FA Vase 4th Round Replay
The Moat Ground, Church Gresley
Saturday, 23rd January 2010, 3.00pm
Gresley Spot On!
After 290 minutes of cup football the sides could not be separated so the dreaded penalty shoot out was needed to send one of them through to the last sixteen of the FA Vase. Rob Spencer held his nerve to fire home the winning spot kick to send the Moat Ground faithful into ecstasy.
With a good crowd of 469 and an atmosphere not seen for many a year Gresley hit man Brian Woodall soon had the majority of them cheering as he slotted home his twenty fourth goal of the season and his fourth in this competition after making a good run down the right before slamming a low shot past Dawlish keeper Luke Purnell.
Gresley looked to add to their total with Mickey Lyons firing just wide a minute later.
If Gresley thought they were going to have it all their own way they were very soon to have that notion squashed when Radley Veale hit a cracker of a free kick but was unlucky to see his effort smash against the woodwork with Gresley keeper Gary Hateley beaten.
Town skipper Gary Fisher then went close on 27 minutes when he flashed a shot across the goal and past the far post. Dawlish were having a good spell and on loan striker Adam Mortimer also went close to levelling the game with a good shot but Hateley made a fine save to deny him.
Right at the end of the first half Woodall went inches from doubling the Gresley score but his shot fizzed past the wrong side of the upright.
Gresley opened the second period brightly with Woodall planting his header from Matt Hill's free kick just over the bar.
Town got back in the game on 68 minutes. A poor back pass by Richard Butler fell well short and Hateley made a sliding tackle on the visiting player and referee Mr Whiteley pointed to the spot. Veale took the kick and hit the post but the ball hit the unfortunate Hateley in the back and rebounded into the net.
Immediately from the re-start Lyons fired agonisingly wide as did Carl Slater minutes later. A Hill free kick picked out Jack Coulson and the big defender was unlucky to see his header scrape the wrong side of the post.
With just 3 minutes remaining of the game Gresley conceded a penalty when the assistant referee adjudged that a shot had hit the arm of Barrett just inside the area.
In deathly silence the spot kick was taken but Hateley flung himself down to his left to push the ball away for a corner.
In time added on Jamie Barrett headed over and a shot by Town's Fisher clipped the outside of the post. That was the last action as the referee blew to end the ninety minutes.
In the first move of the extra time period Lyons brought out a fine save from Purnell but two minutes later the Town keeper made an even better one.
Woodall collected the ball down the right cut inside before unleashing a breath taking dipping shot that Purnell diving backwards turned on to bar.
The second period of extra time almost produced a spectacular goal straight from the whistle and it was that man Woodall again. He noticed that Parnell was off his line and hit a shot from just inside his own half that was heading into the net but Purnell scrambling back to his line managed to get a hand to the ball and tip it over the bar much to his relief.
Woodall almost snatched the possible winner on 108 minutes when he curled a superb ball around Parnell but the woodwork again intervened and the ball cannoned back into the grateful keeper's arms.
The referee signalled the end of the game and so it was to be decided with the dreaded penalty kicks.
Kicking into the bottom goal Veale for Town hit a convincing spot kick. Up strode Stefan Marshall who silenced the Gresley faithful by blasting his kick wide.
Town's Mortimer and Gresley's Jordi Gough were both successful and it was down to Fred Smith to maintain the visitors' advantage but Hateley made a fine save.
The next nine penalties for both sides were converted leaving the game on a knife edge. It was the turn of Town's Doug Ford who failed to score giving the advantage to the homeside.
All the pressure was now on the shoulders of Gresley's Spencer and he didn't disappoint smashing the ball past Purnell and sending the home supporters into celebrations not seen at the Moat Ground for years.
It was tough on the visitors Dawlish Town but the rules state that a winner is decided in this manner and it's Gresley who march into the last sixteen and a game at Long Buckby on 6th February.
Manager's View
"Believe me it's not through choice that we put the supporters through that sort of cup games. I didn't think my nerves would take much more on top of the topsy turvy afternoon last Saturday.
"We've not quite topped it off today but it was a very similar experience. The feeling going through those penalties was unbelievable and right towards the end of those penalties I went and stood next to their manager and put my arm round him because at the end of the day there was nothing neither Jeff Evans of I could do and it was down to an individual piece of brilliance from a goal keeper or a mistake from someone changing their mind maybe.
"When we missed the first one, and the luck we've had with penalties this year, I must admit I feared but no, they've come through it.
"Never mind the penalties at the end of extra time, the penalty Gary Hateley saved a minute or two towards from the end - we've stared exit from this competition square in the face twice now. Obviously Stef (Marshall) popped up at the end and saved us last time and Gary saved us this time. Tremendous character I can't say enough about the lads.
