Gresley Rovers vs Rocester
Flying start - Andy Parker- Burton Mail
Alan Titterton enjoyed a dream start to his latest stint as caretaker manager
as everything went right for Gresley Rovers at the Moat Ground on Saturday.
Rovers' most emphatic win of the season was just what Titterton, his new charges
and their supporters needed after a grim succession of desperate displays had
plunged the club into a pit of gloom and earned manger Brian Kenning the sack.
Kenning never enjoyed the best of luck as Rovers boss and he would have a degree
of sympathy on Saturday for Rocester's managerial duo of Mark Bromley and Karl
Wilcox.
Their game did not look like subsiding to a hammering for most of the game
but when a stroke of fortune might have put the Romans back in the tie in the
second half there was not to be found.
Indeed, it was a day when all the breaks went Rovers' way, and no one could
deny that, if anyone deserved the rub of the green, it was the loyal and hard
working Titterton, who is currently filling the managerial breach at the Moat
for the second time.
The Rovers reserve boss has brought a string of top players to the Moat over
the last 10-years and could have found another in former Derby County teenager
Amjit Sidhu.
The youngster understandably took time to settle on his debut but, with half
time approaching and a half time stalemate looking probable, he announced his
arrival in devastating fashion.
Richard Wardle worked the ball into the box from the right but with ranks of
Rocester defenders ahead of him there seemed little way through for Sidhu as
the ball arrived at his feet.
However, a precocious back heel surprised everyone apart from the lethal Simon
Tucker who buried a rising shot past Scott Bentley from 10-yards.
Rovers had their noses in front and the margin was soon widened in spectacular
style. Mark Peters dropped a left wing corner to the far post where Matt Warren
despatched a fearsome volley past the luckless Bentley.
It could have been three before the break as Sidhu forced Bentley into a low
save but soon the attacking onus switched to the visitors as they battled to
get back into the tie.
The deficit was almost reduced on the hour as Martin Ridley's free kick deflected
off Mick Ede and onto the crossbar with recalled keeper Ian Wright then producing
an excellent parry to keep out Ridley's scorching free kick before holding onto
Danny Hobby's 25-yard shot after a corner had been only half-cleared.
Bentley produced a good save to keep out another Warren pile driver and Sidhu
saw a shot come back off the post after bursting past Ede but soon the action
was back at the other end with Barry Woolley heading Ridley's corner against
the Gresley bar and Wright blocking Andy Bott from the rebound.
A Rocester goal would have really made a tie of it but, with 10-minutes left,
Gresley finally killed off the game. Tucker, twice, and Sidhu had both seen
shots cleared off the line in an incredible melee but as Rocester pressed forward
again Steve Coates combined with Tucker to release Wardle who rounded Bentley
before stroking the ball home.
To add insult to injury for Rocester, substitutes Dave King and Kevin Allsop
combined for the fourth, King exploiting acres of space on Rocester's left and
Allsop gleefully despatching his near post cross with his first touch of the game.
Gresley Rovers (2) 4
Rocester (0) 0
Scorers: Tucker 40, Warren 42, Wardle 80, Allsop 83.
Gresley Rovers: Wright, Broadhurst, Middleton, Bluck, Warren, Peters,
Wardle, Coates, Sidhu, (King 83), Tucker (Allsop 83), Gardner (Cheetham 25).
Subs not used: Reynolds, Roberts.
Rocester: Bentley, Ridley, Simpson (Leaver 83), Knight, Woolley (Askey
83), Ede, Sailesman (Thornley 75), Hobby, Bott, Hook, Owen. Sub not used: Poskett
(gk).
Referee: H Singh (West Bromwich)
Attendance: 335
