Bass Charity Vase
The Moat Ground, Church Gresley
Wednesday, 20th July 2005, 7.45pm
Magpies rule the roost
Notts County fielded a strong side containing six of last season's first team squad as they looked to defend the Bass Charity Vase.
Things did not look good when just after 7 minutes a cross from Tony Scully was helped on by Emmet Friars and was helped into the net by a slight brush from Paul Edwards.
As was expected Notts County took charge of the game and their speed and awareness tore holes in the Gresley defence.
The home sides first chance came on 10 minutes but Carl Adams put his header wide and four minutes later Nicky Carter also went close this time firing over the bar.
On 17 minutes the Gresley backline was caught out expecting an offside flag but none came and running onto a through ball Matt Williams made no mistake slipping the ball past Gavin Saxby in the home goal.
Four minutes later Saxby did save his side as the home defence were again sliced open by Scully's pass to the Singapore International trialist Noh Alam Shah. The forward unselfishly laid the ball on for Williams but Saxby did well to deny the striker.
Saxby was kept busy smothering two attacks in quick succession. However, there was nothing he could do to prevent the Magpies from increasing their advantage. On the half hour a quick flowing move down the right saw the impressive Shah get comfortably around the back of the Gresley defence before giving Williams a chance he couldn't miss from close range.
Things looked grim as Notts County seemed to cut through the defence with ease but, to their credit the Gresley players refused to give up the game and slowly they started to claw their way back into the game.
On 34 minutes a Chris Gray corner from the right found Edwards whose header almost beat Saul Deeney the Magpies' keeper.
Two minutes later it was David Holmes who threatened the County goal when his chip beat Deeney but skimmed off the top of the bar.
Gresley started the second half brightly but it was the visitors who should have scored after just four minutes of the re-start. Shah embarrassingly fired wide of an open goal and then Williams somehow managed to clout a post with his shot after beating Saxby.
How many more would the visitors score? That was the question in many of the spectators' minds - they added just one more when former Hucknall Town midfielder Jason Nicholson headed home on 52 minutes from Scully's cross.
County continued to attack and Saxby did well to deny the lively Williams yet again before Gresley began their fight back.
The home side's first goal came from a free kick on 65 minutes 20 yards out. Edwards elected to take the kick that beat Deeney and found the back of the net with the help of a deflection.
The goal visibly lifted the spirit of the Gresley team and they began to play some of their best football of the evening. Edwards was very unlucky not to double his tally on 74 minutes when he got onto the end of Gray's through ball only to see his goal bound shot come off the toe of the outstretched leg of the Magpies' custodian.
A last ditch well executed tackle from substitute Paul Grosse denied another attack but it was Gresley who claimed the goal-of-the-game on 85 minutes. A superb pinpoint pass found Edwards on the left of the area. The striker hit a magnificent 25 yard volley on the turn that left Deeney clutching at thin air as the ball flew past him and into the far corner of the net.
Gresley's substitute keeper James Pemberton did well when he bravely gathered the ball at the feet of the marauding Shah.
Manager's View
I would have taken that score after 30 or so minutes when the third goal went in! We can take a lot of credit from the second half and there are also many positives to come from it.
"That second half performance gives me great encouragement and it was very pleasing. I was pleased that Paul Edwards got a couple of goals, Actually he scored a hat-trick of sorts because I believe he scored an own goal - their first. Paul's second goal shows just what quality he can produce and I was pleased because he also got his head down and worked his socks off and he did tremendously well and it was something for us to work on. He could have had a hat-trick when he was put through but he was denied by their keeper sticking a leg out at the last minute.
"Matt Millns has had another good game and he says he's enjoyed it. With a lot of the team still missing through holidays or injury it gave opportunities to the younger lads in the squad and they all did themselves a power of good. There were several reserve team players on show tonight and they won't get to play against the quality of opposition they did in this game very often.
"I also felt that Nicky Carter had a cracking game tonight. Carl Adams had a good game especially in the second half and Chris Gray has impressed in his two games."
