Derbyshire Senior Cup 2nd Round
Exchem Arena, South Normanton
Wednesday, 16th November 2011, 7.45pm
Senior Cup Win For Gresley
Gresley were left to count the cost of their Senior Cup victory at South Normanton as two players picked up injuries ahead of their FA Vase game at home to Kings Lynn on Saturday. Kyle Bryant suffered a nasty gash to his leg which required a visit to hospital for stitches and goalkeeper Gary Hateley also having to visit to check on what was suspected as a fractured collar bone.
The visitors made a few changes to the starting eleven from Saturday's game giving valuable pitch time to members of the squad. Royce Turville, Kyle Bryant and Lee Barrow were all given a start and Adam Johnson, Alex Rowland and Eoin Bradford all brought in from the reserves. Marc Goodfellow, Gareth Langford and Michael Nottingham were all given the night off.
On a very slippery and uneven surface Gresley made a quick start with Richard Hanslow flying down the right before cutting in smashing a shot on 2 minutes that beat Athletic's keeper James Baker but crashed against the bar.
Athletic came back and took the lead a minute later when Steven Connerly, looking suspiciously offside, ran through and with the visiting back line appealing to the assistant linesman for the decision was allowed to continue before slipping the ball past the exposed Hateley.
Gresley found themselves two goals down on 15 minutes when a defensive mix-up allowed Connerly to add his second goal of the evening.
A good flowing passing move ended with Gresley getting on the score sheet 4 minutes later when James Jepson and Royce Turville combined to set up Hanslow who made no mistake blasting a low shot past Baker.
On 23 minutes Gresley had to make a change when Dan Briscoe's very poor tackle on Bryant saw the youngster stretchered off with a badly gashed leg with the referee Mr Webb amazingly only showing Briscoe a yellow card instead of the straight red his reckless tackle surely deserved. Reserve team player Alex Rowland was handed his first team debut as a replacement for Bryant.
Rob Spencer went agonisingly close to equalising when, after a good run down the line, flashed a shot across the face of goal.
Just after the half hour Athletic had to make a change of keeper with Brendan McKenna replacing the injured Baker.
As the teams came out for the second period the hardy travelling Gresley support was surprised to see Jordi Gough donning the yellow keeper's jersey as Hateley didn't appear after suffering his shoulder injury with another debutant reserve team Adam Johnson coming on as Hateley's replacement.
Gresley seemed determined to get something from the game and were soon putting the home defence under pressure with Jepson having a shot palmed away by McKenna.
McKenna denied Hanslow on 62 minutes when he managed to stop Hanslow's header from crossing the line.
But despite the pressure Gresley found themselves two goals behind again on 71 minutes when a cross from the right was headed in by Briscoe at the far post.
Four minutes later Gresley struck again when Rob Spencer was brought down on the edge of the area by Liam Kelly with Mr Webb pointing to the spot. Turville took the kick and sent McKenna the wrong way.
With time quickly running out Gresley levelled with just two minutes of the game remaining. A bit of a panicky clearance from the home defence fell to Rowland who hit a terrific volley from just outside the area over the head of the keeper and into the back of the net.
As the thirty minute extra time period began Dean Oliver who had earlier replaced Turville hit a good shot across the face of Athletic's goal and seconds later tested McKenna with a shot on the turn that the keeper did very well to get down to save.
Gresley continued their pressure in the home defence in the second period with Hanslow hitting a shot on the turn just wide but on 110 minutes they were in front for the first time. Oliver held the ball up well down the left and laid his pass back for Lyons who smashed his shot past McKenna.
Gough then showed his goalkeeping skills making a fine diving save to deny Briscoe but almost on the final whistle Gresley ensured their place in the next round when Hanslow fastened onto a through ball netting the ball at the second attempt after McKenna had got a hand to the first shot.
Manager's View
Martin Rowe
"We were very disappointing this evening starting the game very poorly and I think a few of the players came here saw the pitch and thought they'd cruise it.
"We never got going at all in the first half and went one-nil down and then we gave them another goal which was disappointing and found ourselves two goals down. Richard Hanslow got us back in the game and then there was the incident with Kyle Bryant. It was a late challenge but I don't think there was any intent but Kyle has got a very nasty gash in his leg and obviously has gone off to hospital.
"Then at halftime we found Gary Hateley had got a problem with his collarbone. We don't know what it is but Gary has also gone straight to hospital to find out. We don't know whether it is a broken collarbone or not yet. Hopefully it's not and that he'll be okay for Saturday.
"Jordi Gough came on as goalkeeper after halftime. I'd asked for volunteers at halftime and Jordi said 'I've done it once or twice'. So I asked him is it twice or once and he said once! He did alright, he didn't play like a goalkeeper, he played like a traditional sweeper of the back four just sweeping up and booting the ball anywhere which was fine.
"We had a chat at halftime and the players realised that they weren't doing it and I thought we really controlled the game in the second half. We were very unlucky to go three-one down as we'd done nothing wrong but to be fair to them they had one chance and put it away.
"I felt we'd always got that bit of an edge, something in reserve and we got the game back to three-two and then three-all through Alex Rowland which was a beautiful goal - a volley, top corner and I think it went to his head a bit because he disappeared for the rest of the game! I felt both Alex and Adam Johnson who came on at halftime at right back did really well for us.
"To be fair at halftime I asked the players 'do you want extra time or shall we give it them?' We were looking more for Saturday but the players said 'no, we've got this far so we'll go and finish the job' and that's what they did!"
