UniBond League Division One
The Moat Ground, Church Gresley
Saturday, 23rd April 2005, 3.00pm
Rovers and Robins share the points
This was an entertaining game as both sides set out to try and claim 3 points desperately needed for different reasons. Ilkeston to try and claim automatic promotion and Gresley to cling on to the faint hope of joining the playoffs.
In the end a point for each was not what was wanted from this keenly fought encounter.
The Robins almost took an early lead when Chris Adam's free kick clattered the post after just 4 minutes.
However, it was the home side that took the lead just four minutes later. Aaron O'Connor collected the ball on the left touchline and raced into the area after easily beating the attention of two defenders. His first shot was well blocked by Ilkeston keeper Ross Turner but the on-form striker was quickest to react and hammered the rebound into the net.
As was to be expected Ilkeston piled on the pressure and on 10 minutes Adam fired high over the bar and four minutes later a free kick taken by John Knapper from the edge of the box looked goal bound but a deflection sent it away for a corner. A succession of three corners all failed to find their mark as the Gresley defence stood firm.
On 29 minutes Gresley's back line was relieved to see the action swing to the opposite end and Mickey Lyons' shot, after some good build up work with O'Connor, was almost put in his own net by Craig Swinscoe.
O'Connor was in the thick of things minutes later when he stole the ball off Darren Knowles before laying on a ball that Chris Gray hit just wide of the post.
Down at the other end a shot from former Moatman Gareth Holmes was bravely blocked by Lyons.
The first half ended in controversy as O'Connor, through on goal, was pushed by Holmes who had been beaten for pace by the striker. Incredibly referee Guy Stretton made another questionable decision by waving play on and not even speaking to Holmes to the utter disgust of both management and supporters.
Gresley came out on the attack and Turner was tested after just three minutes when he acrobatically tipped over a superb shot from Paul Edwards.
The Robins got back on terms due to yet another a sloppy goal seen at the Moat Ground this season. Substitute Ryan Hindley's corner from the right somehow found itself back in the box after being half-cleared. The ball was allowed to bounce twice before being nodded over Gresley keeper Dale Belford and into the net by Craig Swincoe.
Gresley hit back and begun to take control of the game making chances that should have given the home side a deserved three points but it was not to be.
On 64 minutes a free kick found Nathan Tate whose shot needed two tries by Turner before he claimed the ball.
Paul Edwards warmed the hands of Turner with his 72nd minute drive and ten minutes later he was a fraction away from connecting with O'Connor's cross.
On 82 minutes Gray's shot needed to be tipped over by Turner as Gresley turned the screw but the badly needed goal just would not come.
In time added on Gresley had three more chances. The first when Ashley Dodd put a shot over the bar. O'Connor's shot on the turn was pushed away by Turner and Emeka Ejiofor's shot from close in was also saved by Turner.
Manager's View
"I think we deserved to win that. But, it's the same old story - how cheap was their goal. As a unit defensively we played superb all game and dealt with everything they threw at us and we created chances but it was not to be.
"It was an entertaining game and I was quite pleased about that. It was end to end with both sides trying to win it. A point is certainly no good to us but I'm not certain how it affects Phil and his lads in achieving automatic promotion. It was one of our best recent performances.
"The officials didn't help. It looked as if Aaron had been brought down in the first half but speaking to the referee he said he didn't think there was anything in it but in my opinion it stopped us going two nil up just before half time, which would have been great. The ref didn't help either side but, he's a honest guy and he played it how he saw it and I have no problem with that.
"We've had a talk in the dressing room that effectively our playoff chance has gone but we will still keep going until the end. We have a big say in where the title is going and we have two big games coming up and we are not going to give them away lightly because we want to finish as high as we can. It is disappointing but overall we've had a good season but we had it our own hands and we've given it away. It's not like sides have come here and tore strips off us and opened us up time after time.
"Their goal was comical. The ball bounced twice and over our keeper and into the net but you can't give goals away like that at this level of football. So, instead of standing here talking about an entertaining one-nil win over our local rivals we are rueing the fact that we should have won a game yet again at home and we haven't.
"I think looking back that it was probably our away form that has let us down. That little run of nine or so games when we didn't win anything away from home as had a big factor in us not going to go into the final games in the top six. Saying that, we have had opportunities at home as well. Looking back to the Chorley game where their keeper saved the penalty after bringing Aaron down when he should have been off the field. We were two-nil up against Rossendale and in the end dropped two points. Two weeks ago we played a really entertaining game against North Ferriby. We were two one up and lost that game so there were points thrown away there."
