FA Cup Preliminary Round
The Moat Ground, Church Gresley
Saturday, 3rd September 2011, 3.00pm
Stalemate at the Moat
This was another frustrating afternoon for Gresley supporters, players and management as they failed to kill the game off by half time due to a combination of missed chances and good goalkeeping from Town's Jason White.
An early goal from Richard Hanslow looked as if it had set Gresley on to a comfortable game but a lacklustre second half display allowed Town to claw themselves back into the match with the impressive Carl Haslam getting the all important goal which sees Gresley having to make a midweek trip up to Shirebrook for a difficult replay.
All looked good for the home side when Hanslow shrugged off his marker after just five minutes before putting his shot past White. Hanslow could have doubled his tally just a few minutes later but this time he put his shot across the face of the goal and wide of the far post.
On 10 minutes Gresley could count themselves extremely luck when Haslam cut into the area and was felled by a defender. Everyone in the Moat Ground thought it was a nailed on penalty with even Gresley keeper Gary Hateley placing the ball on the spot. But to everyone's amazement the referee Mr Cox decided that Haslam had dived and waved the yellow card!
Another chance went begging for Gresley when a superb cross field pass from Carl Slater picked out Aaron Dillon in the area but the final shot was blocked by the legs of White.
Gresley were still making chances but failing to convert them. Jermaine Gordon put Gareth Langford through but the midfielder skewed his shot wide of the far post.
Ashley Day was next to be handed a chance when he got around the back of the Town defence but again White did well to block the shot at his near post and yet again a chance was created when Dillon picked out Slater who had his header miraculously saved by White.
Town's man-of-the match White then kept Hanslow out when he tipped his shot, from Dillon's cross, over the bar on the stroke of half time.
The second half was shaded by the visitors and they deservedly levelled just four minutes in when a pinpoint cross from the left by Kieron Watson picked out Haslam who headed past Hateley.
Town were having the better of the game with Gresley's moves breaking down in the final third. The solid Town midfield were cut in two on 76 minutes seeing Hanslow race forward but yet again White blocked the shot and then two minutes later substitute Royce Turville hit a stinging goal bound shot that brought out another good save from White diving down to his right to push the ball away for a corner.
Substitute Marc Goodfellow was fed by Turville and his shot was blocked by White and the rebound just evaded Hanslow.
Town almost grabbed the winner with a couple of minutes remaining when a free kick from Watson flew across the Gresley goal mouth and inches away from the reach of Haslam at the far post.
Manager's View
"This was a classic game of two halves. I thought we were by far the stronger side in the first half but we only had the one goal to show for it. There were a lot of missed chances and half chances and a couple of good saves from their keeper and I said to the guys that we've got to make sure we keep concentrating.
"We had the same back four as in recent games who had kept four clean sheets in the league and in the previous round of the FA Cup and we looked a little bit shaky all over when they broke with their pace especially from their no.10 with the pace and quality he'd got. We looked a little bit off it defensively but I was a disappointed that we didn't have more than the one goal lead at half time.
"They got an early goal in the second half and it gave them something to go for and they were the better side in the second half. Goals change games and didn't he take it well? It was a fantastic header and i was impressed with a number of their players; their work rate and endeavour was fantastic and we didn't match it. We didn't reach the standards we'd set ourselves from a work rate and more importantly quality on the ball point of view.
"Countless times we smashed the ball forward instead of trying to get the ball down and play like we do and it looked like we'd run out of ideas a little bit. We missed one or two key players today who may have, hopefully, made us play a little bit more. It could have gone either way in the second half if I'm honest.
"The replay could be a little tricky. Any game home or away first game or replay is going to be a bit tricky and it's going to be a tough game we know that because of the account Shirebrook have given of themselves today and we've got to go and try and be professional and do the job and try and keep things going. The replay is on Wednesday and we'll see if we've got any players back.
"Rob Spencer will certainly be in contention. We were forced into a change due to injury but I'd have liked to have got Rob on the pitch because he's one who works very, very hard for us and in a game like today he might have been an ideal option for us but with the changes we had to make Rob didn't get on.
"It will probably be Saturday when Barry Woolley is considered as fully fit. He's been here today for treatment and training and loosening up a little bit so we'll think about it and if there is any risk to him not being quite right obviously we won't use him. Matt Hill will certainly be out after pulling his hamstring but we'll regroup and see if we can perform a bit better on Wednesday night.
"We'll have to consider how we go defensively on Wednesday, whether we go as we did in the second half today but I wasn't too impressed with us defensively all over the pitch to be honest and it's something we've got to think about. We've got to be a lot more robust if we're going to win the game on Wednesday and that's for sure!"
