FA Trophy 2nd Qualifying Round
The Moat Ground, Church Gresley
Saturday, 12th November 2005, 3.00pm
Trophy woe for Gresley
The record books will show that Gresley lost this game and were probably well beaten. However, if you'd have been at the game you would have wondered how they managed to lose the FA Trophy encounter having shaded the possession and chances.
The scoreline flattered the visitors but no one could deny that they will be in the hat for at least a play-off place should they continue to play like they did on Saturday. Both sides played good flowing, passing football that entertained the crowd who also saw a fine display from a visiting keeper for the second game running who was largely responsible for helping his side to victory.
Mossley started confidently and were awarded a free kick on 4 minutes that ricocheted around the Gresley area before Leon Mike put a shot well over the bar.
Gresley went close to taking the lead on 11 minutes when Jamie Barrett did well to get on the end of a long ball from Matt Millns. He managed to get to the bye-line before sending over a low cross that Chris Gray, stretching, could only push wide.
A minute later Nathan Tate did very well to shake of his minder before turning and shooting but his effort unfortunately also went wide.
On 17 minutes Mossley took the lead completely against the run of play. A corner from the left by Joe Shaw found Danny Meadowcroft whose header was palmed away by Gresley keeper Gavin Saxby but only as far as Paul Challinor who rifled the ball back and into the net.
The Moat Men pushed forward immediately and a superb ball by Tate into the area had to be hurriedly scrambled away from danger. Then, on 23 minutes a fine sell of good accurate man-to-man passing sadly finished with Barrett shooting wide.
Mossley keeper Lee Bracey made the first of his numerous match winning saves when he dived quickly down to his left to save Barrett's shot from going in to the net. He made an even better save on 31 minutes when he tipped over Tate's header from Allan Davies' cross when it looked to have beaten him. From the resulting corner Matt Millns went close putting his header just wide of the back post.
Saxby did well to block Shaw's shot after another display of good passing football - Gary White cleared the danger.
The action went down to the other end and Tate saw a shot deflected just wide of the post.
A very poor back header from Millns gifted Rhodri Giggs a golden chance on the half time whistle but Saxby did well to block his shot at the near post.
Mossley were quickly out of the blocks for the second period and tested Saxby again but the Gresley keeper was up to the task saving well from Giggs.
Gresley manager Gary Norton made a change on the hour bringing on strikers Paul Edwards and Aaron O'Connor for David Holmes and Tate. Within two minutes of the change a tremendous pass from Mickey Lyons to Edwards resulted in the striker hitting a thunderous goal bound shot that Bracey saved superbly.
Mossley's second goal came on 71 minutes after another spell of good football from the visitors culminating in substitute Anthony Bingham heading home Adam Morning's cross.
Edwards pulled a goal back for Gresley two minutes later. A long clearance was flicked on to the striker who hit a first time shot that Bracey blocked with his legs. However, Edwards reacted quickly and smashed the rebound into the net.
Gresley went looking for another goal and Gray was unlucky to see his shot well held by the on-form Bracey. On 77 minutes Bracey was quick off his line to deny O'Connor as Gresley piled forward.
Unfortunately, this pressure from the home side lead to their undoing as Mossley added two very late goals to give an unjust look to the score line.
On 86 minutes Gresley were caught by a quick break when referee Mr Grundy correctly played advantage after Giggs was fouled allowing Morning to gallop forward and beat Saxby at his near post.
And then in time added on the fourth goal was a gift by Saxby when his poor clearance found Chris Downey on the edge of the box who took the early Christmas present slotting the ball past the Gresley keeper.
Manager's View
"I thought the score line was really harsh to be honest. In the cup it doesn't matter whether you lose four one or one nil but defeat is difficult to take in the best of circumstances. We played some great football today and a testament to how well we played is always the Gresley crowd. If you come off and you've played poorly they are not slow to let you know about it. We lost the game four one and I was cringing a little bit waiting to walk up the tunnel but both players and supporters want Gresley to do well and they recognised that we've played well today and it was a lot closer game than the score suggests.
"You'll pick the paper up on Monday and think Gresley got a bit of a battering but anyone who was here today will be wondering how we lost this game four one.
"We created plenty of chances but was undone by a sucker punch. They caught us out from a corner and they reacted a bit better in the box and have gone one nil up. We just need a break by going a goal ahead.
"The pleasing thing for today was that we sustained the performance for almost the ninety minutes, but we just got caught. The second goal was the most disappointing as I felt we were ball watching a little bit. One of our players got pulled out of position and they put in a quality ball into the box and the guy has got time and space to plant his header. Credit to our lads they kept going, we created and we got the goal back and we looked dangerous every time we went forward.
"Things are not dropping for us at the moment. We've got to dig in and keep doing it and someone is in line for a hell of a spanking soon if we can keep playing like that, believing in ourselves and just tighten up a little at the back.
"I did not even think about starting Aaron O'Connor because after he's done some training or running his ankle swells up a little bit. If it had been a league game I might have been tempted. I was a little nervous throwing him on as early as we did and we've now got to wait for the next twenty four or forty eight hours to see if there is any reaction to it but he didn't half give us another dimension when he came on. He looked quite sharp and had a couple of opportunities and it's great to have him back. It's fingers crossed for the next twenty-four, forty-eight hours.
"Paul Edwards is a frustrating player - he's a mixture of absolute quality on his day but also he can be very average. He demonstrated his quality today - he went on and got the goal his eight or ninth and that's not bad for saying he's not really played to his potential yet this season. When he's on fire and when he's going and has a run of games like he did earlier in the season he's quality. I'm delighted he got the goal today and he gives us things to think about.
"Offensively, Mossley are a fantastic side. Jason's got them bang at it this year but for injuries and suspensions they are going to be right up there this season and credit to them. I felt we did cause them problems at the back but we didn't punish them in their penalty box like they punished us.
"It was a cracking game of football - any neutral here today would have enjoyed that because it was end to end stuff. But, credit to Mossley they've come and punch for punch they were the better team on the day. I don't think we are a million miles away that the score line might suggest. We've just got to dig in and get back to league action now.
"I thought Mickey Lyons was fantastic today as were all the midfield. Carl Slater was breaking things up and Mickey was creating things. Some of the twists and turns and passes he pulled off were fantastic and he gets himself into some great positions in the box - we just need to work on his shooting and his scoring now.
"Even though we are on a run of four defeats I'm feeling positive - I don't feel under pressure whatsoever where previously, if we'd have been on the back of this sort of run not playing well or creating chances I would have been feeling down. Don't get me wrong, I'm really upset about it but I am positive about the future because of the honest lads we have at Gresley. If we carry on playing this type of football and tidy up on one or two things I'm sure we can get back on a good run and be there or thereabouts come next May."