"I tried to put myself in Jeff's shoes through the ninety minutes last week and try and second guess how they would set up and I told the lads before the game how I would set up if I was in Jeff's shoes I'd set up more compact and I'd try and force play down the middle and crowd it out. I'd sit in and look to hit us on the break and that's exactly what happened. I also said they be more physical to put us out of our stride. And to be fair to them they stopped us.
"We were trying to get the ball out to the wide men and get down the wide areas. Time after time they were showing us inside, just what they wanted. They man marked Mickey Lyons and our passing and decision making wasn't as good as it was last week and it was a very bitty game.
"Having got that early goal I hoped that it would have settled us but it didn't quite happen. There were some close things but we didn't get anywhere near the heights of last week.
"We were going to take Brian (Woodall) off if I'm honest in extra time because he had a very average game but we kept him on the pitch because he can change games and pull things out like when he hit the post in the first half of extra time. Then an audacious shot from the kick off that the keeper has done well to tip over - unbelievable, and he smashed the post in extra time and that's what Brian gives you.
When we hit the bar and hit the post I looked up to the heavens and thought it's not going to be our day but fortunately it was. It's a horrible way to go out and I said that to Jeff.
"Full credit to Dawlish and I'm not just saying that having won I'm Jeff would have said the same to me if he'd have won. He said to me 'someone has got to go out Gaz in this way' and that was during the shoot out and I feel ever so sorry for them but obviously delighted that we're through.
"Our bench were saying it wasn't a penalty that Gary gave away but my personal view was that it was. Butler played a back pass inside and Gary has got caught on his back foot and then come to get the ball. He probably got there the same time as the forward but there was contact and as disappointing as it was and I'm not one of those Arsene Wenger types who say no, they didn't see it, I thought it was a penalty but the rest of my staff said it wasn't because they are a bit more biased than me!
"It was a shame because I can't remember Gary having a save to make before that and we said at halftime that it was going to be an individual mistake or a sloppy error that'll cost us. You've got to question whether the pass had got to back to the keeper in the first place; we've given them a life line in the game.
"It was the softest penalty at the end. To the letter of the law it was a penalty but my argument with the linesman was that in the build up one of their guys and I can't remember who, lead with his elbow and nine times out of ten it's a free kick. He hasn't given it the linesman who was just two yards away and the fourth official near me said yes it was a foul and plays gone on and Jamie Barrett handled it and it was a soft penalty to give away and we were out but Gary has saved it and dug us out and has saved us at the end of the game and in the penalties.
"I wrote down a list of penalty takers and we asked for volunteers and there were seven and five of those were on the list. Stef Marshall said he wanted to take the first one and he missed but if it hadn't been for Stef we wouldn't have been here today. Had it not quite gone our way and Stef had missed we'd have got round him because as I've said if it wasn't for him we wouldn't be here.
"Tremendous character, quality penalties. You need a bit of luck as well. I thought the keeper was going to get a hand on Carl Slater's but it went in and I'm delighted for him and fortunately Garry's come up with a big save at the end. Rob Spencer the hero from the last round tucked his away and all the scenes at the end was fantastic.
"Neither me or Jeff Evans had wanted to speculate about or talk about the trip ahead. I toyed with the idea because Long Buckby were at home today of sending a scout but I didn't want in any way shape or form to pre-empt anything so except for seeing the draw on the website on Monday that's it that's as far as we've thought about it or dare think about it out of respect for Dawlish.
"We can now start to plan for that but we've got a big job to do on Tuesday. We've got some big league games. I've just told the lads that my job now is to try and as lovely as it is that we don't put too much distraction on the Vase because essentially the bread and butter is the league.
"I'm finding it difficult, because everyone I talk to now is talking about the Vase understandably; to keep to keep peoples focus on there. I've told the lads to enjoy tonight and then we plan for potentially difficult two or three league games, Ibstock, Gedling and Heanor here a week on Tuesday.
"That's were our priority lies and then we'll try to come up with a game plan for Long Buckby on 6th February.
"Martyn Gadsby will be back for Tuesday. There is Rhys Powell who didn't make the squad today and there is Matt Weightman available as well should we so wish. I've just said to the lads in the dressing room that we've got a good squad at the moment and it's not easy for me keeping everyone happy.
"I've spoken to all the substitutes individually and collectively today people like Adam Betteridge who is probably one of the fittest players we have at the club. He's been patient and I'm sure there are other clubs sniffing around him wanting him to go there but again the three substitutes came on and made a difference Jordi (Gough) Stef (Marshall) and Rob (Spencer) and Simon Baldwin who I've got so much time and respect for - he's there if you need him and you know he'll do a job and we need every single one of that squad not just the ones who are in the team at the moment.
"We are going to pick injuries up and we've got some suspensions to come. Jamie Barrett has picked his fifth booking up so that's immanent so we need that squad and hopefully we can keep it together but if not we've got one or two targets and there are one or two lads doing quite well in the reserves but we'll cross that bridge as and when we come to it."
