FA Cup 1st Qualifying Round
Dakyn Road, Leicester
Saturday, 8th September 2012, 3.00pm
Gresley Fight Back
Gresley were caught out going behind by two goals within the first ten minutes as their former East Midlands Counties rivals tore the visitors apart.
Goals from George Himan and Reece Morris gave Thurnby a commanding first half lead leaving Gresley a little shell shocked but the Moatmen fought back to level the game through Richard Hanslow and Marc Goodfellow in the second half forcing a replay on Tuesday night at the Moat Ground - 7.45pm.
Thurnby came out of the blocks forcing Gresley back and after just 2 minutes the diminutive winger Morris easily got the better of Jamie Barrett down the left and his low cross was converted as Himan smashed the ball into the net at the near post.
The advantage was doubled 8 minutes later when Morris again made a good run down the left but this time he finished the job himself by cutting inside and hammering a low shot across keeper Tom Gutteridge and into the far corner of the net.
The travelling Gresley support couldn't believe what they were watching as Himan forced Gutteridge into a fine fingertip save to push his shot over the bar as the home side threatened again.
Gresley tried to get back into the game but were struggling to find team mates with passes which were going wayward. They went close on a couple of occasions with Royce Turville heading Goodfellow's cross over the bar and Michael Nottingham heading James Jepson's free kick narrowly wide of the far post.
On 34 minutes Turville was racing through on goal but was brought down by Thurnby keeper James Flinders who was a little fortunate to only see a yellow card as the referee Mr Dadley gave him the benefit of the doubt. Nottingham went close on two occasions heading corners from Jepson wide.
Gresley began the second half well but managers Gary Norton and Martin Rowe made an early change bringing Dean Oliver on for Turville and within three minutes he had a chance to reduce the arrears. Matthew Melbourne appeared to handle the ball in the area which Mr Dadley noticed and pointed to the spot. Oliver chose to take the kick but Flinders diving to his right pushed the ball away for a corner.
The visitors made another change on 64 minutes replacing Phil Massingham with Richard Hanslow and the change paid dividends two minutes later. Goodfellow made a fine run down the left and fed the ball through to Hanslow who, despite being forced near to the bye-line, managed to hit a shot between Flinders and the near post and into the net.
It was no more than Gresley deserved as they were having the better of the second half. Oliver struck a shot on the turn fractionally wide and Hanslow went close again cutting in from the left but this time firing a shot just wide.
Gresley went looking for the equaliser and Goodfellow noticed Flinders slightly off his line and chipped the keeper but Flinders diving backwards somehow managed to get the merest of touches on the ball to tip it onto the bar.
The equaliser when it came was worth the entrance fee alone. Gresley were awarded a free kick on the edge of Thurnby's area. Goodfellow unleashed a thunderbolt of a shot that very nearly took the top of the net off as it flew into the goal.
In the dying minutes neither side could finish the job off meaning they have to do it all over again on Tuesday evening.
Manager's View
"We just didn't start. We were flat and not playing to the game plan at all. We knew we had to press them hard and stop them playing because we knew what a good side they were what energy they've got and what pace they've got.
"It looked like we didn't come out of the box and got suitably punished with two good goals and were two-nil down.
"We were unrecognisable in the first half and there were a few harsh words at half time obviously and it was a typical game of two halves. They bossed the first half and we bossed the second and managed to get a couple of goals to get ourselves back into it.
"Had Oliver Dean's penalty had gone in we may have come away with a win. In fairness to Thurnby, the least we could have expected was a win but Thurnby were fantastic for large parts of the game and we were lucky to get away with a replay if I'm honest! Credit to Thurnby for that.
"We've got to address ourselves in terms of maybe the potential attitude in which we came into the game and despite warnings and despite drilling the lads on how hard it would be. We know from our own days in the East Midlands Counties League just what a tough league it is and how sides get themselves up for games.
"They are here on merit. They beat another Evo-Stik side in the previous round to get here. The lads didn't heed the warnings. We started off sloppy and lethargic all over the pitch and we can only apologise to those supporters who travelled here.
"Certainly the second half made it an exciting game and we were lucky to get something in the end.
"There is a small camp of supporters who slate me and Martin when we play Jamie Barrett at full back but he has the experience and is rarely troubled but today with the pace they'd got and it's not a dig at Jamie but we looked at sixes and sevens . Rob Spencer would normally track back and put a bit of cover in on players like that but he felt something in his groin after around ten fifteen minutes in so didn't provide as much cover for us as perhaps he would normally.
"They had some very tricky wingers and today they caused us all sorts of problems and maybe we need to have a look at that. The pace in our back four was exposed today time and time again.
"Michael Nottingham didn't have a very good game by his standards as did several of his colleagues. Our passing was poor, we were lackadaisical on the ball which is unacceptable and we let the lads know that at halftime.
"Credit to the lads that after halftime they pressed very, very well and Mickey Lyons led it and was superb. James Jepson also pressed a lot higher. We made the substitutions and Richard Hanslow has come on and got us back into the game after Dean Oliver had missed a penalty.
"Marc Goodfellow is a frustrating player. He does some fantastic things and he does some sloppy things and you won't see any better free kicks than that anywhere in football. Credit to Goodfellow and Hanslow for getting us back into the game.
"Rob Spencer will be a doubt for Tuesday and he'll let us know tomorrow. He's got a quad/groin problem that he's struggling with and in fairness Tuesday will be a bit too soon for him. Royce Turville has a bit of an ankle turn or knock but we think he'll be okay. Jordi Gough is unfortunately still away on holiday so will miss Tuesday.
"We've got a couple of lads, Dan Douglas and Kyle Bryant who have gone out on loan but we can call them back so we'll see what players report knocks tomorrow and go from there. Adam Betteridge would have been in the squad today but he's a bit tired from jet lag but he'll probably come into the squad for Tuesday."
