Derbyshire Senior Cup Quarter-Final
The Moat Ground, Church Gresley
Tuesday, 31st January 2012, 7.45pm
Mills Snatch Moat Win
The hardy Gresley faithful who ventured out on a bitterly cold evening to witness this Derbyshire Senior Cup Quarter Final against Evo-Stik opposition New Mills must have left the Moat Ground wondering how on earth their team had not won this game by a comfortable margin after dominating much of the proceedings.
The Millers were reduced to just two attempts on target but scored with one of them in nearly three minutes of first half injury time that the referee mysteriously discovered from somewhere.
Surprisingly Gresley manager Gary Norton played a strong side with Tom Gutteridge, Lee Barrow, Gareth Langford, Richard Hanslow and Rob Spencer given a start. Gary Hateley, Jamie Barrett, Tom Betteridge and Dean Oliver were all given the night off.
Daniel Douglas-Pringle went close for the visitors hitting a shot into the side netting which was their only chance but for the goal at the end of the half. Gresley began to dominate the game and created a few chances that really should have ended up in the net.
The Millers had Jorden Eldridge to thank for not going behind as he cleared Hanslow's shot off the line. Hanslow had a chance to give his side the lead on 13 minutes but after going round the Millers' keeper James Coates took a touch to many allowing Ross Needham to block his shot. From the resultant corner Marc Goodfellow hit a shot that Coates parried but the ball fell agonisingly just out of the reach of Hanslow following up.
Hanslow could quite easily have scored a hat-trick with only 18 minutes gone but this time he was denied by Coates who made a block with his legs after the striker had ran into the area.
Gresley were in complete control but couldn't score although forcing several corners in succession. Spencer then tested Coates with a low shot that the keeper held.
With no stoppages of note referee Mr Thornhill found the extra time at the end of the first half and totally against the run of play New Mills took the lead when Anthony Field latched on to a loose ball before slipping it past Gutteridge.
Gresley started the second half as they'd finished the first applying pressure to the visitors defence and Gough tried his luck firing over the bar. In a rare effort at the other end Field fired wide but it wasn't to be Hanslow's night as he shot narrowly wide.
More Gresley corners produced no results but a swift break saw the visitors have the chance to double their advantage but Douglas-Pringle fired well wide when in a good position.
Gresley were denied a chance of levelling the game by the referee. Goodfellow cut into the area on the right only to be brought down but amazingly Mr Thornhill not only waved the penalty shout away but then awarded a Gresley free kick 2 yards outside the area!
Defender Michael Nottingham went close putting a header just over the bar and at the other end Gutteridge had a rare save to make as substitute Justin Pickering fired straight at him.
Gresley's evening was summed up in time added on when Goodfellow cut in from the right and although easily beating Coates with a tremendous shot saw his effort come back off the bar.
