FA Trophy 1st Qualifying Round
The Moat Ground, Church Gresley
Saturday, 15th October 2005, 3.00pm
Play it again lads!
Gresley Rovers started this local derby the better of the two sides and their thrusts into the Ilkeston danger area resulted in two free kicks within the first eight minutes.
The first forced a corner but the second gave them the lead. Tony Hemmings was brought down on the left and the free kick taken by Gary White was floated into the area. Ilkeston's keeper Ben Scott appeared to miss the ball and Jamie Barrett was hand to loop his header into the net. In the attempt to claim the ball Scott had collided with his own player Justin Jenkins and after lengthy treatment on the pitch had to be replaced by Ross Turner.
The home side could have doubled their advantage on 20 minutes when Turner fumbled a Barrett cross and the ball found Matt Millns who fired in a shot through a crowded area only for Darren Knowles to clear the ball off the line.
Turner was called on to deny Paul Edwards on 29 minutes when he held on to the strikers vicious low shot down by his right hand post.
Ilkeston's most meaningful venture of the first half came on 35 minutes but Mick Goddard shot well wide of the target.
The referee added eight minutes to the first half and The Robins equalised against the run of play as the home side had been on top for most of the half. David Jervis's cross was met by the slightest of touch from John Burns' head and the ball looped agonisingly past the grasp of James Pemberton in the Gresley goal.
Ilkeston's goal deep into injury time gave them the impetus that was missing in the first half and they soon took control of the proceedings.
Goddard had a glorious chance to give his side the lead within seconds of the re-start but his header, from a Jervis cross lacked any power and was comfortably held by Pemberton.
On 48 minutes Jenkins got the better of Allan Davies but his shot went high over the bar. It was then the turn of Nigel Jemson to try his hand but although he'd beaten Andy Simpson he could not get by Davies whose tackle denied the striker.
It looked a dead cert that the visitors would take the lead and on 52 minutes it came. Gresley only half cleared the ball and Mark Clifford was allowed to set himself before firing an unstoppable shot past Pemberton and into the far corner of the net.
Gresley manager Gary Norton was forced to reshuffle his back line when Matt Millns hobbled off with an ankle injury on 54 minutes bringing on midfielder Jamie Barrett into defence.
On 63 minutes Gresley forced a corner on the left taken by White. The ball came to Mickey Lyons but he put his shot past the post. Three minutes later Gresley did have the ball in the net. Another corner resulted in Chris Gray firing home only to have the attempt ruled out for an infringement spotted by referee Mr Jones.
Aaron O'Connor then had a half chance on 71 minutes after he'd turned his marker he fired in a shot that was well held by Turner.
A combination of Gresley sensing time was running out and Ilkeston sitting back on their lead saw the home side pressing for an equaliser.
David Holmes went close on 73 minutes putting his near post header fractionally wide from White's corner.
Things looked grim for Gresley when on 85 minutes they saw O'Connor limp off the field leaving them with only ten men on the field. O'Connor had again shrugged off his marker and fired straight at the keeper before being caught by a late tackle causing a severe ankle injury that could see him out for the replay.
With grit and determination Gresley got their fully deserved chance to play Ilkeston again at the New Manor Ground on Tuesday.
In time added on Nathan Tate was flattened on the left but because Holmes had the ball the referee played advantage, Holmes put a dangerous ball right into the heart of the Ilkeston area. Carl Slater ran in on the blind side and slid the ball home between Turner and Gareth Homes.
Manager's View
"I've got mixed emotions really. To pinch the opportunity at the death to visit the New Manor Ground, especially for the spectators, was almost like snatching a winner.
"I was disappointed in our performance for the last fifteen minutes of the first half and the first fifteen in the second half. We had a game plan and we gambled on how they would set up and it worked. We coped with them well and I thought for the first fifteen minutes we took the game to them and showed a lot of good stuff. We got the ball down and we tried to work a certain pattern and Jamie Barrett got the goal, a bit fortuitous but he got on the end of it and directed it back and got the goal. We also had three half chances. One when Carl Slater went through and had a bit of a mix up with Aaron O'Connor.
"I thought that if we'd have got another goal they would have had to come out a bit more. But they adjusted things a little bit and to be fair they did well with them especially for the last fifteen minutes when we were off it a little bit. I was disappointed with the goal because we hadn't put any pressure on the ball to stop the cross coming in and we left someone with far too much space in our box. That gave Ilkeston the impetus that they needed.
"Second half we really did not get going. We didn't pass the ball; we didn't do the things we'd talked about in the dressing room. And to be fair to Ilkeston they broke things up well, they niggled and got stuck in and they out battled us. I was disappointed with their second goal. Matt Millns had the ball coming out of defence and was forced to pass and they hit us on the break and we did not put pressure on Mark Clifford whose shot went in - a great strike from him. But, we haven't helped ourselves.
"We got out of jail in this game when Carl went in where feet were flying and got the goal for us.
"Ilkeston's goal plan in the second half was effective for them and they broke things up and out muscled us and used their experience in certain areas. And then we began to force things a little bit and it was frustrating because we just didn't get the ball down. When did get the opportunity in the final third our quality just wasn't there. Time after time the ball was sailing over the bar or aimlessly wide of the goal and things were breaking down and at times we were our own worst enemy.
"It was always going to be that type of game. Games against Ilkeston are always blood and thunder with a good atmosphere and rapport between the rival supporters. The players have a mutual respect and none of them want to give an inch and unfortunately sometimes it detracts from the quality of football."
