Match Photos
Gresley Rovers vs Matlock Town
This was always going to be a tough encounter with the visitors riding high at the top of the Unibond Division one and Gresley short of a few first choice players due to injuries or unavailability. And so it proved.
Both sides could have opened the scoring within the first five minutes first in the first minute when Matlock striker Steve Taylor provided his colleague Gareth Williams with a chance that he put just too high and then on 3 minutes when Liam Hebberd went close for the Moatmen.
Gresley went close again on 10 minutes when a cross from Shaun Harrad was almost headed into his own net by Will Davies as Steve Lenagh was waiting to pounce.
A minute later Taylor made an embarrassing miss that will haunt him for sometime to come.
A high ball over the Gresley defence, who were appealing for an offside, saw Taylor through on goal.
The Matlock No.9 went around the Gresley keeper Dale Belford who had rushed out of his area to try and snuff out the danger, beat a last ditch tackle by Richard Wardle and ran into the area with the goal gaping wide. He sidefooted his shot from all of eight yards and to his embarrassment hit the post and stood transfixed as the ball rolled along the line and out for a goal kick.
This let off seemed to spur the home side on and Hebberd almost made the visitors pay for their mistake just a minute later but his shot flew agonisingly across the face of the goal.
Matlock regained some composure and again began to put the Gresley defence under pressure.
On 19 minutes they were awarded a corner taken by Williams which Danny Holland connected with only for his effort to be deflected by a defender and the ball scrambled away.
Three minutes later a swift break by Matlock needed an expertly timed blocking tackle by Leigh Everitt to deny Taylor.
On 39 minutes Belford, who had been the busier of the two keepers, had to make two superb saves the first from close range from a shot from Taylor and then to tip over a drive from Williams.
Against the run of play Gresley took the lead. Davies missed a high long ball from Everitt and Harrad managed to put the ball across the goalmouth where Hebberd was waiting to crash the ball home past Matt Taylor.
The early part of the second half again saw Matlock putting Gresley under severe pressure.
On 50 minutes Belford could only parry a vicious low shot from Williams but a defender was on hand to clear away the danger.
Three minutes later it took another expertly timed tackle, this time by Andy Cheetham, to deny Taylor a certain scoring chance.
On 56 minutes a volley from substitute Simon Barraclough took a deflection that Belford did extremely well to block before gathering.
Five minutes later Barraclough was involved again. He was put through by Williams and unleashed a shot that was deflected over the bar.
The pressure from Matlock was increasing as they went looking for an equalizer and Taylor went close again only to be denied by a Danny Haynes tackle.
Gresley began to settle and had the better of the final 25 minutes and could easily have increased their slender lead.
On 65 minutes a pass from Wardle found Harrad on the right and the on-loan striker hit a ferocious drive that Matt Taylor did well to get a fingertip to push the ball over the bar.
A minute later a cross from Leon Doughty was flicked on by Lenagh to Jamie Barrett. Unfortunately the young midfielder could only put his shot over the bar.
On 70 minutes Gresley were awarded a free kick 30 yards out. Doughty hit a thunderous shot that that keeper parried and then managed to grab at the second attempt.
The action then turned to the other end were Baraclough's shot was pushed onto a post by Belford who then collected the fortunate rebound.
I typical cup tie fashion the ball was up at the other end where Harrad made headway into the area before unleashing a shot that came back off the bar.
On 77 minutes a superb turn on the edge of the box by Lenagh resulted in his shot being palmed away for a corner by the Matlock keeper.
Each team then had one last attempt on goal. Substitute Carl Slater worked had down the right before crossing into the box but a defender cut out the danger by heading the ball over the bar and then a free kick from Ian Clarke went straight into the arms of Belford.
Gary's view on the match
"It hasn't sunk in yet. The second half was one of the longest 45 minutes I've ever experienced.
"To stop Matlock getting 10 out of 10 wins is a tremendous achievement they are the top of their league and they said that was one of the results of the season.
"I wasn't particularly happy with one or two things when we started the game and we let them in once or twice. We had a stroke of luck when their forward missed the open goal after Everitt I think had tried to play offside and got caught but we got away with it.
"You've got to feel for the lad because he will be going over that chance in his mind a million times tonight. I'd sat down thinking 'that's it we were one down' and I just couldn't believe it when he missed.
"We were visibly lifted after that and we had a few chances ourselves after that in the first half.
"I started with Shaun Harrad on the right and Liam Hebberd up front but it didn't seem to be Hebberd's day -the ball wasn't quite sticking. His work rate was there which was good but he lacked that little bit of quality and the ball was coming back to easily for us.
"So I moved Harrad up front and he was getting hold of the ball and complementing Steve Lenagh and it seemed to work.
"Liam didn't have the best of starts but then he gets the goal which was fantastic. He came in from the right and got himself free and took his goal very, very well.
"Second half it was back-to-the-walls job really. However, having said that we emphasised at half time in the dressing room that with being one nil up at home it was import to push on and go for a second. Sitting back for the whole 45 minutes would have made it a very long 45 minutes.
"I felt we did well and had the better of the second half. We created some good chances but to be fair they weren't far off with a couple themselves.
"They were two good sides who like to get the ball down and are very competitive.
"Without singling anyone out in particular Dale Belford was superb. He made some very important stops especially one in the first half. But for me Matt Smith was immense at the back. I don't think he lost a header all game so I'm absolutely delighted for him and everyone of them in the dressing room including the management staff.
"I must say a word about Andy Cheetham. He had to have a fitness test before today's game and when he took a knock early on and was limping I was a bit worried. But he came through it and carried on and was awesome.
"Carl Slater came on and showed some of the form he'd had at the start of the season. He was chasing lost causes; he was busy and got himself involved and delighted for him today.
"I'm delighted we won the game because they came as favourites on the back of nine straight wins. I should say that we were more worried about them than they were about us. I just hope we get a decent draw in the next round when it's drawn on Monday."
Gresley Rovers (1) 1
Matlock Town (0) 0
Scorer: Hebberd 45
Gresley Rovers: Belford, Everitt, Cheetham, Smith, Haynes, Doughty
, Harrad, Barrett, Hebberd (Slater 66), Lenagh, Wardle. Subs not used: Alexander, Pitt, Norton, B Clarke (gk).
Matlock Town: M Taylor, James, R Taylor, I Clarke, Davies, Lukic, Hopkins, White (Handbury 80), S Taylor, Holland (Barraclough 45), Williams. Subs not used: Charles, Willgoose, Tye (gk).
Rovers Star Man: Matt Smith – Rock solid in defence.
Referee: A Morbin (Sheffield).
Attendance: 410
