Gresley Rovers vs Buxton
Mark Hurst cracked a dazzling second half goal to see Gresley Rovers safely through to the semi-finals of the Derbyshire Senior Cup last night.
Hurst's 54th-minute humdinger capped another solid performance by the Moatmen to earn them a last-four home tie against Alfreton Town – and thus a golden opportunity to reach their fifth final in seven seasons.
There could and should have been more goals as Rovers dominated the game for lengthy periods.
But Buxton, surprising Dolby's men by playing a passing game, had their chances too with keeper Bob Aston forced to make point blank saves in each half.
Moat skipper Richard Denby, making his 300th appearance for Rovers, was intent on setting up a semi-final meeting with his former club and twice in the opening 20 minutes could have put his team on their way.
With 15 minutes gone the midfielder, showing glimpses of his best form, shimmied past a defender onto Scott Elliot's through ball and floated a right foot shot toward the top corner that Bucks keeper Gary Walker pawed to safety at full stretch.
Then he made meaty contact with a left foot piledriver from the edge of the box that came back off a defender.
Aston was forced to save at the second attempt when Stuart Lowe met Andy Taylor's low cross from the left with a first time shot, but Rovers were beginning to get a grip on the game and David Holmes was next to go close, brushing off a defender to pick up Tony Marsden's return pass only to see his shot blocked by Walker.
Rovers finished the half on top but Buxton could twice have taken the lead within five minutes of the restart.
First Stuart Evans' header fell straight to Mark Hughes on the edge of the penalty area and his cross left Bevon Blackwood clear in front of the goal but the centre forward shot straight at Aston.
Then Mark Hopkinson's cross from the left eluded the Rovers defence to present Hughes with an opportunity at the far post that Aston did well to block.
Richard Wardle sent Ian Straw's cross flying high and wide as Rovers hit back, then stepped over Hurst's left wing cross to give Holmes an opportunity but, disappointingly, the striker put his close range effort wide.
A minute later, though, Hurst mad no mistake. Holmes pushed Graeme Rigg's through ball into his path and the little striker skated past two defenders before hitting a venomous right foot shot that flew past Walker from the edge of the penalty area.
Buxton battled hard for an equaliser but Rovers had the bit between their teeth now and Marsden should have put the issue beyond doubt when Denby and Hurst linked to send Richard Wardle springing clear, but when his low cross from the right reached the near post his midfield colleague could not get any power behind his close range shot.
Marsden then had the ball in the net after challenging Walker for Denby's corner only for referee Brian Rudkin to rule the effort illegal.
It mattered little for Buxton were fading fast and Hurst was inches away from a deserved second when he pulled away from a defender to meet Aston's mighty kick only to see his close range shot pushed onto the bar by Walker.
Gresley Rovers (0) 1
Buxton (0) 0
Scorer: Hurst 54
Gresley Rovers: Aston, Elliott, Rigg, Denby, Evans, Stanborough, Wardle, Straw, Hurst, Holmes (Moore 81), Marsden. Sub not used: Reddin
Buxton: Walker, Goodison, Taylor, Connor, R Brown, Bainbridge, Hughes, Gregory, Blackwood (Wood 80), Lowe, Hopkinson. Sub not used: G Brown
Gresley man-of-the-match: Richard Denby
Referee: B Rudkin (Belper)
Attendance: 402
