East Midlands Counties League Cup 2nd Round
The Recreation Ground, Radcliffe
Saturday, 17th October 2009, 3.00pm
Still Cannot Be Separated
Three hundred minutes of football and still there is no winner. The two league games between Gresley and Radcliffe both ended in draws and this League Cup game was no different as the sides could not be divided even after 30 minutes of extra time at The Recreation Ground.
Gresley started strongly with Brian Woodall and Matt Weightman firing wide barely eight minutes gone.
The visitors took the lead on 18 minutes when Weightman provided the perfect cross for Woodall to powerfully head home.
A rare error from Mark Blount almost gifted Olympic a goal when his back header fell short and Wes Burke capitalised but the final shot was very well blocked by debut keeper Gary Hateley.
Rob Spencer then flicked the ball on for Weightman who blazed his shot over the bar and Woodall then fired a shot from 25 yards that just cleared the bar as Gresley pressed forward.
A superb move between Woodall and Tom Betteridge should have reaped its reward but the final shot from Woodall unluckily skimmed the outside of the far post.
Olympic should have levelled on 48 minutes when Blount upended Ashley Miles in the area. Phil Messingham took the spot kick but his effort was superbly tipped over the bar by Hateley.
Gresley were still looking the stronger of the two teams with Jack Coulson heading James Davies' free kick wide but on 53 minutes they added to their score.
Another impressive move down the left saw substitute Jordi Gough thread the ball through for Woodall who then cut the ball back for Weightman to stride forward and beat home keeper james Mountain at his near post.
Gresley should have had a penalty on 64 minutes but the referee Mr Howitt completely ignored a clear hand ball in the area which unfortunately added to a number of very poor decisions for both sides during the game.
A minute later a cross from the left from Weightman picked out Spencer but the volley sailed over the bar.
Olympic had their best spell of the game with Hateley denying Alex Haughton a goal with a terrific save but at the other end Woodall was once again a couple of inches from adding to the visitors' tally with a sublime curling shot that went the wrong side of the far post.
Hateley once more proved his inclusion in the team making another breathtaking save from Massingham close in after the ball had crashed back off the bar.
With just one minute of normal time remaining Olympic reduced the arrears with substitute Aaron Korol firing an unstoppable shot into the roof of the net and then to the visiting supporters dismay Massingham managed to bundle the ball over the line in time added on.
The period of extra time started with Gresley once more pressing forward and Woodall firing straight at the keeper and substitute Royce Turville failing by a millimetre to get a touch on Gough's corner.
Hateley again pulled out a top draw save tipping a shot from Haughton onto the bar but once more Gresley got their noses in front.
Substitute Royce Turville challenged for a loose ball in the area only to be grappled to the floor by keeper Mountain and the referee pointed to the spot and Woodall smashed the ball home.
Olympic levelled in somewhat controversial circumstances. Blount was clearly being fouled by an Olympic player yards outside the area only for the referee to bizarrely award the kick the other way. Korol took the kick which took a wicked deflection completely wrong footing Hateley.
The home side almost won the game with seconds remaining when Ben Richardson was allowed to run into the area but his final shot flashed across the goal and past the far post.
And so the two sides will cross swords once more at the Moat Ground on Tuesday 27th October but then there will be a winner!
Manager's View
"Those who paid to watch the game had their money's worth today and even those who didn't and sat on the bank.
"The game had everything today but we are kicking ourselves because we essentially had it won. Again I think it was a game of two halves. We were commanding in the first half and were unlucky to go in only one nil up because we were so dominant. I think it's one of the best forty fives we've played away from home this season.
"We started the second half fairly solid but they got more and more into the game and we rode our luck. Gaz (Gary Hateley) saved the penalty - cracking save - and he made one or two other good saves as well so we looked like we had a charmed life defensively and would get away with a clean sheet.
