FA Cup Preliminary Round Replay
Exchem Sports Ground, Lees Lane, Soth Normanton
Tuesday, 5th September 2006, 7.45pm
Spot on Gresley
Gresley Rovers were taken to penalties as this FA Cup replay ended all square just as it had done on Saturday at the Moat Ground.
However, this time it was The Shiners who got back on terms after Gresley had taken a first half lead.
Gresley had the first half chance on 14 minutes but Shaun Ridgway put his header wide. A minute later the visitor's had a good penalty shout turned down by referee Mr Plowright when Aaron O'Connor was brought down just inside the area. The official said it was outside and awarded a free kick almost on the line.
Mr Plowright proved to be consistent in his decisions when Jared Holmes appeared to be brought down by Gresley defender Colin Hoyle in the area but again their appeal was waved away.
Gresley took an unexpected lead on 34 minutes when Jamie Barrett's shot, from the edge of the area, was blocked and the rebound found Ravi Sangha who turned and fired a low shot into the far corner of the net.
The Shiners almost got back on terms three minutes later when Matthew Baxter headed Jared Holmes's corner a fraction too high and it sailed over the bar.
Jared Holmes had the last attempt on goal on the half time whistle but sent his free kick well over the bar.
South Normanton came out for the second period looking for a goal and it was Gary White who saved the day for Gresley just four minutes after the re-start. Adam Newton was allowed time and space as he made his way to the edge of the box where Gary White's well-timed tackle denied him the chance of shooting.
Keeper Ross Whalin then produced a save to tip Sangha's shot on the turn round the post before Ridgeway fired over from 20-yards.
On 55 minutes Tom Betteridge then sent over a cross that found O'Connor whose first time shot was well blocked by Whalin.
Gresley almost doubled their advantage on 63 minutes when two home defenders went to head the same ball allowing Sangha a volley that went unfortunately wide of the post.
Four minutes later the home side were level. A long ball bounced on the edge of the visitors area and as Whittle ran out to try and clear the danger Santos Farrell, on loan from Gresley, beat him to the ball and looped the ball into the empty net.
Carl Slater thought he'd won a penalty having been tripped a yard inside the area but amazingly the official pointed to a spot right on the white line from where the resulting free kick had to be taken.
On 79 minutes Whittle did well to hold onto a tremendous long-range shot from Newton but the game could have been resolved in the allotted ninety minutes when Gresley had yet another penalty appeal turned down by Mr Plowright. This time it was when Nick Guislanzoni had climbed all over the back of Matt Millns preventing him from getting to the ball but the decision was given to the home defender.
In the first few of minutes of extra time Gresley had two chances to regain the lead. O'Connor's cross was met by Slater sliding in but his attempt went over the bar and then Whalin blocked a shot by Ridgeway.
Substitute Paul Edwards then looked odds on to score on 95 minutes but the cross was taken off his toe by a last ditch tackle from a Shiners defender.
And so to penalties.
Gresley were the first to step up to the mark and Edwards made no mistake. Guislanzoni was the first of the Shiners penalty takers but Whittle diving to his right denied the defender.
Millns, Ridgeway, and Slater all converted their kicks and Baxter, Atkinson and Farrell scored for the home side leaving O'Connor the honour of putting his side through to meet Quorn in the next round and the striker made no mistake blasting the ball past Whalin.
Manager's View
"I honestly don't believe that we can play that bad over two games again. That takes a bit of credit away from South Normanton Athletic because they equipped themselves superbly well over the two games. Any neutral who had watched these two games would have thought they were the UniBond side and we were the side two leagues below!
"We've done it the hard way. We are pleased we're through - credit to the lads that stepped up at the end and kept their nerve. Tom's redeemed himself by saving their first penalty.
"I've a massive headache now because that performance was well, well, well below par and there are guys taking money under false pretences from the club and I can't allow that to happen much longer. Sixth game into the season and that was a mediocre performance from guys you would expect a lot better from. And we know we can get a lot better.
"We've spoken to the guys behind closed doors and expressed our frustrations but we get worked off the park. The two lads who are on loan from Gresley, Santos Farrell and Damien Powell, absolutely ran their legs off for those two games. All of their players ran their legs off. They've given us problems for 180 minutes plus extra time and it was almost embarrassing at the end when we ended up going through because over the two games we didn't deserve if I'm brutally honest.
"The penalty shout for Matt Millns was six of one and half a dozen of another. Some days you get them and some days you don't. It was always going to be one of those games were we wasn't going to get stuff. We had one or two half chances maybe but we didn't create anything and we didn't get any fluid football going at all.
"We looked like a side under pressure tonight. We said to the lads "go out there and try and relax, try and enjoy it and play your football". There were guys out there, including the subs that lost individual battles tonight.
"It was a kick up the backside for us as a squad and it's a bit of a rude awakening. It's very similar to last year in terms of our start. We've managed to scrape through this time, the first hurdle of the FA Cup and we'll be looking to take action in the coming days."
