FA Carlsberg Trophy 1st Qualifying Round
The Moat Ground, Church Gresley
Saturday, 20th October 2007, 3.00pm
Cup Defeat For Rovers
Gresley Rovers and Guiseley fought out what is regarded as one of the best finals seen at the old Wembley back in 1991 but today's fare, although not as thrilling, was a decent game.
Rovers started brightly enough with Nick Carter having an on target shot deflect for a corner early on but it was the visitors who grabbed the lead with only 21 minutes gone.
A quickly taken free kick by Richard Dunning caught Rovers napping and Dominic Krief got in behind the home defence and after beating a defender fired a shot that beat keeper David Clarke.
They could have gone further into the lead moments later when Rob Pell fired towards goal but the ball was deflected by Jamie Hood and away for a corner.
Rovers' striker David Blenkinsopp almost got his side on terms when he made a fine run and hit a shot that flashed past Guiseley keeper Steve Dickinson but just wide of the far post.
With both defences performing well neither side created any further clear-cut chances during the first half.
Guiseley should have increased their advantage almost from the start of the second period when Krief took far too much time and Clarke was able to smother the ball.
Blenkinsopp was looking dangerous and tested Dickinson with a low shot that he did well to hold.
On the hour Clarke again kept his side in the game with a good save pushing Dunning's powerful downward header away.
Guiseley's James Hanson looked certain to score as he ran in on goal but with only Clarke to beat a fantastic last-ditch tackle from Hood took the ball away from the striker's foot as he readied himself to fire home.
With 15 minutes remaining Clarke was again in action to deny Guiseley substitute Mark Bett by parrying a thunderous shot away from danger.
Rovers were pressing for an equaliser and forced a couple of corners but the visiting defence, that has only conceded nine league goals so far this season, stood firm.
With the home side continually pushing forward it almost allowed Guiseley another goal when James Hanson let fly with a shot that only just cleared Clarkes' bar.
With time running out, Rovers had one further chance through Blenkinsopp. The frontman collected Morgan Hurley's pass and made a good run down the left cut inside and fired a low shot that beat Dickinson but went the wrong side of the upright.
Manager's View
We are devastated with the goal we gave away because we switched off for half a second. They had a bit of craft and guile and took a quick free kick and their number seven has got in behind us and took his goal very well.
"That apart there wasn't a lot in to be honest. It's disappointing to put a performance in because some of our performances here at home this season and away even have been very poor.
"It's disappointing defensively to have everything come together because I thought we defended superbly today all over the park. We were compact and we didn't give them too much space to play, we knew they were a good side they've lost only once in the league this season. They are very organised, compact and direct unit but I felt our game plan today almost came off.
We had arguably two or three really good opportunities in the first half and we were disciplined in the second half we didn't just throw bodies forward and leave ourselves short numbers at the back we kept the discipline. Then right at the death Blenko (David Blenkinsopp) had a really good chance where he's held off his marker and I was really hoping to see the net bulge from the angle I was at but it didn't it just flashed the other side.
"We've not been successful on this occasion but I was very pleased with the performance I think it was one of the best performances of the season over the course of ninety minutes.
"We shown decent stuff in patches - twenty minute spells here, half a game there but over the ninety minutes we were solid and organised and if we can play like that a little bit more on a regular basis then we will win more games than we lose. It was encouraging but it will mean nothing if we don't build on it next week at Spalding.
"We had plenty of opportunities where that little bit of luck wasn't with us in that final third but there were times when our final ball wasn't quite to the standard. For large chunks of the game we were scrapping for stuff but we were very much in there. The midfield battle ebbed and flowed and I was very impressed with a number of their players but equally our players stepped up to the plate and they combated and did really well in the middle of the park.
"I felt defensively we did very well even though we were forced into a switch with Chris Mawbey twisting his knee. We are light on centre halves at the moment at the club and Tom Groves has showed yet another string to his bow and his versatility and I felt that Tom did fantastically for us today to play the majority of the second half as a third central defenders for us and I don't think he put a foot wrong.
"We can only take positives out of today's half decent performance. We know we've lost the game and we're very disappointed about that. What we wanted to force was a replay and I felt that longer the game went on we might nick something.
"But overall everyone who's been watching Gresley regularly this season will probably say we've been unlucky today. We've battled well but it's not been enough."