"But, I'm not sure what minute their first goal was scored in but I have to say that the free kick given against Brian Woodall in the centre circle I don't think anyone on the pitch knew what it was given for but they (Radcliffe) still had a lot to do and they scored and then they've got their tails up and they chucked bodies forward near the end and scored in injury time.
"Then we got our noses in front with the penalty and then obviously a deflected free kick and you cannot do anything about that when it deflects like that. Mickey Lyons said it was like the Lord of the Rings saga so we play each other again in a fortnight or ten days whatever it is at our place, the fourth time in two months.
"I said to their gaffer last week that we'll be sick of the sight of each other at a quarter to five tonight and now we'll go on to a week on Tuesday.
"Physically they (Radcliffe) are a cracking side and if you give sides like that time and space they'll play good football. We carried on today from the second half against Borrowash. We got out fought and out battled against Borrowash in the first half. We know that if we can get into sides faces and stand up to sides we've got a better chance.
"We were more battling, more industrious, we worked very hard both on and off the ball and we restricted them to a couple of half opportunities in the first half. We knew they wouldn't lie down especially when we got the second and they kept going, and they kept going and there was a twenty minute spell when they stepped it up or whether we weren't prepared for it or whatever but they seemed to be stronger than us coming into the last fifteen, twenty minutes of the game and fair play to them.
"Hopefully our lads have seen that by standing up to sides and mixing it a little bit more we can compete.
"From our perspective the turning point was when Matt Weightman had to come off injured. All three substitutions were due to injuries; Matt picked a knock up from a late challenge but his work rate and his endeavour today and in particular trying to turn them we didn't turn them after he had to come off and all due respect to Royce Turville he's not as quick as Matt.
"Another big factor in the game was when they pushed their number eleven up front because he caused us all sorts of problems - he's a cracking player. He was getting more and more into the game from the left as well which we were worried about. He got hold of a lot of stuff and he's got pace and strength and he caused a lot of problems.
"We thought that getting the penalty in extra time that we'd got something to hold on to. For them not to score from open play is frustrating but having said that I think it was a fortunate penalty for us.
"Probably over the two hours, our first half and their second half even in extra time a draw was a fair result - I don't know, other people may have a different view.
"All the players who have come in today have done well. Matt Weightman stands out for special praise. Chris Gray, who only played his second competitive game this season and I'm sure wasn't looking forward to extra time, did well and Jordi Gough had an impact and had a big hand in the second goal which we scored which was very tidy. So everyone who has come in has contributed and that's pleasing and long may that continue.
"Gary Hateley has had a cracking game. He saved the penalty for us and made two or three really good saves in that second half. He's been a spectator in the first half but he was superb in the second. He talks, he organises. Simon (Baldwin) had the game on Tuesday and Gary today and everyone has done well and I'm very pleased. I'm frustrated because when you are leading two-nil close to the end you expect to close the game out.
"I thought Mark Blount and Jack Coulson were solid. Jack tired a little bit in extra time and made one or two rash sloppy tackles but we looked solid and I'm fairly pleased with that partnership and we've got Gareth (Langford) to come back in as well and we've got other options but at the moment I'm trying to get Mark Blount to play a bit more regularly and hopefully he'll be available next Saturday.
"I thought Chris Gray did well in the centre of the park; Jamie Barrett has had a good game and I don't think there is anyone who has had a bad game today. But as I've said it's frustrating to be two-nil up near the end and then to throw it away.
"The referee was constant for both sides and that's all I will say on the matter. Their bench as well as our thought that at one stage the referee was going to lose it but to be fair to home he reined it back in and the spirit between the two sides helped. It was very competitive but I felt in the first half he gave a couple of bookings out that were never bookings and he'd set the standard then and there was no inch given or asked from both sides and I think the referee could have kept his cards in his pocket, he's thrown a few about today.
"He was poor for both sides but I'm not going to say that was the reason we threw a two goal lead away that was down to their efforts and our defensive collapses for the last two minutes of the game."
