FA Carlsberg Vase 3rd Round Proper
The Moat Ground, Church Gresley
Saturday, 3rd December 2011, 3.00pm
Oliver Double Helps See Gresley Through
Gresley apparently had this game sewn up after just 29 minutes as Dean Oliver scored Gresley's fourth and his second goal but they were put under pressure has they took their foot off the gas to allow their visitors Gornal Athletic to have most of the second half play but Gresley held out to be in the hat for the 4th Round draw made around Monday lunchtime.
The homeside started brightly with Jamie Barrett forcing an early save from former Moatman James Pemberton who held the defender's header low down near the foot of the near post.
But the stopper could do nothing to prevent Gresley from taking the lead on10 minutes when Mickey Lyons fed the ball through to Oliver who took a couple of touches before unleashing an unstoppable thunderbolt of a shot from just inside the area that beat Pemberton and flew into the roof of the net.
Two minutes later Gresley had doubled their advantage. A deflection off a Gornal defender put Richard Hanslow in the clear behind the back line and the young striker did well to beat his marker before cleverly chipping the ball over the head of the advancing Pemberton. However, there was baited breath all around the Moat Ground as the ball hit the base of the far post and then audible relief and celebrations as the ball nestled into the back of the net.
Things got even better for the hosts on 16 minutes as they added goal number three. Rob Spencer, who had passed a fitness test on a hamstring injury before the game, made a terrific run down the right flank before picking out Gareth Langford who was charging through the middle. Langford appeared to have had only one thing in mind and that was to shoot and his powerful strike took a deflection which wrong footed Pemberton and ended in the net.
Gornal had barely made any effort on target up until that point but were almost handed a goal when a cross from Marvin Nisbett was almost chested into his own net by Tom Betteridge but thankfully the ball went inches past the near post with Gresley keeper Gary Hateley a spectator.
However, the visitors did get on the scoresheet on 25 minutes when Matt Martin hit a speculative shot-cum-cross from the right which looped over the head of Hateley and into the net.
Four minutes later Gresley had regained their three goal advantage. Oliver put Mark Willetts under pressure a few yards outside the penalty area and the Peacocks' defender's slip allowed the Gresley front man to gain control of the ball and after rounding the keeper coolly slipped the ball home.
The second half was slightly disappointing from a home supporter's point of view as they'd been expecting a few more goals for their side but it seemed that Gresley collectively took their foot off the gas allowing Gornal much of the possession but without causing the defence many problems to deal with.
Gornal did add to their tally on 59 minutes when a long punt up field was expertly controlled by Nisbett before chipping a perfect ball over the head of Hateley and into the back of the net.
Minutes later Gresley thought they'd added to their score. A good move ended with Oliver crossing to Hanslow who hit a terrific shot that crashed back off the bar and then the ball was poked back by a Gresley player and appeared to have crossed the goal line but the assistant referee who was not up with the play decided that it hadn't and the play was allowed to continue.
The visitors then had what was possibly their best spell of the game and went within a whisker of making the remainder of half a very nervous one for the Moatmen.
Just after they'd scored, Gornal went inches close to adding their third of the game when Martin cut in from the right before hitting a shot wide of the near post and minutes later Nisbett fired a shot that also flashed by an upright.
Despite the pressure from the visitors it was Gresley who should have scored when a fine cut back from Oliver picked out Hanslow who hit a low shot that Pemberton did well to block. The loose ball went back out to Oliver who this time found Marc Goodfellow with his pass but again Pemberton was up to the task pushing the ball away for a corner.
Goodfellow then turned provider as he set substitute Royce Turville racing down the left. The final shot flew across the box and past the far post with Oliver a couple of inches from having the decisive touch.
Kristian Green went close to scoring for the visitors flashing a volley just over Hateley's bar but the final chance of the game fell to Turville who, after being set up by substitute Adam Betteridge, hit a low shot that Pemberton did well to hold on to down near his far post.
Manager's View
"You have to credit Gornal for keeping battling although three goals down after just sixteen minutes.
"I was speaking to one of their management staff with about ten minutes to go and they were really annoyed with themselves as they are a far better side than maybe the opening half hour suggested.
"We couldn't have wished for a better start racing into a three goal lead. After going three-nil up though I sensed that we'd switched off a little bit and positionally we weren't holding our shape and defensively we looked a little bit dodgy.
"Regardless of the goal, which came from a throw-in which the linesman had given the other way, it was a sloppy goal to give away but fortunately we managed to get the goal back before half time.
"We've just had a bit of a go in the dressing room because second half we really didn't get going. It's very hard when you're four-one up at half time in a high profile game to keep going for ninety minutes but in fairness to Gornal they never gave up. They had nothing to lose and threw bodies forward and got a goal after eleven or twelve minutes of the second half. Another goal would have made it really, really tense but fortunately we managed to negate that.
"Having said that, their keeper James Pemberton has made a couple of good saves to keep the score at four-two but we're just pleased to be through to the next round more than anything.
"One of the many plusses at the moment is the partnership between Dean Oliver and Richard Hanslow. They've both got the shirts on merit and I spoke to Royce Turville before the game and it's difficult at the moment because those guys are full of goals at the moment but Royce fully respects they have the shirts at the moment but what a player to throw on.
"Royce came on and livened things up a little bit so at the moment all three guys are in a bit of decent form. I'm really pleased with all the lads but obviously Dean and Richard at the moment because they're scoring a few goals for us.
"Tom Betteridge has come back and has done alright. There was a little bit of concern with him starting at full back from a fitness point of view. We thought he might last sixty or seventy minutes so he's done well to come through the ninety. He's again shown his versatility today. Right back is not his first choice position but he's done it many, many tomes for us there - he's done a cracking job. We had Adam Johnson from the reserves on the bench and has proved when he's played in the Derbyshire Senior Cup and in training that he's capable and we wouldn't have hesitated to have thrown Adam on had Tom pulled up near the end so we were really pleased with Tom and the rest of the squad.
"Looking ahead to Saturday, we will still be without James Jepson but also Gareth Langford who has deputised for him today because he's at a wedding so we'll have to have a look and see how we can juggle things around again within the squad. It's not ideal but it's just one of those things."
