FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round
Cannon Park, Retford
Saturday, 20th August 2011, 3.00pm
Badgers Culled
Gresley progressed into the next round of the FA Cup with goals from Barry Woolley and a penalty from Royce Turville giving them a home draw in the Preliminary Round against Shirebrook on Saturday 3rd September.
Manager Gary Norton was forced to make changes for this game with Gareth Langford replacing the suspended Carl Slater and Rob Spencer making a welcome return replacing the injured Marc Goodfellow.
Jake Duffy was not included in the squad after Norton had been informed that he was suspended with immediate effect by the Leicestershire FA after an incident during a pre-season games playing for Bardon Hill.
Playing into a stiff breeze blowing down the pitch from goal to goal and on a very hard, uneven pitch Gresley looked comfortably in control from the off against a disappointing opposition.
Although Retford tried hard they failed to break down a resolute Gresley defence and were beaten to the ball and made to hurry their decisions in midfield as the visitors closed them down quickly.
There were hardly any incidents of not in the first half with very few good chances but the one that did occur came to Gresley. Spencer pushed the ball out wide to Lee Barrow on the right and his superb cross picked out Woolley who side footed his volley into the net from close in.
Gresley almost went in at the break two goals up but Spencer put his header over the bar.
The second half started as the first had ended with Gresley pressing forward and a good move down the right saw Spencer cross to Turville but the striker couldn't control the ball before having knocked away by a defender before he could shoot.
On 48 minutes Gresley did double their lead when Jamie Barrett thumped a ball goalwards that stuck an arm and referee Mr Bramell had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Turville, who was celebrating his birthday today, sent the Badger's keeper Jason Fisher the wrong way to double Gresley's advantage.
Turville was unlucky 6 minutes later when Jermaine Gordon sent Turville through but an atrocious bobble meant that the striker didn't connect cleanly and his shot flew over the bar.
Gresley looked like they'd add further goals as the home side failed to put the visitors under any telling pressure and Retford had Fisher to thank preventing Gordon from increasing the lead by acrobatically tipping away the big striker's header wide.
One rare attempt on Gresley goal came on 68 minutes when Jamie Brown went close but his header flew wide of the near post and just as two buses come along at once Retford had another chance when a perfectly flighted diagonal ball from Brown was brought down by Steve Owens but his final shot went over when well placed.
Gresley had another couple of chances to extend their advantage late on with Barrett shooting just over from the edge of the area and substitute Richard Hanslow having a decent shot on goal deflected for a corner.
The final action of the day came in Gresley's half when Badger's substitute Adam Scott expertly brought down a high ball but his final shot was disappointing flying well wide of visiting keeper Gary Hateley's upright.
