FA Carlsberg Vase Fifth Round
Westwood Road, St Ives, Cambridge
Saturday, 18th February 2012, 3.00pm
Vase Dreams Shattered
There are games when you have to hold your hands up and say your team was well beaten by the better side on the day and this was just one of those games.
It was always going to be a tough game with eleven men on the pitch but with just nine it was going to be an enormous mountain to climb and unfortunately both red cards were absolutely needless and now the two players will each miss future games for their stupidity.
Gresley manager Gary Norton made just one change to the starting line-up who faced Loughborough with Gareth Langford replacing the injured Tom Betteridge.
However, the team that won in midweek appeared not to turn up in St Ives as they were out-played and out-fought with the home side unlucky not to have added two, three or even four more goals to their total such was their dominance.
A lacklustre Gresley side were soon under pressure with Ozie Foster testing keeper Gary Hateley with a free kick. Hateley found himself having to punch clear as Stuart Cobb swung in a corner from the left.
Jordi Gough made a good run down the left for the visitors cut inside and slipped the ball to Dean Oliver but the final shot lacked any power and keeper Niall Owen dealt with the danger easily.
Connor Washington was proving to be a real thorn in flesh for Gresley and he went close to opening the scoring on 12 minutes when he raced onto a loose ball and after beating the onrushing Hateley slipped the ball forward towards goal but Gough was on hand to clear off the line.
Gresley made a rare attempt on St Ives' goal with Mickey Lyons hitting a shot that Owen dropped but a defender was there to clear the danger.
Town went close again when Stuart Cobb sent Washington racing forward only to see the assistant raise his flag to stop his gallop.
On 18 minutes Gresley thought they'd taken the lead when Marc Goodfellow's shot was only parried by Owen. Royce Turville responded by hitting the ball into the net but was denied by the raised flag.
Hateley did well minutes later to scramble the ball away as shot flew in towards his net but he couldn't do anything to prevent St Ives from taking the lead on 26 minutes. Jamie Allsop slung over a long ball to the far post where Lee Ellison was waiting to head the ball past the helpless Hateley.
Things got even worse for the visitors when a minute later St Ives had doubled their advantage. Jamie Barrett failed to clear the danger giving an easy finish for Washington.
Goodfellow's snap shot tested Owen but the home side went close again when Washington, looking offside, raced forward but Hateley did well diving to his left to push the shot away for a corner. Cobb then went close when he fastened on to a long ball from the left but his shot was somehow bundled wide.
Gresley were reduced to ten men on 33 minutes when Danny Holmes used foul and abusive language to the assistant and after a consultation the referee Mr Holderness show the midfielder a straight red card.
The second half started as the first had ended with St Ives on top and Foster smashing a low shot that crashed back off the foot of the far post with Hateley beaten.
Gresley were caught napping when Foster beat the offside trap but a superbly timed tackle denied him and the rebound was blocked by Hateley.
St Ives' third goal was somewhat fortunate. The impressive Washington cleverly beat Barrett but his shot was blocked by Hateley but after three more attempts blocked by the keeper the ball was bundled over the line.
Gresley's best chance of the second half came on 69 minutes when Oliver met a flicked on ball but his header went just over the bar.
Town were threatening to add more to their tally and substitute Scott Fielding brought out another fine block from Hateley.
Oliver once more went close when he got the ball from substitute Rob Spencer who had managed to get in front of a defender but the shot went wide.
Jepson complained that Washington was persistently kicking the ball away to waste time and seconds later the midfielder made an awful tackle from behind on a St Ives player giving the referee every reason to show another straight red card which he duly did.
It was now a case of damage limitation for the visitors as St Ives pressed forward with ease looking for more goals to rub even more salt in what were already gaping Gresley wounds. But, against the run of play substitute Richard Hanslow almost got a consolation for his side but he hit the side netting with his shot.
It was only a temporary lull in proceedings as St Ives turned the screw a little more with substitute Grant Robins going close. But, the goal that looked certain to arrive came with just three minutes remaining when a cross from the right was converted at the far post by the unmarked Fielding. And, they went inches away from adding a fifth goal when Hateley had to push away another attempt on goal this time from Robins.
Manager's View
"We've got to try and pick ourselves up after today ready for Tuesday. I've just said to the lads that it's not often that I'm stuck for words after a game whether we've won or whether we've lost but we've got to lick our wounds on the way home and just get up in the morning with a positive attitude.
"We haven't become a bad side overnight but that was a damaging defeat. We just didn't turn up and we were second best all day and then one of our most experienced players get's himself sent off and it just went from bad to worse.
"I can only apologise to all the supporters who made the long trip. We've come way second best today and we've let a lot of people down including ourselves. That's what it's about really pulling together and we've now got to pick ourselves up and try and put it out of our systems on Tuesday.
"We don't get many red cards to be honest, but Danny Holmes in particular has had a lot of yellow cards recently and most of them for opening his mouth. We spoke to him about it and we don't expect that from our experienced players but those things go on. He shouted something at the linesman which included some expletives. I spoke to the referee at half time and he's got two words in his dictionary that he will not tolerate on a football pitch and decided to send him off. I'm not condoning that because at the end of the day if you say those sorts of things you expect to get yourself sent off potentially.
"All we want is a bit of consistency as you hear it at matches and on the television and on the pitch from opposition players but Danny's been caught and sent off. A bit of common sense may have applied like a stern word off the referee would have done. But, having said that we were already in a hole two-nil down and we looked a completely different side to the one that's been beaten just once in twenty three games prior to today.
"I don't think it was just Danny's sending off because all across the pitch we were second best. We looked lethargic. They were picking all the second balls up and were on the front foot with a bit of pace, a bit of movement and we were made to look very ordinary.
"But what a day not to turn up! We've been playing brilliantly this season particularly in the last three or four months.
"Their centre forward was mustard. We'd done our homework on him and we knew he was a great player with pace and good movement. He uses his body fantastically well for a small guy and he caused us problems all afternoon but they also had a number of other players who did the same.
"Unfortunately the players who have been doing well for us lately let themselves down a little bit by not turning up today so we've got no complaints. We may have had nine men but the game was well done before that. I said to James Jepson it was damage limitation in the last few minutes of the game and then to go and put a tackle in like that. It was pure frustration. Both midfielders have been instrumental in the run we've been on and we're going to miss them both for three games - daft pair!"
