Corby Town vs Gresley Rovers
Gresley Rovers ripped up the form book with devastating effect to sweep aside Corby Town last night and set themselves eyeball-to-eyeball with Burton Albion ready for a Dr Martens Southern League cup shoot out.
The magnificent Moatmen, ignited by a stunning Tony Marsden opener scored from fully 45 yards, shrugged off their underdogs status against the team with the best form record in the Beazer Premier Division to fashion a thrilling and thoroughly deserved victory.
In an incredible early spell of dominance during the enthralling quarter-final replay, Rovers trained shots on the Corby goal, creating as many chances as they had in three previous encounters with the Steelmen this season.
A key difference was the presence of new signing Chris Hanks, constantly threatening to score his first Rovers goal on only his second appearance.
Hanks, Marsden and Martin Devaney, with a stooping header wide of an open goal, all went close to giving Rovers an early opener and Richard Denby twice tested the alertness of keeper Chris Mackenzie with free kicks in a surprisingly one-sided opening spell.
Indeed, it was only the sure handling of Mackenzie that denied Rovers, but as no breakthrough emerged, Corby's direct style began to tell.
Rovers started the second half with the advantage of a howling wind and within two minutes Marsden capitalised with a sensational goal.
Gaining possession just inside the Corby half, the midfielder spotted Mackenzie straying towards the edge of his penalty area and lofted an audacious shot over the rapidly retreating keeper and just under the bar.
With away goals counting double in the event of a draw it was an invaluable advantage, even after Corby had levelled within a minute.
Rovers were still in awe of the opening goal when Steve Devine's right wing corner was headed down by Archer for Ian McInerney to hook in a close range shot.
Briefly, Rovers' grip of the tie looked threatened. Corby howled for a penalty as Archer went down under Scott Elliott's stretching challenge with referee Dexter marching Town boss Elwyn Roberts off the bench for a lecture after his heated observations on the decision.
Devine's corner sparked a desperate scramble on Rovers' line then Calvin Plummer dipped a shot just over the bar but Gresley were soon back on top with Hanks inches from glory with a fearsome shot against the bar from the angle of the penalty box.
Then Mackenzie failed to collect a Colin Loss corner and Stuart Evans pounced to head his first goal of the season and put the Moatmen on the march.
Within five minutes Marsden and Hanks combined with the £1,500 striker releasing a perfect through ball for Devaney to arrive ahead of Mackenzie and fire into an empty net.
Corby Town (0) 1
Gresley Rovers (1) 3
Scorers: McInerney 48 (Corby Town); Marsden 47, Evans 75, Devaney 81 (Gresley Rovers).
Corby Town: Mackenzie, Retalick, Collins, Keast, McElinney, Gunn, Devine, Archer, Plummer, Cook, McInerney. Subs not used: Walker, Hardings.
Gresley Rovers: Aston, Elliott, Rigg. Loss, Evans, Stanborough (Straw 82), Wardle, Denby, Hanks, Devaney, Marsden. Sub not used: Hurst.
Gresley man-of-the-match: Tony Marsden
Referee: M C Dexter (Thumaston)
Attendance: 350
