FA Trophy 1st Qualifying Round Replay
The New Manor Ground, Ilkeston
Tuesday, 18th October 2005, 7.45pm
Rovers rock the Robins
With four first team players unavailable Gresley pulled off a superb FA Trophy win against over their near neighbours Ilkeston Town.
Gresley open well and went close on 17 minutes when a Gary White free kick found David Holmes who's back header clattered against the bar.
Nigel Jemson had a couple of decent chances soon afterwards when he first put his header wide from Mark Clifford's cross and then firing wide when in a good position.
Gresley midfielder Jamie Barret opened the scoring on 27minutes. Allan Davies found space down the right before sending in a cross that was blocked, However, the ball came back to Davies who this time laid the ball back for Barrett who lashed in his first time shot past home keeper Ross Turner.
The visitors almost doubled their advantage moments later but Holmes volleyed his shot just over after a fine pass from Chris Gray.
Gresley were to rue that miss when Justin Jenkins collected a good through ball from Jemson on 32 minutes. The tall striker seemed to miss-control the ball but he then regained his composure before unleashing a vicious shot into the roof of the net.
It was only five minutes before Gresley regained the lead. A superb passing move started by Mickey Lyons found Davies who again found space down the right. His cross found Barrett at the far post who nodded the ball home.
The woodwork came to Gresley's aid twice in quick succession. A minute before the half time break Mick Goddard beat Gresley keeper James Pemberton with a glorious looping shot that hit the bar and in time added on Goddard again beat Pemberton with a shot across the keeper that this time crashed against an upright and away to safety.
Five minutes after the start of the second period the visitors extended their lead. Barrett played the ball square for Nathan Tate who beat Darren Knowles before hitting a superb volley into the net off the far post.
Ilkeston were stunned - Gresley were elated.
The game boiled over in 59 minutes with a 20 player melee after Gary White, who recieved a yellow card, had brought down Knowles. In the ensuing scrum Goddard had Andy Simpson in a headlock that the Gresley skipper took a dislike to. The referee took a long hard look before dismissing both Goddard and Simpson.
It was do or die now for Ilkeston and they piled men forward trying to get something from the game. Knowles went close with a long-range shot but it was Gresley who could have put the game out of reach.
Lyons found Barrett but the midfielder was just inches away from his hat trick putting his shot just past the post.
It was backs to the wall for the final 10 or so minutes as wave after wave of Ilkeston attacks buffeted the Gresley defence. Two chances almost paid dividends with both Paul Smith and Jemson firing wide.
The pressure told on 90 minutes when Jemson lobbed the ball home but it was too late and it was Gresley celebrating at the end.
Manager's View
"Before the game I challenged the players to prove we are not a one-man team and we certainly did that.
"We went 4-3-3 and tried to get players up to support David Holmes. We were on the back foot at the start, but then we began to push our full backs on and Allan Davies has put in two great crosses for Jamie Barret to finish off brilliantly.
"I was disappointed with their goal as Jemson flicked the ball on and Jenkins finished superby. We didn't want to sit back in the second half and we had been on at Nathan Tate to push on a bit more. However, when he picked the ball up I didn't think he was going to finish it like he did. It was a magnificent shot.
"Jemson was causing us all sorts of trouble all night and he pulled a goal back and they also had one or two near misses.
"But it's a fantastic win for us and I delighted for every member of the squad."
