FA Cup Preliminary Round Replay
Shirebrook Staff Sports & Social Club, Langwith Road, Shirebrook, Mansfield
Wednesday, 7th September 2011, 7.45pm
Turville Spot Kicks Help Send Gresley Through
It took an extra 30 minutes at the end of 180 to separate Shirebrook and Gresley and decide who progresses the next round of the FA Cup to face Mickelover Sports.
In an absorbing game it looked as if Gresley were heading out of the competition being two goals down with just 15 minutes to play but they managed to draw level through two well taken penalties from Royce Turville to force the extra time.
On a cold breezy autumnal evening and with a poor surface to play on it looked as if the game was going to go the same way Saturday's draw at the Moat Ground with Gresley failing to take any of their numerous first half chances.
Shirebrook's keeper Jason White continued in the fine form he showed at Gresley by turning a viciously hit shot onto the bar which he then cleared off the line.
Richard Hanslow then threaded a cross into the area but Turville just couldn't get onto the end of the inviting ball and seconds later White performed heroics once more tipping Marc Goodfellow's shot over the bar.
The home keeper was once more having an inspirational night as he once more denied Gresley from taking the lead when he somehow blocked Turville's shot from close in after Gareth Langford had curled the ball into the box.
More good football was played before Carl Slater hit a hard low shot that White once more dealt with.
It was almost on the half hour mark before Shirebrook had any notable attempt on the visitor's goal and it followed a good footballing move that ended with Carl Haslam, who had caused the Moatmen problems in the first match, twisting and turning before firing a low shot that keeper Gary Hateley held onto to.
Turville again tested White and moments later Gresley were made to rue their many missed chances when Shirebrook took the lead on 34 minutes somewhat against the run of play. A cross from the left picked out Peter Stubley who although he didn't hit the ball cleanly managed to squeeze the ball between Hateley and the near post.
Gresley should have levelled the two minutes later. Hanslow was put through and skipped around the keeper but dwelt a little too long before getting his shot off allowing a covering defender to slide in and block the attempt.
Just before the break Stubley went close to doubling his tally for the night when he was put through with only the keeper to beat but Hateley was up to the task and made a superb block to keep the shot out of his net.
Gresley started brightly in the second half with Slater firing wide and Barry Woolley heading Goodfellow's corner wide of the far post.
As on Saturday a moment of controversy angered the home players, management and supporters on 49 minutes. A ball was put through for Haslam to race onto but he was brought down in the area and the referee Mr Guise pointed to the spot. However, his attention was brought to his assistant, who in all fairness had had her flag raised for an offside well before the incident but had inexplicably lowered it again, and after a discussion between the two officials the referee reversed his decision giving Gresley the free kick.
On 68 minutes Gresley went close to getting back on terms when Turville headed Goodfellow's cross goalwards only to see White clear the ball off the line and seconds later substitute Jermaine Gordon firing over the bar.
Just as in the first half Gresley were to rue the misses as Shirebrook increased their lead with just 16 minutes remaining. Substitute Danny Naylor was allowed to cut in from the left before hitting a shot that was heading towards the far post but a wicked deflection off Lee Barrow saw Hateley totally wrong footed as the ball sailed into the empty net.
All but the most die-hard Gresley supporter thought that the competition would end again for their side before it had hardly got going but to the players' credit they kept their chins up and battled on and their endeavours produced the reward.
On 79 minutes Turville was sent through and as he was bearing down on the keeper he was brought down from behind a yard or so in the area with the Shirebrook defender extremely fortunate not to have seen red for the tackle. Turville picked himself up and sent White the wrong way to give his side a glimmer of hope.
Gordon should have brought the game all square five minutes later but he somehow blasted his shot over the bar from close in after Turville's header had come back off the woodwork.
Gresley didn't have long to wait to extend the game another 30 minutes and it was another spot kick from Turville that did it. A free kick from Goodfellow found Barrow at the far post and his header was prevented from finding the back of the net by the outstretched arm of Lewis Jackson who was the second home player fortunate to not be heading for an early bath although he did receive a yellow card. Turville again sent the keeper the wrong way to score.
Shirebrook looked determined to get the advantage back early in the extra time period with Sam Holmes hitting a low shot which Hateley held onto at his near post and then Haslam bringing a great save off the Gresley custodian.
The visitors themselves went close when White blocked a shot that looped into the air but Gordon's header hit the bar.
