East Midlands Counties League Cup
Welby Road, Asfordby Hill, Leicestershire
Tuesday, 5th October 2010, 7.45pm
League Cup Exit For Gresley
The midweek away game hoodoo continued for Gresley as they slipped out of the East Midlands Counties League Cup after extra time at Holwell Sports.
Despite leading by a Richard Hanslow first half goal Gresley once more succumbed to more poor defending in the second period to find themselves a goal behind as Sports scored twice in almost as many minutes early on.
Substitute Brian Woodall levelled things midway through the second half and the game went in to extra time. More poor defending led to Sports adding two more goal before Royce Turville reduced the arrears but it was too little too late.
Things had started quite brightly for the visitors with Tom Betteridge flashing a shot across the face of the goal and past the far post with just three minutes gone. They went even closer on 6 minutes with Barry Woolley having a powerful header from a Mickey Lyons corner cleared off the line.
Gresley were having the better of things with Gareth Langford having a header saved but a warning sign appeared on 18 minutes when a short corner was not dealt with and as the ball came back to him Graham Keast was allowed to fire a low shot that hit the base of the near post.
However it was Gresley who struck first. A free kick from Lyons found Tom Land at the far post and his header was put back across the goalmouth to the other post where Richard Hanslow was on hand to slip the ball into the net.
Gresley had another lucky escape on 41 minutes when Land was caught on the wrong side of Isamel Verdrine and it took a well time last ditch tackle from Woolley to save the young defenders blushes.
Right on the stroke of half time Gresley almost doubled the score when Woolley headed down Lyons' free kick which Hanslow hit well but his goal bound shot was blocked on the line.
Within three minutes of the re-start Holwell were level. A long ball down the flank was not defended and the resultant cross picked out Gavin Williamson who was totally unmarked in the centre and his task was simple as he rammed the ball past Gary Hateley.
Things got even worse for the visitors when a long throw was flicked on at the near post by Land to Verdine who happily smashed the ball home from close in.
Lyons had a golden chance to get his side back on terms but he spooned Liam Hebberd's inviting cross well over the bar from the edge of the area.
Hebberd was involved again on 68 minutes when he made a great run down the right and found Lyons with a pass. The midfielder hit his shot but it was blocked but substitute Brian Woodall followed up with a thunderous shot beat home keeper Richard Cragg. Hebberd was unlucky moments later when his shot from the edge of the area seemed to have been handled by a home defender but the referee waved away the appeals.
Despite Gresley having two or three half chances the game was very nearly ended by Sports when yet another long throw was not defended and the ball came out and was volleyed back only for the ball to clip the top of the bar with Hateley beaten.
Holwell rocked Gresley with a very early goal in the first minute if extra time. Gresley were caught cold and gave away a needless free kick which was floated into the box and Ian Bitmead was give time and space to loop a header over Hateley who was caught well off his line.
Woolley went close putting a header over the bar from Lyon's free kick but Cragg's long kick found a team mate who struck a shot that Hateley could only parry into the path of Williamson who reacted quickly to stab the ball into the unguarded net setting off cup final winning type celebrations from the home bench and players.
Hateley then redeemed himself somewhat minutes later denying Holwell scoring again by making a fine save and then sending a long punt down field that substitute Royce Turville got on the end of and the striker coolly slipped the ball past Craggs.
Gresley could have brought their hosts back to the Moat Ground right at the end of the game but Woolley, who'd been sent up front, received a pass from Turville but the big defender slipped the ball just wide of the post.
Gresley's dismal night was completed with the needless sending off of Lyons. Already booked he proceeded to kick the ball away when Holwell were awarded a disputed free kick giving the referee no choice but to brandish a second yellow card followed by a red.
Manager's View
"There were very few positives after halftime if I'm honest. We set up with two holding midfield players tonight just to try and do things a little bit different and go solid.
"First half went to plan, we've hardly had anything to do defensively because they worked well and Gary Hateley didn't have a save to make. We've looked solid, we've looked organised and we absorbed a lot of pressure and controlled the game.
