FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round
Outgang Road, Market Deeping
Saturday, 14th August 2010, 3.00pm
Cup Of Delight For Gresley
A goal in each half from Jordi Gough and Adam Betteridge ensured Gresley a home tie against Evo-Stik neighbours Quorn in the Preliminary Round of the FA Cup on 28th August.
Rangers, who play a level higher than Gresley in the Hereward Teamwear Counties League, were soon on the back foot as their visitors pressed with Mickey Lyons firing a shot wide of the far post.
Richard Butler then headed Gough's free kick wide on 18 minutes and five minutes later Brian Woodall brought out a superb save from home keeper Lee Crockett who clawed the ball out of the top corner at the expense of a corner.
However, Gresley took full advantage as Gough powered home Lyons' corner from the left - his header beating Crockett from 8 yards.
Gough was almost responsible for Rangers getting back on terms when he slipped on the wet surface giving Ryan Oliver a clear one-on-one with Gresley keeper Gary Hateley but the forward fluffed his chance and skewed his shot wide of the far post.
Rangers went even closer on 32 minutes when a cross from Scott Musgrove was not cleared and Danny Marlow slipped in but his low cross came back off the foot of the post.
Lyons was unlucky as his powerful shot was deflected for a corner as it looks odds on to hit the back of the net. Jack Coulson was unlucky as he headed the resultant corner just over the bar.
The second half started with a gale force wind blowing down the length of the pitch and then a monsoon rain storm from the darkened skies. Unfortunately for Gresley the wind and rain were blowing straight into their faces.
But despite the almost unplayable conditions it was Gresley who made the early running with Woodall once more testing Crockett this time with a low shot that the keeper did well to parry.
On 56 minutes Gresley had a golden opportunity to double their advantage. Woodall made a fine run down the right and picked out Lyons unmarked in the area. The forward slipped the pass perfectly but amazingly the midfielder slewed his shot wide of the open goal.
The home side started to get a grip on the game using the weather conditions but still they could not penetrate a resolute visiting defence. Indeed it was Gresley who created the next chance with Lyons hitting a shot straight into the arms of Crockett.
Gresley got the goal they'd been looking for on 76 minutes when the home defence were robbed of the ball just outside their area and Adam Betteridge strode forward and neatly chipped Crockett who was out of his goal.
To Rangers' credit they did not resign themselves to defeat and started to press Gresley back into their own half.
On 78 minutes Rangers were awarded a free kick taken by Ben Porter who hit the sweetest of shots towards the top far corner but Hateley made a stunning reaction save pushing the ball away for a corner.
Manager's View
"It was a really solid performance from start to finish. I was really pleased with how we started and also in the second half the chances we created although I don't think we played as well in the second half we seemed to fashion a few clear-cut chances and their keeper made some fantastic save.
"Gary Hateley made a great save at the end equal to any their keeper made. I thought it was going to cost us because one criticism of last week was that we were not clinical enough when presented with similar clear-cut chances today even more.
"We made some clear-cut chances but this week we hit the target with most of them. Mickey Lyons had one in the first half cleared off the line then in the second half their keeper made three fantastic saves with blocks on the line and all sorts of things.
"The only one I was not happy with was when Brian Woodall went through one-on-one and he's not even hit the target. Okay, it was on his left foot but he had time to get it on his favoured foot and he's got the ability to get it on target with his left but fortunately it didn't cost us.
"If we can come away to a really solid side from a level above us and create so many chances it's looking positive for us so I'm very, very pleased and delighted that we're through to the next round.
"Adam Betteridge is in the dressing room trying to tell the lads that he meant his goal! To get the ball up and down from there, obviously the keeper was off his line, but the trajectory of the ball he seemed to hit it with his instep to loop it over the keeper - I don't think it took a deflection - and that was a huge goal for us because it gave us that little bit of a cushion.
"Second half they had a lot more possession of the ball but we were fairly solid and fairly organised and limited them to very few chances so that second goal gave us that little bit of a cushion that we needed.
"The first goal was delightful. Jordi Gough's job at corners isn't to hang back but to get across the keeper so why he ended up getting on the end of it I'm not sure but obviously we are delighted with that.
"We had some good delivery from corners from Mickey Lyons. Jack Coulson got on the end of one or two deliveries and we are just looking to Jack for a little more quality and composure and maybe nod one or two back because it was a bit wasteful from us but I'm delighted with both goal scorers today.
"For the game next Saturday we haven't got as many players missing that we thought we may have. A few of the lads are away for that weekend. We had made representations to the league not to have a fixture on that day well before the fixtures came out. So I was a little disappointed that for whatever reason that wasn't taken into account but we are in the same shape as everyone else. Sometimes lads are not available but a few of the lads have changed their plans and are now available.
"We will be missing Richard Butler, Mickey Lyons and Tom Betteridge. They are three big misses, three players out of your starting line up is a big space to fill but I genuinely think that with the squad we've got that we'll still maintain a level of performance.
"We now have a cup game on the twenty eighth and unfortunately I will not be there. I'm at a family wedding and if I don't go perhaps a divorce might be on the cards so I'll be missing the next round. I might get them to change the time of the wedding but I don't think I'll have much luck!
"We think Royce Turville is a little closer to fitness. Both Royce and Oliver Hancock are big players for us and both have done well in the pre-season games they've played. Royce is probably a little bit further away than Olly who may have made the bench today but with him picking up little injuries we wanted to give that extra week security to try and make sure he is right and he was comfortable with that.
"Royce has got a chance of making it next week but we'll have to see how he goes in the week. We are training twice in the week and we'll have him in and have the physio have a look at him. It's frustrating because he'd recovered from the calf injury and he was named in the starting line up last week but then it's the opposite calf.
"He's still feeling it a little bit sore. He wanted to come today but we gave him the afternoon off and told him to relax and come in Tuesday and well have a look. It would be nice to get him back on the pitch because he's such a big player for us particularly when we play this system but having said that I thought Woodall did superb today.
"We were toying to start Rob Spencer in that role or Brian Woodall and we went with Brian and he's done a cracking job for us and equally Robbie Spencer for saying he's not had too many games in pre-season, has done a brilliant job for us on that right hand side making us look solid and balanced and i was very pleased with them both."
