Gresley Rovers vs Sutton Coldfield Town
Deadly Devaney strikes - Andy Parker - Burton Mail
Martin Devaney proved Gresley Rovers' match-winner for the second time in three days with a stunning first half strike at the Moat Ground last night.
Devaney, scorer of Rovers late FA Vase winner against Peacehaven & Telscombe on Saturday, popped up again to fire in a 22nd minute thunderbolt that proved more than adequate to despatch a disappointing Sutton Coldfield side.
Town, with manager Chris Wright absent, flattered only to deceive with their neat passing game and the speedy runs to nowhere of frontmen Gary Smith and Robert Alleyne, former Rovers favourite Carl Rathbone having been left out.
Instead it was Rovers, initially showing now signs of fatigue after their weekend exertions, who looked more threatening in the opening stages.
Martin Dick marked the Moatmen's intentions with a speculative 30-yarder easily fielded by Dale Belford then capped a splendid passing movement with a cross from the right of the penalty box that proved just too high for Devaney at the far post.
Craig Weston fired over then met Paul Acklam's low cross with a bullet finish that Belford saved brilliantly with one hand in the top corner.
Acklam cut inside a defender to fire over from 18 yards and Weston hit the side netting before Stuart Evans returned a half cleared Richard Denby corner to the kicker whose second cross was despatched at the near post with clinical efficiency and awesome power by Devaney.
Sutton came out for the second half seemingly aware that the game was far from decided as Rovers now began to visibly flag in certain areas.
But the vigilance of Evans and Gil Land and the persistence of Dave Swainston at the back and Weston's non-stop efforts at the opposite end made sure it would be too much of an effort for the visitors to claw the game back.
In the end Rovers would have won by a wider margin, a post intervening when substitute Robbie Briscoe attempted a carbon copy of Devaney's earlier strike, then Graeme Rigg's through ball giving Weston the chance to put an early strike that the sprawling Belford clawed away at the foot of a post.
Gresley Rovers (1) 1
Sutton Coldfield Town (0) 0
Scorer: Devaney 22.
Gresley Rovers: Aston, Dick, Swainston, Denby, Evans, Land, Wardle, Elliott (Rigg 79), Acklam (Briscoe 69), Devaney, Weston.
Sutton Coldfield Town: Belford, Jennings, Reeves, Sturgeon, Manton, Clarke, Carroll (Mead 79), Richardson, Alleyne, Smith, Biddle. Sub not used: Hall.
Gresley man-of-the-match: Gil Land.
Referee: B Curson (Sapcote).
Attendance: 626
