Gresley Rovers vs Rocester
Romans'revenge tastes so sweet - Andy Parker - Burton Mail
Rocester exacted sweet revenge over Gresley Rovers for their FA Vase humbling
of three weeks ago when they ran out deserved winners of a distinctly unseasonal
derby at the Moat Ground.
Gresley
boss Alan Titterton's adventurous bid to play three out-and-out strikers in
an effort to repeat that 4-0 score line foundered on the rock of a visiting
defence which starved the Rovers trio of virtually all service during a frosty
afternoon that ended up with the Moatmen, having introduced three midfielders
from the bench, looking shapeless and disorganised.
The Romans set their stall out early with the accent clearly on defence and
swift counter-attack with the ploy soon proving decisive.
The home side found Rocester defending in depth as early efforts to force a
breakthrough amounted to a long-range Richard Wardle effort that Scott Bentley
held comfortably and Justin O'Reilly deflecting Mark Peters' corner over the
bar.
When Rocester took their turn to attack they proved much more effective.
Phil McGing, making his home debut, held onto Russell Peake's angled effort
in the 19th minute but when Danny Hobby raced away to find space on the right
of Rovers' box two minutes later, his low, near post shot went through the keeper's
hands and into the far corner.
Rovers barely had time to recover from the setback when they were painfully
exposed again.
This time Hobby was unmarked in the centre to meet Andy Bott's cross from the
right and when the midfielder's header came back off a post Peake was on hand
to tuck away the rebound.
Gresley looked a beaten side already but, extraordinarily, they were handed
a lifeline four minutes before half time.
Rocester appeared to have successfully cleared a Rovers corner but striker
Kevin Allsop remained flat out on the goaline and referee Haj Singh, after a
brief consultation with an assistant, dismissed Rocester's Mick Ede for violent
conduct.
To
add to the visitors' dismay, the referee also awarded a penalty that, after
considerable protestations from the visitors, Mark Peters duly despatched.
The stage was set for a second-half Gresley revival against 10 men but it never
came.
Rocester continued to set up an insurmountable defensive obstacle with the
powerful Hobby in particular always a danger on the break as he ranged between
midfield and attack.
Rovers had a couple of glimpses of goal with Scott Bentley coming quickly from
his line to block as Peters threatened to latch onto Jamie Roberts' through-ball
before diving to divert Simon Tucker's rasping shot for a corner.
But it was the Romans who could and should have added to the score line on
72 minutes.
A Gresley corner was cleared to leave Hobby bursting past the floundering Neil
Broadhurst and firing in an angled drive McGing could only parry to the feet
of substitute Martin Ridley. A third goal seemed certain but Ridley's weak effort
was cleared off the line by Rovers skipper Wardle.
Rovers continued to bluster and blunder in search of an equaliser but when
Neil Broadhurst finally had the ball in the Rocester net in injury time, the
effort was ruled out for a foul on Bentley to ensure justice was done.
Gresley Rovers (1) 1
Rocester (2) 2
Scorers: Peters 41 (pen) (Gresley Rovers): Hobby 19, Peake 25 (Rocester).
Gresley Rovers: McGing, Roberts, Gardner (Coates 67), Bluck, Warren
(Allum 75), Peters, Broadhurst, Wardle, Allsop (Devine 67), Tucker, O'Reilly.
Rocester: Bentley, Knight, Simpson, Bostock, Wooley, Ede, Jennings,
Hobby, Bott, Peake (Ridley 69), Owen; subs not used: Bourne, Thorley.
Rovers
Star Man: Jamie Roberts - solid defending.
Referee: H Singh (West Bromwich)
Attendance: 430
