Derbyshire Senior Cup 2nd Round
The Moat Ground, Church Gresley
Tuesday, 16th November 2010, 7.45pm
Miners Sunk By Rampant Gresley
Manager Gary Norton made a number of changes but still saw his rampant side put nine goals past their league rivals Blackwell Miners Welfare without reply.
First team regulars Carl Slater, Jamie Barrett, Rob Spencer and keeper Gary Hateley all took their places on the bench with keeper Darren Keeling making his debut for the club and Liam Hebberd, Royce Turville and Chris Bate all in the starting line-up along with Mickey Lyons who had completed his three match suspension.
The homeside were six nil up at the break through goals from David Blenkinsopp, Turville, Woolley and Lyons with further second half goals coming from Turville and Blenkinsopp.
Gresley found themselves a goal up after just three minutes when a long punt up field from Keeling saw the bounce beat a defender and Blenkinsopp cleverly loop a header over the stranded visiting keeper Andrew Fretwell and into the net.
The homeside were putting the Welfare defence under pressure forcing three corners and from one of them the ball found Blenkinsopp in the area who turned and fired a shot that Fretwell did well to save.
A shot from Brian Woodall flashed a shot across the face of the goal and Turville was unlucky not to have got the telling touch at the far post. However, the goal that looked odds on to arrive came just a couple of minute later when Lyons picked out Woodall wide on the left. Woodall then sent into the area a fine cross that the diving Turville met with his head to power the ball into the net.
Gresley added a third on the half hour and the game was virtually won. Blenkinsopp struck a tremendous long range shot which the keeper couldn't hold on to and the predatory Turville reacted quickly to ram the ball past the helpless Fretwell.
Turville almost added another goal a minute later but his header from Barry Woolley's flick on was cleared off the line. Woolley then had a header well saved but Fretwell could do nothing about the next goal.
A corner from Lyons appeared to have been headed home by Welfare's Matthew Gregory even though the referee thought Woolley had headed the ball in. Whoever the scorer was made no difference as Blackwell looked a beaten side with just over half an hour played of the game.
Things went from bad to worse for the visitors as Gresley added two more goals before the break. On 37 minutes Woodall sent in a cross that was headed goalwards by Turville but his effort was headed off the line but only as far as Woolley who headed the ball back and into the net.
Almost from the re-start Gresley scored again. This time it was Lyons who collected the ball about 25 yards out and then ran at the defence before firing a low shot from 12 yards that beat the keeper.
Barrett was introduced into the action for Woolley early in the second half and whether the home side took their foot off the pedal it took a while for Gresley to get going again. Lyons fired a shot that went straight at Fretwell but it wasn't until the seventieth minute that they stretched their lead even further.
A long ball was chased to the touch line by Blenkinsopp who then provided a cross that Turville slotted in at the far post to complete his hat-trick.
Five minutes later Gresley added an eight goal when Woodall was sliced down in the area by Danny Claridge giving the referee Mr Hopton no option but to point to the spot. Blenkinsopp took the kick comfortably beating Fretwell.
On 80 minutes it looked odds on that Blenkinsopp would also claim his hat-trick when he beat the offside trap only to see Fretwell make a fine block to deny him.
Gresley had to play the last six minutes of the game with just ten men as Gareth Langford was withdrawn as a precaution and all three substitutes had been used. Unfortunately it didn't help Blackwell's cause as Gresley added another goal.
A corner from the left was only half cleared to Chris Bate who did very well to get a cross into the area from the bye line which was acrobatically flicked past Fretwell by Blenkinsopp for goal number nine.
The home side could have added another goal on the stroke of full time but the normally lethal Rob Spencer fired wide after running though in on goal. Seconds later the referee put the visitors out of their misery by ending the game.
Gresley could now face a midweek trip up to the very North of Derbyshire as they've been drawn to play the winners of Glossop North End and Stapenhill but I'm sure they'd prefer to travel just a few miles down the road to face their near neighbours from Edge HIll in the third round.
