Derbyshire Senior Cup Quarter Final
The Impact Arena, Alfreton
Tuesday, 5th February 2008, 7.45pm
Rovers Slip Out Of The Senior Cup
Gresley Rovers can think themselves a little harshly done by as they reflect on a score that was flattering for their Blue Square North opponents who fielded an almost first team side.
For large parts of the game the visitors out fought and outplayed their hosts and were unlucky not to have forced at least extra time.
Alfreton start strongly but Rovers keeper David Clarke did well to block a free kick from Kris Bolwer and defender Jamie Hood, taking the right back berth after Dan Douglas's withdrawal due to illness, making a superb last ditch tackle to prevent Bowler from having a shooting chance in the area.
Rovers took the lead on 15 minutes when Danny Blair, who had passed a fitness test just before the game, showed a glimpse of why teams from higher leagues are showing an interest in him.
Collecting a throw down the left he made a good run down the flank before slipping a great ball through for David Blenkinsopp. The striker hit a vicious low shot that Red's keeper Phil Senior did well to block but the rebound found Chris Sleath galloping in at the far post who knocked the ball into the net.
It could have been even better for Rovers eight minutes later when Shaun Ridgway curled in a corner from the left that Miles Chamberlain got a head to flicking it over to the far post where Blenkinsopp, stretching, touched the ball onto the outside of the post.
On the half hour Alfreton should have been level when Peter Knox ran onto a through ball, got the better of Leigh Platnauer but sent his shot wide of the far post.
However, Knox did succeed minutes later although with a large slice of luck. The home side forced two corners and from the second one a Rovers defender tried to head the ball over the bar when under pressure. Unluckily, the ball clattered the bar and fell at the feet of Knox who then smashed the ball into the net from close in.
Not long into the second period Nicky Laws made two changes that seemed to turn the game slightly into his sides favour.
The game was very close with neither sides making clear cut chances until on 72 minutes when Ridgway played a superb ball to Sleath on the right who then made his run to the bye-line before sending in a low cross that Blenkinsopp inexplicably miss kicked in a terrific position. However, substitute Stefan Marshall got the chance to fire that Mark Barnard managed to block.
Rovers were to rue that miss as the Reds took the lead with the best goal of the night just five minutes later.
With little danger evident substitute Josh Laws collected the ball 25-yards out and was allowed to cut inside before unleashing an unstoppable curling shot high into the far corner of the net.
Rovers looked a little leggy on a very wet and heavy pitch and they were caught napping two minutes later when Alfreton increased their lead.
Laws was again involved when he hit a low shot across the face of Clarke's goal that the keeper blocked. The ball flew across to the right of the area where Paul Clayton was on hand to send it back into the centre and Danny Reet slid the ball into the net.
On 84 minutes the Reds almost grabbed what would have been an undeserved fourth goal when Reet's shot was blocked on the line by Hood.
Manager's View
"We feel encouraged by our performance but we feel a little deflated that we lost the game three-one.
"I thought we more than competed for large chunks of the game particularly in the first half and we had a couple of half chances, a double chance actually, to sneak ahead but we didn't.
"There was a little bit of quality for the second goal - a nice finish. I felt maybe we could have forced the player to go outside but he's had an easy pass on the inside but the kid has took it well right into the top corner.
"The disappointing thing for me was that when we have setbacks we don't galvanise ourselves. The third goal our shape went a little bit and to concede the third goal so quickly afterwards was probably the only disappointment of the night really because at two-one you're still in the game.
"Overall I can't fault the lads - there's two leagues the difference and they put a very strong side out tonight, a full first team squad. We've had some setbacks before the game through injury and illness.
"Danny Blair passed a fitness test after earlier today he wasn't going to be right. We finished the game with three or four people struggling as well.
"Hoody (Jamie Hood) has played the second half injured but short term he's a bit expendable because he's suspended for four games now so we managed to get ninety minutes out of him.
"Miles (Chamberlain) picked a little knock up on his ankle and was limping through it. Danny Blair was struggling a little bit with his back but you can't really fault the effort from the lads but that was the pleasing thing today, they kept going.
"Perhaps a little bit of fitness told in the last quarter of the game as well if I'm honest. But we can have no real complaints with the result although I felt three-one was a little harsh.
"Dan (Douglas) called me earlier today saying he'd come down with some sort of virus - there are lots of things flying about at the moment. We'll assess him over the next couple of days to see how badly that's affected him.
"I was encouraged with Jamie's performance at right back today. That's something we've been wanting to have a look at, at the right opportunity and it presented us that opportunity today with Dan going down ill and Hoody acquitted himself well there - really well. But obviously he's out of the mix for four games now so we are hoping Dan will be back.
"We've got to assess one or two knocks and the likes of Danny Blair with his back. We felt he was worth the risk tonight but it was governed by Danny has he wanted to play rather than come off the bench and we managed to get ninety minutes from him. Perhaps we can get him looked at on Thursday by a chiropractor or something. It's only a tightening so we'll have to see.
"There are one or two other knocks and bumps and we will have to see how we are in the next couple of days. We've got plenty of bodies as there were many who didn't travel tonight, fairly fit in terms of people coming back from injuries so we'll have some tough decisions to make.
"Obviously it's been made slightly easier with Jamie and Jordan (Lambert) are not available for Saturday.
"It's a big game for us because that's three on the bounce now we've lost. We don't want to keep on accepting defeat. Carlton are a good side, very good going forward and they'll feel aggrieved that we beat them earlier in the season at our place and they'll be wanting to turn that one around so yes, it's going to be a big game for us."
