Bridgnorth Town vs Gresley Rovers
Rovers' firepower too much for Town-Andy Parker-Burton Mail
Gresley Rovers made light of a potentially hazardous task with an emphatic Dr Martens Southern League Cup win over Bridgnorth last night.
Rovers arrived at Crown Meadow on the back of their worst run of results for years desperately in need of bucking the trend.
And they reponded superbly to manager Steve Dolby's call for all-round improvement with a professional display that thoroughly tamed their Beazer Midland Division hosts.
Dolby's prediction that Town would come into the game fired up for a shock result proved accurate but Rovers matched fire with fire in the early stages and gradually took control.
Home skipper Paul Tester produced Town's only real threat of the half with a long range effort that Bob Aston saved low to his left before Rovers took the lead three minutes from the interval.
A goal had seemed increasingly likely with Richard Wardle testing keeper Dave Nock's nerve first with a near post header and then with a shot from outside the penalty area, Tony Marsden then forcing the ball against a post from Craig Weston's corner and Stuart Evans seeing a header cleared off the line.
It finally came when Wardle, whose workrate was feature of Rovers' first half display, battled for possession on the right of the Town penalty area before firing in a perfect near post cross that Paul Acklam headed neatly past Nock.
Bridgenorth may have hoped for a revival with the sloping pitch in their favour after the break but it never came and two goals in three minutes secured Rovers' place in the third round.
Colin Loss set up the first with a superb piece of skill, throwing off his marker with an outrageous feint and sending Simon Osborne scuttling clear on the left for a far post cross that Weston teed up for Acklam to tap over an unguarded line.
Then Weston and Osborne linked again for the striker to score with a bullet header at the near post following a right wing cross.
With the game won the stage was set for substitute Mike Taplin to make his first appearance since August and the striker took full advantage, beating two defenders in the penalty area before firing Rovers' fourth goal in six minutes from time.
Bridgenorth Town (0) 0
Gresley Rovers (1) 4
Scorers: Acklam 42, 60, Osbourne 62, Taplin 84.
Bridgenorth Town: Nock, Minkin, Hammond, Blakemore, Beddow, Seabury, Taylor (Miller 70), Tester, Garret, Pound, Yates. Sub not used: Tolley.
Gresley Rovers: Aston, Blount (Dick 69), Rigg, Loss, Evans, Stanborough, Wardle, Marsden, Osborne, Acklam (Taplin 72), Weston.
Gresley man-of-the-match: Nick Stanborough.
Referee: D Shadwell (Bromsgrove).
Attendance: 150
