FA Trophy 3rd Qualifying Round
The Grove, Halesowen
Saturday, 29th November 2014, 3.00pm
Unlucky Gresley In Trophy Exit
Gresley can consider themselves very unfortunate to have gone out of this season's FA Trophy as they fully deserved to have brought their hosts back to the Moat Ground.
A stranger to non-league football would have been hard pressed to have known which team played in a league higher as Gresley matched Halesowen in every position and the difference was the two goals one of which should have been disallowed and the second a miss kick from the normally reliant keeper Ross Atkins.
Once more Gresley manager Wayne Thornhill had to make changes to his side bringing in new signing Jake Carlisle into the back line who did well on his debut as did the whole of the defence.
Luke Edwards had to plough a lone furrow up front as Thornhill laid his side out to make it tough in midfield and defence and for 82 minutes it worked fine until that controversial first goal.
Gresley started brightly enough with Jack Langston firing wide from distance in the first two minutes. Town had their early chances with Aaron Griffiths hitting his free kick just over the bar and Iyseden Christie also firing wide of the near post.
Both sides were defending well and chances were at a premium. Martin Smyth kept his free kick from 22 yards nice and low but Town keeper Matthew Sargent managed to grasp it as Kieran O'Connell raced in for the rebound.
Town went close just after the half hour mark as Griffith's header needed to be cleared off the line by Eric Graves.
The best chance of the first half also fell to the hosts. Robert Thompson-Brown was in on goal but Atkins raced out quickly to make a fine block and Dan Bragoli could only put the rebound over the bar.
Edwards was unlucky early in the second half when he hit his shot on the turn fractionally wide. Aaron Forde also flashed a shot wide of the far post for the hosts as play swapped from end to end.
Down at the other end a cross from the right by Smyth was inches away from the head of the onrushing Alex Steadman.
Town took the lead with just eight minutes remaining is somewhat fortunate circumstances. Gresley should have been awarded a free kick in the build up as Atkins failed to get a decent punch on the ball. As the keeper was trying to recover Christie quite clearly pushed the ball forward with his hand before slotting the ball home with the only people in the ground not to have noticed being the referee Geoff Law and his assistant who was the nearest to the offence.
The Gresley players and supporters were incensed at the injustice but the referee was not going to change his mind.
Gresley hit back almost immediately with O'Connell going close put his header from a cross over the bar.
The second goal also was gifted to Town. Atkins, who is usually quite secure with his kicking, horribly sliced his clearance and substitute Chris Lait was happy to accept the early Christmas present ramming the ball past Atkins.
The score-line was very harsh on Gresley who had been more than a match for their Premier league opposition and fully deserved to have brought them back to the Moat.
