Bass Charity Vase
The Moat Ground, Church Gresley
Tuesday, 31st July 2007, 7.45pm
Brewers hit five
If Gresley Rovers harboured any faint thought's of meeting their Conference neighbours Burton Albion on Thursday for the Bass Vase Final they were blown away by a display of football that shows the gulf between the top flight of non-league football and the UniBond Division One.
Nigel Clough, absent due to the memorial game between Derby and Forest at Pride Park on the same evening, showed his intentions by sending a near full-strength side that could well open their new league campaign.
Albion should have taken the lead with less than a minute on the clock when David Farrell collected the ball on the left, cut inside and found Daryl Clare who curled his shot just wide of the upright.
Rovers took the lead on 6 minutes a poor punched clearance by Albion keeper Martin Taylor landed at the feet of Tom Groves who coolly slotted the ball back into the net from the edge of the penalty area.
The home side almost doubled their advantage two minutes later after a fine run down the left by Morgan Hurley led to Paul Edwards firing wide.
Albion started to take control of the game but a combination of poor finishing and some fine saves from Rovers' keeper David Clarke denied them getting the goal they looked certain to get.
On 14 minutes a free kick from the left from John McGrath was headed goalward but Clarke made the save and seconds later he was on top form to prevent Farrell from scoring diving low to his left to push the ball away which looked destined for the far bottom corner.
Two minutes later it was Jon Shaw's turn to be denied a goal by Clarke. The keeper blocked both Shaw's and Clare's shot and then Shaw somehow managed to fire wide when well placed.
The pressure on the Rovers defence was relentless with Clarke again making yet another good save this time from McGrath's freekick.
On 22 minutes Clare missed a sitter when he somehow lifted the ball over the ball from close in. The striker went close again this time after sliding in to connect with Aaron Webster's cross from the left but his effort went wide.
Clare was still trying to find the target on the half hour but after hitting his free kick into the defensive wall fired the rebound wide of the mark.
Clarke was having a fine game and prevented the Albion from equalising getting down well to stop Clare's low shop and then recovering quickly to smother the ball before it could be followed up.
The inevitable equaliser came on 34 minutes when Luke Farmer tripped Andy Corbett just inside the area. Clare fired his shot past Clarke from the spot.
Two minutes later Albion took the lead when Corbett fed a fine ball through to Clare who turned before firing a vicious low shot across Clarke and into the far corner.
Both sides made changes at the interval with Nicky Carter replacing Adam Henchcliffe, Chris Mawbey for Adam Barradell and Paul Kelly replacing Groves and Shaun Harrad replacing Shaw for the Albion.
On 56 minutes Rovers had a chance to level things when Hurley made a good run down the left beating John Brayford on the way before crossing to Karl Wayte who put his shot wide.
Albion increased their lead on 59 minutes when McGrath's 25-yard shot took a deflection off Harrad leaving Clarke wrong footed.
Five minutes later Carter sent over a deep cross that Paul Kelly, sliding in at the far post, just failed to get on the end of.
The visitors' superior fitness was beginning to reap reward as time after time they got behind a tiring Rovers defence.
Harrad, who had looked lively since coming on, scored arguably the best goal of the game on 67 minutes. A deft flick on by Clare from Corbetts pass found Harrad who beat the offside trap before hammering a superb shot into the roof of the net giving Clarke no chance.
Two minutes later a fast flowing move from Albion finished with Clare completing his hat-trick slotting home Webster's cross.
Albion had a couple of further chances to add to their tally before the end of the game with Harrad heading over the bar and then Sam Hall firing his shot over.
Manager's View
"I enjoyed the first thirty odd minutes! We were a little fortunate with the goal but Tom Groves took it well.
"Our best period of the game was the first ten or fifteen minutes after that the gulf in class was very evident.
"We obviously rode our luck a little, which is probably an understatement, before the equalising goal.
"I was a little disappointed but this was only our third friendly and I'm not sure about Burton probably their seventh or eighth. Some of their football was a joy to watch tonight with their patterns of play and movement off the ball. We very much contributed to that.
"Some of our players are woefully short of fitness. Some of it due to circumstances involving games being called off but a big chunk of it is down to their own personal efforts they are putting in away from Gresley. Obviously we only train twice a week at the moment or three times if you include Saturdays as the friendlies are kicking in.
"There are eighty percent of players who are well down where they should be. There were two players in terms of fitness who came out with any credit tonight that was Morgan Hurley on the left and Shaun Ridgway who ran himself into the ground. Apart from that I was disappointed in the majority of other people in terms of their fitness levels. It made it very easy for Burton in the end and it could have been a few more!
"David Clarke had a good game tonight especially in the first half. I don't think he had a chance with any of the goals but he did okay. He made some good stops and in the second half he was let down a bit by those around him.
"Tiredness kicked in and when mental tiredness kicked in as well you make mistakes and Burton are very, very conditioned and very, very fit and you would expect that.
"I was a little disappointed in the scheme of things. The last two or three years when we've played Burton in the Vase I've been very pleased with the state we were in and the fitness levels. There is a gulf in class but tonight shows we've got a hell of a lot of work to do.
"I was very surprised at the strength of Burton's side it was very nearly their first team. But I tried to use that as a positive and I told the guys that in pre-season you don't very often get the opportunity to play that level of quality.
"If the game had been played on Friday the Forest side would have been academy players. It would have been a great workout for us but tonight was an indication of Burton's strengths all over the pitch. Very experienced and they have some quality players. The football they played was very good at times and I'm sure Gary Crosby, who was looking after the side in Nigel Clough's absence, was very pleased.
"We had a couple of knocks that messed all our plans up in the second half. Luke Farmer had to come off with a knee injury and Paul Edwards twisted his knee and the only positions in the squad where we have concerns are up front and centre back!
"In terms of the strength of side Burton put out it was fantastic and we won't get opportunity to play sides of that nature this season."
