FA Carlsberg Vase 4th Round
The Moat Ground, Church Gresley
Saturday, 29th January 2011, 3.00pm
Brave Gresley Go Down Fighting
Gresley can consider themselves very unlucky not to have, at the very least, made big spending and Vase favourites St Neots Town play a further 30 minutes as they'd comfortably matched their visitors in an entertaining end-to-end game at the Moat Ground.
St Neots came with a reputation that was not evident especially in the first half that was a tight affair with neither side managing to get the better of their respective defences.
Gresley manager Gary Norton was forced to make two changes from the team that drew at Gedling Miners Welfare in the week. Richard Butler replaced Barry Woolley alongside Jamie Barrett at the heart of the defence and Rob Spencer replaced Liam Hebberd on the wing. Recent signing Aaron Dillon was given a place on the bench.
The first half was a fairly cagey affair with both sides testing their opposition but with very few chances.
Lewis Hilliard was the first to make a half chance for the visitors hitting a good strike that home keeper Gary Hateley did well to push away for a corner.
On 28 minutes Gresley did have the ball in the net when Gareth Langford sent Royce Turville racing forward but although the striker finished well his effort was ruled out by the raised flag of the assistant referee.
The second half was only two minutes old when Gresley took the lead. A superb through ball from Butler sent Mickey Lyons on his way and with just Saints' keeper Luke McShane to beat coolly slipped the ball into the net.
As to be expected Saints hit back with Hateley making two top drawer saves in succession from Shane Tolley and Stephan Moore to keep his side in front.
On 64 minutes Hateley again showed lightening reflexes to deny Dan Jacobs from close in. At the other end Gresley almost added to their lead when Brian Woodall flicked the ball onto Turville who was unlucky to see his attempted lob sail just over the bar with the keeper beaten.
For many the game changed on one decision when Turville scored what would have been the home sides' second goal. The Saints keeper appeared to strike the ball against Turville who then collected the ball before slotting it into the net but the referee Mr Walsh after a quick word with his assistant gave a foul on the keeper.
St Neots levelled in somewhat fortunate circumstances. A long-range speculative shot from Jacob seemed to take a slight deflection on its way towards goal and although Hateley managed to get a fingertip to the ball it went over his head and into the net.
A good move down the left by Woodall ended with a pass to Langford who tried to chip McShane who was off his line but again the attempt went over the bar.
Hateley then made a fine save to deny Tolley but minutes later he couldn't keep out his second attempt. The unfortunate Butler played a woefully short backpass to Hateley and Tolley took the ball and hammered the ball into the far corner of the net.
With five minutes remaining Gresley went inches from levelling the score when a shot from Turville was flicked on by substitute David Blenkinsopp but his header dropped just wide of the far post.
The score line was made very flattering for the visitors when they added a third goal with only one minute of normal time remaining. Barrett looked as if he'd been tripped just outside the penalty area but play was allowed to go on and Jacob's cross from the bye-line found Tolley at the far post who gladly slotted the ball home.
Manager's View
"It's very frustrating because over the course of the ninety minutes the game was very tightly and evenly balanced. Obviously they've got a lot of flare on the ball and we had to put a workman like performance in today.
"We did our jobs in the first half and I don't remember Gary Hateley having too much to do but in the second half it really opened up when we scored the goal and a cracking goal it was too to go one nil up. We then had the big, big chance when we got Royce Turville in off a free kick and I think Brian Woodall's knock down and he's lifted it a little bit to high over the keeper and the bar. If that had gone in, who knows?
"We've given two silly, sloppy goals away by our own standards and you can't go giving goals away like that and expect to win football matches against teams of this nature. I feel sorry for the two players involved. They hit us on the break for the equaliser and everyone though Gary Hateley had tipped it over the bar but it went in. In fairness to Gary he's pulled off three top drawer saves in the second half to keep us in the game and even at one nil he made a couple of fantastic saves but knowing Gary he'll hold his hand up and say he should have done better and then the unfortunate Richard Butler didn't get a call and he made a mistake that led to the second goal. You can't give a thirty five goal striker a chance like that in a game like this and expect him to let you off the hook.
"We were then chasing the game and maybe we lost our shape for the third goal but who can blame us because we were desperate to get back on level terms but to no avail.
"I think it was there for all to see today the effort all the lads put in. Yes, we've lost the game but let's not forget that our opposition are at the top of a league above us. The riches they're supposed to have and the quality they have in the side you can see that. I was very pleased with our endeavour and workrate and how we'd got ourselves up for that game and the key and trick now is to try and replicate that in our league games both home and away from now until the end of the season. If we can play anywhere near that effort wise and tidy one or two things up we are going to be there or thereabouts come the end of the season.
"Brian Woodall's had a poor run of form but in his last two games - Tuesday was fantastic and today he was unplayable and hopefully that's Brian back and firing on all cylinders. Royce is looking hungry and put a great shift in today and then there are other players like Gareth Langford who hasn't had his best game today; he's playing with a bit of a tight hamstring and we were very stretched with Richard Butler having to a job for us as centre back which bar for the one mistake he did a superbly well for us. It was a cracking effort from all the lads and I can't ask for anymore and I can't criticise them for their efforts."