Gresley did think they taken the lead early in the second period but Slater's headed goal was ruled out by the raised assistants flag but in the 19th minute of extra time they did take the lead for the first time. Turville did well but his shot hit the bar but Gordon reacted quickly to smash the ball into the net to his obvious delight.
Things went from bad to worse as Shirebrook found themselves down to 10 men for the second game as Lewis Jackson received his second booking after an unsightly scrummage of most of the players that also resulted in Langford receiving a yellow.
Shirebrook now flagging and looking as if their fight had been drained from them almost allowed Gresley to add a fourth goal late on. With most of their players way up field looking to take the match to penalties, they got caught on the break as Goodfellow cantered though the middle as the Shirebrook players could hardly run back but he skewed his shot and it flew wide of the far past.
Manager's View
"There enough talking points in that one hundred and twenty minutes to cover several games I think but on the balance of play I think we deserved it. Being two-nil down with only about twenty minutes left a lot of teams would have given up on that.
"It's a tough place to come and they were playing well at the time but we were creating chances which gave us hope but we missed so many chances even before we went two-nil down. In the first half they scored a cracking goal but we'd missed five or six gilt edged chances again. It was the second game on the trot and it is becoming a concern.
"We had enough chances over the one hundred and twenty minutes to have won three or four games never mind tonight but if you don't put them away it puts pressure on you and at one stage it looked as if Shirebrook was going to sneak it but we showed character to get back into the game. The last penalty was near enough on the ninety minute mark. Royce Turville had a lot of bottle to take it having scored one because we don't seem to have much luck with penalties this year and we've taken it into extra time so yes I'm really pleased.
"Early in extra time Gary Hateley pulled off a fantastic save for us which was on par with the save their keeper made when we were one or two-nil down. Their keeper has made several good saves tonight as well as Saturday and Gaz has made an equally good save late on from their danger man Carl Haslam who has played fantastically well over the two legs.
"It was a cracking cup tie really and I think the only people who spoiled it was those in black - atrocious officiating for both teams and at one stage it looked as if it was going to boil over but to be fair it was a competitive game with respect from both sides and especially between myself and their manager Michael Taylor shone through in the end and it could have got have got nasty. They want to win so do we but fortunately it was contained and we weren't helped by the officiating.
"There were game changing situations. Look at the penalty in the first half in the first half which Shirebrook were very unlucky not to have got and the lad got booked for diving. The tonight they were given a penalty which was a harsh one without a shadow of a doubt - he didn't move his arm and the referee has given the penalty and yet the assistant referee has overruled it and given offside so we had a bit of luck tonight because that would have put us two-nil down but then the deflection did put us two-nil down but we still had the character to come back so there were lots of talking points.
"Looking forward to Saturday's game we'll not have Marc Goodfellow as he's away at a wedding, I thought the wedding season was over. He'd done a good shift for us tonight and he couldn't move at the end. It's frustrating but that's why we're happy to have a fairly big squad. Barry Woolley did superb tonight. He passed a fitness test but he's gone in and is felling it a bit now in his groin.
"At two-nil down I'm thinking do we put Jack Coulson on and stay four-four-two but we were creating chances still so I thought what's the use of changing the shape because if we still do the same things we will get chances and we managed to get the penalty to make it two-one and then we got the equaliser. Jack did very well when he came on but we'll have to assess one or two things.
"Royce played the whole of extra time seizing up with cramp and there are a lot of sore bodies in the dressing room and knocks which we'll have to assess before Saturday. Tom Betteridge and Mickey Lyons got back from Las Vegas this afternoon but they didn't play but they'll be needed for Saturday as we do a body count to see whose fit.
"Rob Spencer was going to play a big part tonight and it was frustrating that I couldn't get him on the pitch on Saturday. Early on Tuesday morning I received a text message off him to say he'd been shipped over to Berlin in Germany at the last minute with work but there is nothing you can do when that happens because they pay the bills but we hope to have him back for the weekend.
"Ashley Day to be fair has been very patient this season. He had a start on Saturday and didn't do very well at all and we made some big decisions tonight regarding team selection and I thought we played really well but found ourselves two-nil down But Ash as gone on as has Jermaine Gordon and made a big difference for us and we just need Ash to do that for us from the start of games. He had a real big impact for us on both wings and if he'd do that from the start of games he's have a run in the side but he's a useful player to bring on."
