UniBond Challenge Cup 1st Round
Hillsfield, Rocester
Tuesday, 26th October 2004, 7.45pm
Romans put to the sword
This was another of those proverbial 'games of two halves'. Rocester could quite easily have gone in at half time with a comfortable lead but in the second period the home side hardly figured at all as an attacking force.
On 2 minutes Rocester should have been in front when Darren Alexander sent Andy Bourne on his way toward goal his pass found Kevin Millward who somehow managed to put the ball over the ball when it would have much easier to have put it in the net.
Gresley keeper Gavin Saxby did well to keep his side in the game on 14 minutes when he superbly saved a goal-bound header from eight yards. However, that save only delayed the inevitable and on 18 minutes the Romans took the lead. Bourne found himself in on goal but it looked as if Saxby had the shot covered but the ball somehow went under his body and into the net.
The goal seemed to shake Gresley from their slumbers and Sean Gummer did well down the right flank before sending over a cross that just beat Aaron O'Connor 's touch.
Rocester then had another chance on 30 minutes but Martin Ridley could only send his shot over the bar.
Seven minutes later the visitors were awarded a free kick just outside the area but although Karl Brown hit the ball well enough it went straight into the arms of Romans keeper Phil McGing.
Gresley finished the half pressing forward and O'Connor almost got on the end of a cross from Jamie Hood.
The Moatmen came out for the second half pressing forward and within a couple of minutes they almost got on equal terms. O'Connor's cross landed at Barrett's feet but his hurried shot looped over the bar.
Just after the hour mark McGing did well to get down quickly to save a shot from O'Connor as Gresley were pushing their opponents back.
Four minutes later Gresley got back on terms. Gary White received a throw in from Barrett and hammered in a shot from distance that McGing should have held but the ball managed to find itself in the back of the net.
It was all Gresley now and on 73 minutes and with Rocester defending for all they were worth a superb one-two between Barrett and O'Connor ended with O'Connor firing in a shot that McGing did well to save.
The pressure had to pay off sooner or later and a minute later it did. Andy Marlowe played a fine through ball to Barrett who made no mistake slotting the ball past McGing to give Gresley a deserved lead.
On 82 minutes Ashley Dodd almost made it three but his chip that had beaten McGing clattered off the bar and away to safety.
Well into time added on Gresley did get their third. White fired a speculative 30 yard shot that flew straight though McGings hands much to his embarrassment.
Manager's View
"I wasn't happy at all in the first half it was a very, very poor performance all over the park. The goal summed it up really Andy Bourne scuffed a shot and I was looking at the halfway line to see where Gavin's going to put the ball and it had gone under him.
"I had a bit of a pop at them at halftime and to be fair to the players it's not been very often that I've had to do that this season and they've responded superbly well. I made a couple of substitutions moving Gary White forward and put Jamie Barrett up front. Gary's got himself a couple of goals and Jamie's got one as well. He could have had another one early on when he put one over the bar.
"In the end I happy that we've won the game and that we haven't picked any injuries up but performance wise we need to be playing a lot better than that against sides like Rocester.
"Jamie Barrett was on the bench tonight purely to rest him he's one of just two or three players who have played in every game this season and I spoke to him before the game and he's more than happy with the situation. I felt Liam Hebberd looked a little tired tonight so I brought him off. He's a young lad and he's played a lot of games for us but I wanted to look at options up front and we are relying on Aaron O'Connor to get all the goals at the minute. I wanted to have a look at Barrett up front because he played there for us a few times last season and we may need to go out and strengthen in that department. We are looking to bring a goal scorer in although we are doing well and winning games and keeping the goals conceded down we do need to have another goal scoring option.
"I was pleased that Matt K Smith got ten or fifteen minutes in after he missed a couple of games. The goal for Rocester was the first conceded by Gavin so that's taken some of the pressure off him. If we are going to give away sloppy goals like that one I'd much rather they be in a competition like this than a league game. Just before that goal he'd pulled off an absolutely top drawer save. There was a cross from the right and I can't remember who got the header in but as far as I was concerned it was a goal all the way but he pulled off a top class save so things seem to balance themselves out. I'm also pleased because we've got Gavin until January now after agreeing things with David Lloyd at Alfreton."
