FA Trophy 1st Qualifying Round
Causeway Lane, Matlock
Saturday, 31st October 2015, 3.00pm
Trophy Exit For Gresley
A goal at the end of both halves of this game saw Gresley slip out of this year's FA Trophy competition. The first a 45 yard lob from Joel Purkiss on 41 minutes and then a converted penalty by Laurie Wilson in time added on at the close of the game.
Gresley manager Scott Goodwin had to make changes again with new signing 17-year-old goalkeeper Calum Ferrie making his debut and Kallum Keane replacing the suspended Jean Dakouri. His side was then disrupted again just before the break when Gary Ricketts suffered a head injury and ultimately had to go to hospital for treatment.
The Moatmen were hoping to avenge the drubbing they received at the hands of the Gladitators in the final of the Derbyshire Senior Cup but it wasn't to be.
Matlock, as was to be expected, started well putting Gresley under immediate pressure and it needed two very good saves from the young keeper to keep the score level early on. Ferrie made a good block at his near post and then to tip over the Liam Needham's shot from the edge of the area.
A rare run venture out of their own half saw Ricketts get his head to Jack Langston's corner but home keeper George Willis managed to get a hand to the ball pushing it away for another corner.
On 10 minutes Matlock went very close to taking the lead. Ted Cribley, who was causing problems down the left, sent over a cross which Ferrie did well to get a touch to but the ball was heading to the top corner until Jake Carlisle headed it up and it crashed off the underside of the bar and away.
Matlock continued to put Gresley under severe pressure and Cribley should have done much better with Craig Nelthorpe's cross but could only put his effort over the bar from close in.
Ferrie made another fine save and it led to a quick break which gave Gresley a glimmer of a chance but Martin Smyth could only send his shot wide.
More pressure from the hosts with consecutive corners and another bad miss this time Purkiss putting the ball over from a good position.
It looked only a matter of time before a goal would arrive for the hosts but when it did it came in an unlikely fashion. Ferrie's mishit clearance landed just inside Gresley's own half and Purkiss was alert to the chance and returned the ball over the head of the keeper and into the net - a cruel blow for the young keeper who up until then had made an outstanding debut.
Whatever was said in the Gresley dressing room at half time seemed to have an effect as the visitors looked far more determined for the second period.
Rickett's, who had a deep cut above his eye and was suffering from a slight concussion, was replaced by Ryan King who was making his first appearance for the first team since having a jaw operation early in the season, and he was soon giving the Matlock defence something to think about with his runs into the area.
Both John Guy and Martin Smyth fired over the bar within five minutes of the restart followed by Jordan Ball putting an effort wide.
Matlock still posed a threat going forward and this time it was a run from Micky Harcourt that nearly proved successful but Purkiss could only fire wide at the near post. Ball then sent a superb long pass over to Langston who hit a volley straight at Willis
The final blow for Gresley came with only a couple of minutes of the game remaining. A through ball saw Purkiss race towards goal only for the referee to harshly judge that Ferris had brought the striker down. Sometimes that sort of collision goes in favour of the keeper, who had a tooth loosened for his trouble, but this time it went against Ferris who not only was clouted in the mouth but received a yellow card to rub salt in his wounds!
Laurie Wilson converted the spot kick to see his side into the next round.
