FA Vase 2nd Round
The Moat Ground, Church Gresley
Saturday, 14th November 2009, 3.00pm
Vase Win For Gresley
Gresley made it through to the 3rd Round of the FA Vase but not without a fight. A combination of near gale force wind, a heavy pitch and a dogged performance from Ollerton Town ensured that the Moatmen had to fight for their place in the next round.
As in a few games this season Gresley found themselves two goals up apparently in control but some hesitant defending allowed the opposition to get back in the game early in the second half and the home side once more looked jittery until a third goal calmed the nerves.
Gresley started strongly with Jordi Gough firing Royce Turville's flicked header past the far post after eight minutes.
However, three minutes later Gresley took the lead. Town failed to clear the danger which enabled Mickey Lyons to collect the loose ball stride forward and beat keeper Simon Haynes at his near post.
Town hit back with Joseph Meehan heading over the bar and then Jamie Senior picking up a poor defensive clearance but his low shot was well saved by Gresley keeper Gary Hateley.
The mid part of the game became quite scrappy with passes going astray from both sides but the dull afternoon was lit up by some good play from the home side.
Brian Woodall launched a cross to the far post where Gough was waiting to head the ball back into the danger area where Turville was ready to force a good save from Haynes.
The corner was swung in from the left by Lyons and a scramble ensued in the box and Rob Spencer reacted well smashing the ball home from close in.
The home supporters know by now that a two-nil lead is not a comfortable one for Gresley this season and a poor start to the second half handed Ollerton a lifeline.
With just two minutes gone a fifty-fifty ball fell very kindly for Joseph Meehan who raced down the left before firing a low shot across Hateley and into the far corner of the net.
Gresley looked decidedly shaky and Town began to have their best spell of the game without really carving out any clear-cut chances.
The home side were finding it hard with pass after pass failing to find a player in a red shirt giving the visitors the chance to win most of the second balls in midfield.
Gresley's nerves were calmed as Woodall slotted home their third goal as a result of a good move played on the ground. Woodall made a good run down the right and picked out substitute Matt Weightman who shrugged off the attention of a Town defender before returning the ball to Woodall who then cut in before firing a low shot that beat keeper Haynes and nestled in the far bottom corner of the net.
With six minutes remaining Town substitute Ryan Meehan had a golden chance to make what time was left of the game very interesting indeed. Another half cleared ball saw Ryan Meehan race forwards beating Hateley, who had sprinted off his line, to the ball but also putting his shot well wide of the far post with the empty goal gaping.
Manager's View
"I'm a lot happier now than I was in the first two minutes of the second half. It was a nervy second half until we got the third goal.
"To have conceded the goal so early on in the second half it clearly lifted our visitors and it was a tough half but fortunately Brian Woodall got the third for us which took the pressure off.
"But Ollerton didn't stop running. They were very physical and very fit and fair play to them they pushed us all the way.
"Brian's goal was a fantastic strike. In fairness it wasn't quite dropping for Brian today he'd had one of his better games. He was anonymous last week and popped up with a goal. But today he was a little bit better on the ball but things were breaking down in the final third or the final pass. Brian had done really well in the build up and the ball dropped for him and he decided to have a go and it flew in off the post to the relief of everyone in the ground so it was pleasing.
"We were disappointed with their goal. A move broke down in front of our bench one of our midfielders and one of theirs has gone up for a challenge and it's broken and it dropped nicely for their guy on the left but we still thought we'd be okay but his technique to hit it that early as caught Gary Hateley unawares and it flew across Gary and into the far corner and game on.
"They gave it everything and fortunately we defended more resolutely and I was really pleased with Jack Coulson who was left out of the side for Mark Blount but he had a very good commanding game today.
"All of the back four did well today and as much as it was a battle in the second half Gary (Hateley) didn't have a save to make. He had a few little bits of handling to do which he did okay so defensively as far as I'm concerned we did okay and we worked hard all afternoon.
"We were disappointed in the crowd numbers today. You look around the Moat Ground and I was hoping for 250 plus today but I think some of that was down to the afternoon and the weather and I have to say it probably affected the game.
"It wasn't a spectacle but it was a game of two halves from our point of view. First half we played some cracking stuff but couldn't quite finish things off and in the second half it was more of a battle so pleased we managed to stand toe to toe and not concede too much ground.
"We'll be logging onto the FA website on Monday or I'll get a phone call from someone connected to the club. That happened in the last round, I was the first to know which is a rare position to be in but we'll all be eagerly waiting the draw on Monday lunchtime.
"A home draw would be great but I'm not sure we are one of the favourites. There are I think thirty other teams or more who are in a league above us who could qualify a little more as favourites. Gresley is a big name in the competition with a history of having got to the final but from my point of view we are creating our own history no re-living old history.
"Clearly we are in the same surroundings of the old Gresley Rovers side that got to the final such a long time ago but we're four months into a new club and we are trying to create our own history."
