiting the heavy tackle rather than Rovers' passing game, Rushden put men behind the ball and looked to hold on to their lead.
Only once were their defences breached, Martin Devaney taking the ball on in the penalty area and firing past Shoemake in the 71st minute after a clearance had been blocked.
Rovers mounted a late cavalry charge in a gallant bid to force a replay but never looked likely to force a fifth meeting between the sides this season.
Rushden & Diamonds (2) 2
Gresley Rovers (0) 1
Scorers: Donegal 21, Kearns 35 (Rushden & Diamonds); Devaney 71 (Gresley Rovers).
Rushden & Diamonds: Shoemake, Leslie, Wilson, Flower, Waite, Page, Kirkup, Beech, Donegal, Kearns (Mann 85), York. Sub not used: Coe.
Gresley Rovers: Aston, Elliott, Swainston, Denby, Evans, Rigg (Land 61), Wardle, Marsden (Dick 45), Weston, Devaney, Briscoe.
Gresley man-of-the-match: Bob Aston.
Referee: J Wilkinson (Northampton).
Attendance: 250
