Coalville Charity Cup Semi-Final
Bardon Hill, Coalville
Monday, 6th May 2013, 7.30pm
Gresley Through to Charity Cup Final
Gresley made their way into the final of the Coalville Charity Cup for the second time in two seasons with a very comfortable win at the home of Bardon Hill against a Coalville Town second string.
Town's first team had already suffered a play-off heartache being beaten at home by Chasetown earlier in the day and their reserve side could bring no joy to help ease their pain.
Gresley also made changes with Luke Hemmingway taking over in goal, Kyle Bryant coming back into the side and Ben Minshull, who had played eighty minutes for the reserves this afternoon, keeping his place.
On the bench Gresley had four young players also from the reserve side giving debuts to three of them.
Two first half goals from Jordi Gough and Jordan Nadat gave Gresley the lead that they never looked likely to surrender as the game progressed.
Within the first eight or so minutes Gresley had two chances to take the lead when Nadat shot wide and Minshull's shot being tipped over by Town's keeper Paul Hollis.
A rare shot on target from Town's Sam Moore was easily dealt with by Hemmingway before the action went to the other end where a good interplay between Nadat and Marc Goodfellow ended with Hollis making a good save.
Gresley took the lead when a ball came out of the Town area to Gough who hammered a low shot from distance through the crowded box and past Hollis.
They doubled their advantage on the half hour when Goodfellow made a good run down the left and then provided the perfect cross for Nadat at the far post to fire home.
Minutes later Coalville's goal led a charmed life as four shots on target from Goodfellow, Dean Rahtbone and Nadat were somehow either blocked or cleared off the line.
Goodfellow sent over another superb cross from the left to Bryant who met is well enough at the far post but Hemmingway made another fine block to deny him. Bryant went close again but was once more thwarted by the keeper holding onto the low shot.
The second half had very little to report as Gresley barely got out of second gear as their opponents provided very little to threaten them.
Gresley made all three substitutes in the second half with Ephraim Williams replacing Ben Minshull, Richard Gerald replacing Marc Goodfellow and Liam Kavanagh coming on for Rathbone.
Before he left the field Goodfellow set up a good chance for Williams but the diminutive young player was denied by Hollis's block.
The final chance fell to Gresley when Nadat threaded the ball through to substitute Gerald who in turn fed it on to Williams who was unlucky to see his shot fly just wide of the far post.
Gresley will now face East Midlands Counties side Ibstock United in the final, who beat Ellistown in the other semi-final, on Monday 13th May at the home of Ellistown with a 7.30pm kick off.
