FA Carlsberg Trophy 1st Qualifying Round
The Grove, Old Hawne Lane, Halesowen
Saturday, 29th September 2012, 3.00pm
Gough Sees Red As Gresley Slip
Gresley slipped out of the FA Trophy with Jordi Gough being sent off in controversial circumstances.
After a goalless first half Halesowen took the lead through Ben Haseley before converting two penalties to make the score slightly flattering for the hosts.
Joint manager Martin Rowe made two changes to the staring eleven from the midweek game at Stamford bringing Marc Goodfellow and Dean Oliver in for Royce Turville and Rob Spencer respectively but his side failed to find the back of the net for the first time this season in either cup or league.
Halesowen made the first chance of the game with Craig Milligan flashing a shot across the face of the goal mouth.
On 17 minutes Gresley were forced into a change as Michael Nottingham limped off with a suspected dead leg to be replaced by Dan Douglas.
Goodfellow was the first to try his luck for the visitors but fire his shot from 20 yards just wide. James Jepson was then handed a chance minutes later when Town's keeper Paul Evans chested the ball out only as far as Jepson who tried to chip the ball into the net but sadly could only send it well over the bar.
Just after the half hour mark Richard Hanslow was put through but a good block from Town's keeper denied the young striker.
The action then moved to the other end where Haseley too found himself through but with only Gresley keeper Gary Hateley to beat blazed his shot over the bar.
Gresley were unlucky not to have taken the lead on 35 minutes when a long high ball was superbly brought down by Hanslow before hitting a shot that beat Evans only to crash back off the bar.
Unlike last Saturday's second half performance against Stafford, Gresley really didn't turn up and produced a lacklustre show as Halesowen took a firm grip of the game and were soon making chances with Luke Corbett heading Haseley's cross over from a good position.
Two minutes later Town took the lead when Nathaniel Caines sent Haseley racing down the left and the prolific striker cut in and struck a low shot across Hateley and into the far bottom corner of the net.
They went close to increasing their lead minutes later when Jean Gueyer brought out a good save at his near post by Hateley. Some slack marking saw Gueyer collect a loose ball but he rushed his shot sending the ball wide.
Gresley were caught once more when Haseley put Corbett through but again the finishing was poor as the shot flew well wide with only Hateley to beat.
The game turned on 81 minutes when a combination of Douglas and Marc Strzyzewski brought Haseley down with the referee Craig Taylor pointing to the spot. As the players surrounded the referee he controversially showed Gough a straight red card instead of Douglas who was said to have the guilty party. Corbett took the kick beating Hateley although the keeper got a hand to it.
Five minutes later Halesowen was handed another penalty but a soft one as Goodfellow was adjudged to have brought down Craig Milligan who had the biggest grin on his face as he ran back to be congratulated by his team mates for his display. Corbett once more took the kick which hit Hateley's leg as it flew into the net.
Gresley did have two very late chances to reduce the arrears with Jepson heading Goodfellow's cross wide and then Goodfellow himself firing a shot straight at Evans.
Manager's View
Martin Rowe
"I think that really turned the game for us when Jordi Gough got sent off. Jordi was a bit unfortunate because the referee has admitted he sent the wrong player off he should have sent Dan Douglas off for coming in from the side.
"The referee thought Jordi had committed the foul but in the heat of the moment he sent the wrong person off which is very disappointing. I think also with the second penalty as well. Marc Goodfellow hadn't touched him he just went down and unfortunately we find ourselves three-nil down.
"Michael Nottingham got another bang on the thigh. He did it last Saturday and in the midweek game at Stamford he was fine and didn't get a knock on it but unfortunately he's been clattered today and he was unable to continue so we had to bring Dan Douglas on. To be fair, Dab was a bit rusty but he did alright.
"We tried to play the offside rule in the second half but unfortunately the back four weren't communicating properly.
"I thought Lavell White did well particularly in the first half. He got at them bit the final ball wasn't very good. I thought Dean Oliver showed well today got the ball perhaps he hung onto the ball a bit too long. Richard Hanslow could have had two goals for us and could have come in at half time two-none up.
"The one that hit the bar could have made a big difference to the game. We've seen it before that it gives a team confidence once you've scored a goal but we just couldn't get going today. I don't know why? We really played well on Tuesday night and we should have taken that into today's game but it really didn't happen.
"Regarding the sending off we'll wait for the referee's report to come through and if he does leave Jordi's name in there we'll put an appeal in straight away now he's admitted to us that he sent the wrong player off."
