Bass Charity Vase Final
The Pirelli Stadium, Burton on Trent
Thursday, 31st July 2008, 7.45pm
Oh so close!
Gresley Rovers had one hand on the Bass Charity Vase as they led their illustrious neighbours Burton Albion with just three minutes remaining of the match but had it cruelly snatched away as the home side netted a late, late goal and went on to win on penalties.
Rovers manager Gary Norton, celebrating five years in the hot seat, introduced Mickey Lyons into the side after the influential midfielder had re-joined the club last Sunday.
Lyons almost made a spectacular start when he made a darting run into the area after just one minute but his shot didn't have the power to really test former Moatman Saul Deeney in the Brewers goal.
Albion hit back almost immediately with Ryan Austin heading Jonti Richter's corner wide.
It was Rovers who were making all the early running with Brian Woodall making a fine run down the right before crossing to David Blenkinsopp who, on the turn, fired wide.
However, the prolific striker didn't miss his next chance when the visitors took a shock lead after 10 minutes of play. Again Woodhall got the better of Aaron Webster down the right flank and crossed for Blenkinsopp to fire home.
Albion were stung into action with Rovers' keeper David Clarke holding Mark Goodfellow's shot and Webster heading straight into the keeper's arms.
Clarke was in action again saving a low shot from another former Moatman Shaun Harrad.
The home side levelled on 19 minutes. Mark Sale set up Goodfellow whose shot was well blocked by Clarke but unfortunately into the path of Harrad who cleanly struck the ball into the unguarded net.
A spell of pressure from Albion saw Harrad shoot just wide but then they took what was an undeserved lead on 38 minutes. A corner from the right taken by Goodfellow was helped on by Sale into the area.
Webster met the ball with a powerful header that hit the underside of the bar then the post before Clarke managed to push the effort away. Unfortunately, the assistant referee indicated that the ball had crossed the goal line and the referee awarded the goal which was a little harsh on Rovers.
In the recent past Rovers' have had the habit of letting their heads drop after losing the lead in a game but not tonight. They dug in and fought to a man and could have sneaked an equaliser just on the halftime whistle when a low shot by Carl Slater was left by Deeney and to his relief it rolled the wrong side of the post.
Lyons was having the influence the fans had expected on his return to Rovers and with just 4 minutes gone of the second period he flicked the ball on for Blenkinsopp whose shot was blocked by Deeney.
Rovers where on top again and where pushing the home side back. On 53 minutes Woodall sent Slater, who was back to his best, on his way down the right and beating Webster for pace sent in a low cross into the area where Blenkinsopp smashed home a shot past Deeney and into the bottom corner.
Albion should have taken the lead for the second time but a free header from Sale in acres of space went well wide of the mark.
Goodfellow almost scored as he made a good run into the box only for Barry Woolley to make a superbly timed block to deny him.
Rovers came back at their hosts yet again with substitute defender Nathan Morris picking out fellow substitute Robbie Banks with a delightful pass but the final shot was fired straight into the midriff of Deeney.
Clarke kept his side in the game on 78 minutes when he made a top drawer save tipping Goodfellow's dipping shot over the bar.
But it was Rovers who shook the Pirelli Stadium to it's foundations by taking the lead with just 9 minutes remaining. Woodall, who was having a superb game, made yet another good run down the right and his cross was inch perfect for man-of-the-match Blenkinsopp to power home a header past the helpless Deeney.
Was the impossible about to happen? Were Rovers about to land the Bass Vase, which had eluded them for 41 years? Sadly no but it wasn't for the want of trying.
Clarke again did extremely well to deny Danny Holmes with four minutes of normal time remaining but he wasn't to be denied his next chance.
A minute into the four added on by referee Roy Burton, the faintest of touches by Holmes' head put the ball agonisingly out of Clarke's reach and into the far corner of the net much to the evident relief of the Albion management and supporters alike.
The game ended all square and penalties were required to separate the two sides. Harrad made no mistake with the first spot kick for Albion but Rovers were then given a mountain to climb when Lyons' poor effort was easily dealt with by Deeney.
Goodfellow, Richter and Holmes all converted with Kevin Lock and Woodall replying for Rovers. Unfortunately Gavin Saunders failed to beat Deeney and the Bass Vase was retained for the third successive year by The Brewers.
Manager's View
"I'm not sure where that performance came from tonight! Anyone who saw the performances at Bedworth on Saturday and Mickleover the week before - I've just been having a laugh with the lads in the dressing room saying they've been conning us pre-season to date.
"I really don't know where that performance came from. It was very disciplined, very controlled and we played some lovely football. The surface helped obviously; magnificent surface, great surroundings and obviously our players stepped up.
"Nigel (Clough) chopped it around a little bit but having said that looking around the squad there were very few weak areas and I was absolutely gutted that we just couldn't hang on.
"I was more nervous tonight with us being in our more illustrious neighbours back yard than I am at some league games where we are hanging on at the end.
"I'm deflated for the supporters really because it would have been magnificent to have come here and pick up what is a lovely piece of silver wear but it wasn't quite to be! We didn't lose the game but lost on the lottery called penalties.
"I must admit we weren't really under the cosh. They had a lot of possession but I felt our shape and our tactics where almost bang on. I was disappointed with a couple of their goals they were a bit sloppy from our point of view.
"Their second goal, we had a couple of chances to clear it and they were a little bit desperate throwing bodies forward and the cross has come in and I'm not sure how much of a touch Danny Holmes got on it but it just eluded us and went into the net.
"We played very, very well and I couldn't fault the lads. We just sat in and tried to frustrate Burton and a lot of the time it worked. We knew that if we took them on toe-to-toe in a 4-4-2 we'd probably have been played about a little bit and they'd have pulled us all over the park.
"I can't remember many times that they really did do that and it was probably one of the best pre-season performances if not the best pre-season performance to date.
"I can't remember them cutting us open and getting in behind which is credit to every one of the lads who were disciplined in their performance.
"Mickey Lyons is class. You can see why we are delighted to get him back. To be honest, reflecting on it, on the Sunday when he'd signed I was contemplating having him off the bench because he'd not really trained with us and he's been away with Nuneaton but I just knew he'd do something for us tonight and he's pulled the strings in there and he's settled in very, very well. If that's a mark of things to come from Mickey Lyons then fantastic.
"There's a lot of competition - there where lots of lads who didn't get on the pitch tonight and are very disappointed but it wasn't the sort of game from our point of view to throw people on just to get pitch time as it would upset the shape a little bit. There were a lot of tired legs and a lot of our lads were going down with cramp in the end. But to a man even the lads who didn't get on I'm very proud this evening.
"When we were three two up me and Steve (Hinks) were preparing for penalties just trying to be as organised as we could. At that time David Blenkinsopp was still on the pitch and we'd got Dave down for number one. Steve said it was the right thing that we needed to make sure that we try and get our best penalty takers in there early to try and get that foothold in the shoot out but obviously Dave was off the pitch.
"Mickey (Lyons) volunteered and was confident and probably that was the only thing he's done wrong tonight. It was a poor penalty from anybody's standard and Mickey will be disappointed with that but never mind, he had the 'balls' to take that first one and unfortunately he didn't quite get hold of it as he would have liked."