"We went one-nil up and had a few chances early on from set plays - we had a couple cleared off the line - so at half time without being particularly inspiring I was quite pleased with that.
"We didn't want to change anything and yet the Achilles is there again and five minutes into the second half we find ourselves two-one down.
"It was individual errors, individual misjudgements. You've got to know how to head the ball away and deal with things! We got caught by a diagonal ball, Adam Betteridge has tucked in a little bit too much but we've still got to mark our men, we still got two centre halves to pick up the players in the box and he's got free and scored.
"Tom Land had a very weak back header that flicked it onto the far post for the second goal and we're on the back foot again chasing the game.
"We got ourselves back into it and looked quite strong at the end of the second half as the game wore on and their keeper made quite a few good saves.
"What happened in the first thirty seconds of extra time you wouldn't see on a Sunday morning parks pitch with the Dog & Duck playing the Malt Loaf! It was our kick off and instead of putting into a good area in their defensive third we decided to knock the ball back on a bobbly pitch. Our captain miss kicked to the centre half who sliced it out to the left hand side; Liam Hebberd has given away his cheap free kick - catalogue of errors. I can see before the kick is taken that the forward is on Tom Land's shoulder and his body shape and position is totally wrong and I'm saying 'he's going to get done here' - good delivery and the guy has taken one step off him got the header in - goal!
"The fourth, Jack Coulson calamitous! He didn't clear his line he's kicked it against their player and they've scored. You wouldn't see those goals on Shobnall Fields on a Sunday morning.
"We're at a complete and utter loss. You get these players ringing me up saying they should be in the team and then they go and put performances like that in.
"We experimented a little bit tonight. This is a full first team squad so with that in mind we've just not delivered. We have four defeats this season, three away from home and one at home and we cannot continue like that. I've threatened it before, that if the present crop of players can't do it we'll look at one or two more that can.
"I'm absolutely gutted. I know people say it's only the league cup and let's get out of it - no, not at all! It was a means to an end tonight to address a few problems and in effect the problems have just got deeper.
"Regardless of what competition it is any side that beats us because on paper and the perception we give, it's a big achievement for any team and fair play to them. They worked hard, they were hungrier and particularly in extra time they looked fitter.
"We listen to our lads saying 'we don't want to do work in training in fitness work on a Wednesday when we trained last week'. That's absolute rubbish. It showed tonight in the last half hour we weren't fit enough. I know there were one or two players who hadn't played too much just recently but those who have and are fit didn't rise to it. Yes, it meant a lot to Holwell and fair play to them but we know that from last season and when we've been beaten this season that it means a lot to these teams when they beat us in any competition.
"The worrying thing to me is does it mean a lot to the lads we've got to be beaten? It's okay ringing me up or sending me texts apologising after the event, I want to see the hurt and desire out there on the pitch.
"For the first time in a long time I can only apologise to any supporters who made the trip tonight because they must be getting increasingly frustrated with seeing and hearing the same things and we've got to sort things out very, very quickly otherwise we're going to get rolled on Saturday as well.
"We rested David Blenkinsopp tonight because he's not quite right so that'll be a big boost to have him available for the squad. Matt Hill and Rob Spencer will be available so there's a couple from the starting line-up from Saturday who weren't available tonight. It's the last game Jordi Gough's away and also Richard Butler's suspension so after Saturday we'll have a few more options available to us.
"We've got someone coming in training on Thursday who may add a little something but we've got to work on that one and make the lad available on Saturday because currently he isn't due to his work.
"There are very few who can come out of that tonight with too much credit. Holwell are a handful but after half time one or two of our players started giving passes away and misplacing passes. Even simple things like throw-ins, we have a thrown in, they are on the attack from it and all of a sudden it started to cascade through the side like a disease and towards the end I don't think there was a player on the pitch who was keeping the ball and not giving it away too cheaply.
"There were a couple of players who have given us food for thought for Saturday. Liam Hebberd for example set some of the goals up and had a good performance but there were one or two who won't be looking beyond the bench on Saturday."
