FA Carlsberg Trophy 1st Round Proper
Racecourse Ground, Mold Road, Wrexham, Wales
Saturday, 30th November 2013, 3.00pm
Top Performance By Gresley
Gresley were so close to bringing the existing FA Trophy holders Conference Premier side Wrexham back to the Moat Ground but the ball didn't seem to want to drop for Royce Turville who minutes earlier had given his side a glimmer of hope by heading the ball into the net with six minutes remaining.
New signing keeper Mats Morch was handed his debut, Matt Roome came in at right back and Rob Spencer returned after missing last Saturday's game.
Gresley had their hosts on their heels as they pressed forward from the first whistle and Eric Graves went close volleying his shot just over the bar with only seven minutes on the clock.
However, it was the holders who took the lead with their first attempt on goal. A free kick by Mark Carrington was sent over to the left where Johnny Hunt collected the ball, ran forward into the area and somehow managed to squeeze the ball between Morch and his near post.
As has been seen in the previous games Gresley did not let their heads drop and continued to push forward with Kieran O'Connell firing Spencer's pass from the right over the bar. O'Connell had another chance a few minutes later but his low shot lacked any power to trouble home keeper Andy Coughlin.
Gresley then had a decent shout for a penalty when Graves appeared to have been pushed over in the area but referee Richard Wigglesworth waved away the appeals. Graves was in the thick of things again putting over a cross which Jordan Nadat headed over the bar.
Wrexham's second goal had a touch of fortune about it. A clearance was sliced high into the air by Roome giving Morch a worrying moment as the ball landed on the top of his goal. A corner from the left was swung into the area where the merest of touches by Andy Morrell steered the ball into the far corner.
The visitors hit back almost immediately with Piliero making a fine run down the left before crossing the ball to the far post where Graves forced Coughlin into a good block at his near post.
As the first half drew to a close Wrexham substitute Kyle Parle hit a shot which Morch did well to hold on to.
Gresley came out for the second half in determined mood and they went close to reducing the deficit as Nadat's run into the area ended with a stinging shot which Coughlin parried but the follow-up shot was deflected for a corner.
A curling shot from Adrian Cieslewicz almost extended the home side's lead but his effort went the wrong side of the far post.
Wrexham began to find space through the middle and within the space of eight or so minutes they went close to scoring on two occasions. The first was when a run down the right ended with a cross which found Morrell at the far post but Roome made a fine block to deny him and then another cross was fired wide of the post.
With just six minutes remaining Gresley were given a huge boost by Moat Ground favourite Turville who had replaced the hardworking Nadat ten minutes earlier. A free kick by Piliero was headed past Coughlin and into the far corner of the net bringing the loudest cheer of the afternoon from the two hundred or so travelling Gresley fans.
Turville may well have received an even louder cheer minutes later when O'Connell looped the ball into the area but the ball seemed to stick in the air for an age and the striker, who was only a couple of yards out, just couldn't get control of the ball to give him a chance of glory.
Although this game ends Gresley's great FA Trophy run for this season they can be very proud that they took the current holders right to the end and with a bit more luck might well have made the Welsh side travel to Gresley next week.
Manager's View
"I thought in the first half we took the game too them. We were unfortunate to come two-nil down by two sloppy goals. We play better than that and defend better than that which we have done this season. Early on in the season we weren't defending well but we defended well today.
"Credit to the team, they've done well and after the game we are disappointed - all the lads are disappointed because they know we had a chance to make history but it didn't quite come off.
"I thought we had the better chances in the first half. Second half I felt they were the better team but we still had quite a lot of the ball but unfortunately we were just missing that cutting edge up front but I brought Royce Turville on to get us back in the game which he did and he could have got us a draw right near the end.
"We had a plan for the game. We put Sam Grice in midfield to help keep it tight and we knew the game would open up in the second half so we brought Mickey Lyons on and he was able to on the ball. They were a bit tired and the game opened up for us. Royce did well and he brought others into the game by holding the ball up.
"We could have got an equaliser at the end but the ball just wouldn't drop for us. I said in the press this week that sometimes you need a bit of lady luck but unfortunately we didn't have it today. Credit to the players they've done well against a full-time side and I've told them that now we've got to focus on our league games and start going up the league.
"I had to make a big decision on the goalkeeper. Eric Steele rang me up last week and said that Mats Morch was available on loan and we had to take it. To be fair, I feel really sorry for Alex Townsend but it was a football decision. We felt with Mats in there he would be a bit more commanding at the back and to be fair you couldn't blame Mats for the goals today.
"Wrexham scored from the first chance they had. They switched the ball from left to right really quickly both Rob Spencer and Matt Roome both got drawn out to the ball and they played it by them which allowed their lad to get in and finish at the near post. The second one was from a corner which seemed to go through everyone and into the back of the net.
"When you are going from this stadium to Grantham which has an athletic track around it, it's a bit of a difference! I'm sure the supporters have enjoyed today. I thought the support was fantastic all through the game and it's been a good day for us. It just shows what potential Gresley has got with supporters and I hope they will now stick by us as we try and push to get up the league and into the play-offs at the end of the season.
"The league is now our number one priority. With us having such a bad start we've got to really focus on the league games and start pushing on. If we could have put our cup form into our league form we'd be laughing now but that's football. I'm sure with the support we have behind us we can go on winning games."