Manager's View
"In fairness to Blackwell they were missing a few lads tonight for whatever reasons. I thought we started the game a little sloppily in possession particularly in deep areas.
"Obviously we got the goal early with a good assist by Darren Keeling and David Blenkinsopp to that goal very, very well and when we got the second goal we took command then for a good thirty five minutes of that first half.
"Our passing and movement was very good but it still wasn't where we'd like it to be but it was good and it was clear that there was a bit of a gulf between the two sides.
"It was quite a difficult half time team talk because invariably in the second half it's difficult to motivate yourself when you're coming out and you've virtually won the game. Second half we weren't too pleased. We gave the ball away and the tempo and the pattern wasn't quite there were we wanted it but still managed to chip in a couple of goals.
"Ironically, two or three goals when we were down to ten men having taken Gareth Langford off for a little precaution as he felt something in his hamstring after he'd miss kicked a clearance so it was pointless to keep him on the pitch.
"I mentioned to all of the lads at half time is there anything concerning anybody because clearly at that stage it was ridiculous to take any unnecessary risks, Barry Woolley mentioned that his hamstring was slightly tight as it is sometimes with Barry. We said that if he'd got a concern to put his hand up and he did that so we made the switch.
"It was ironic because I was going to take Gareth Langford off on the hour for Jamie Barrett but Barry signalled and then Gareth had to come off feeling his hamstring slightly. We've got versatility in the squad if there's a problem on Saturday.
"I'd have liked to have given Adam Betteridge some pitch time. He's done really well for us as Martin Rowe said in his comments on Saturday. He started the season fantastically well but he's just dropped off a little bit and obviously we've chopped it around a little bit tonight but you've got a bench full of quality like that, we left Jordi Gough out as well tonight. He's been on the bench for the last couple of weeks to fill it and to give us an emergency option in that position but we've left him out tonight and we've still got the likes of Tom Land and Danny Holmes who I wanted to get involved tonight but he has a sickness virus.
"We still got Olly Hancock and Matt Hill still on the treatment table as well so having five good subs on the bench - Gary Hateley was only there as cover as a keeper - it would have been nice to have got Adam on as well. Unfortunately Adam has missed out tonight but not because of how he's been playing or anything personal it was just one of those things tonight and in the next game in this situation it will be someone else who misses out.
"Darren Keeling may have hoped for a little more to do tonight but what he did he did well. The kicking out of his hands was good and he had an assist from that and his distribution from his hands was good. It's difficult in that situation to keep your motivation and to keep talking to your back four and I felt he did that but I think he'd have liked to have been a little bit busier.
"It's been a difficult last couple of weeks. Anyone close to the club will know that my father recently passed away and ironically my wife and I were expecting a baby on the day of his funeral. My wife managed to hang on until the next day so unfortunately I could make it to the game on Saturday and it's just been a rollercoaster of emotions and I've just been stuck for words over the emotions I've felt. One of the saddest days of my life immediately followed by one of the happiest and even that didn't quite go to plan. About nine o'clock on the Saturday night my wife had to be rushed in as an emergency. The labour was going well and then all of a sudden the baby got a bit distressed and she had to have an emergency Caesarean but it went well and Jayden is at home now keeping his mum company and will keep me up tonight no doubt!
"I've tried to keep positive for the family. I'll tell Jayden how brilliant his grandad was and my dad will be up there have a glass of stout with my mum over a glass of dominoes talking about the new arrival. That's the way I try to look at it to try and be positive.
"The messages of support I've had has been absolutely fantastic from those connected to the club and the supporters has been overwhelming really. Many of them were not aware that my wife was pregnant and just had the new addition so it's been overwhelming really and it's quite humbling and on behalf of myself and my family, for the two big events in our lives, I'd like to thank everyone connected with the club who has sent their best wishes. It's very humbling and I'm very thankful."
