Alfreton Town vs Gresley Rovers
Champagne Gresley – Rex Page – Burton Mail
Indestructible Gresley’s FA Cup bandwagon rolled relentlessly on at North Street on Saturday.
Now Frank Northwood’s magnificent marauders are within sight of repeating the greatest moment in the club’s 103-year history – a place in the first round proper.
This latest shock win in Rovers’ epic voyage took them into the fourth qualifying round for the first time since 1953, when they were beaten 4–1 by Nuneaton.
The historians have to delve even deeper into their record books to establish the date on which Rovers made their one and only appearance in the competition proper – at York way back in the 1930’s.
The modern day Moatmen, however, will probably not devote much of their time dwelling on the past. Quite rightly they will be more intent on basking in the glory of their latest triumph.
Gresley’s victory was the rich reward for a performance of guts, character and honest endeavour that first baffled and ultimately bewildered their hosts.
There were some heart-stopping moments in a second half that stretched beyond the 50 minute mark, but Rovers resolve refused to be broken.
In the event the game was decided by a disputed penalty, which went in off the inside of the post in first half stoppage time. It was as close as that.
Alfreton – from a higher league and with home advantage – began the game as clear favourites, but their challenge never fully materialised.
They began with a spurt of pressure that earned five corners in the first 15 minutes, but lacked the penetration to disturb a Gresley defence that was brilliantly marshalled by Mark Bromley.
Once Rovers settled, however, Alfreton posed few real problems despite an endless stream of long balls out of defence aimed for their much-vaunted striking partnership of Kevin O’Kine and Bob Mountain.
The most obvious moments of danger resulted from rare errors by Gresley around their own penalty area.
One mistake by the otherwise impressive Ian Early sent Rob Maskery sprinting into the area, but the immaculate Martin McNamara sensed the danger and was quickly off his line to block with his feet.
There was a moment of panic too, when Melvyn Pegg sliced a clearance to Trevor Jones, whose instinctive right-foot shot was only inches off target.
Between long and frenetic spells Alfreton pressure, Gresley provided brief interludes of composed and flowing play that earned ripples of applause even from the home fans.
The best move of the half came in the 38th minute when Brian Beresford expertly held off two opponents to square the ball into the path of Nigel Steele whose powerful 20-yard shot forced Ken Shaw to produce the save of the game.
Just as Gresley were preparing for self-congratulation at surviving the first half unscathed, they were unexpectedly presented with an opportunity to take the lead.
Beresford, with the ball at his feet on the bye-line and his back to goal was in no position to threaten when John Shirt clumsily sent him tumbling.
Alfreton thought Beresford have taken a dive, but in any event it was a wretched piece of defending.
It was a moment of real pressure for Clive Arthur, but the man who scored countless penalties in his long spell with Burton Albion calmly tucked the spot kick away though he needed the assistance of the inside of a post.
If Gresley expected Alfreton to storm at them like the charge of the light brigade after the interval, they were not disappointed.
The ball was whacked forward at every interval, but the Gresley defence was in such commanding form that it rarely threatened to buckle.
Mountain, a pale shadow of a player who tore up Matlock’s scoring record a couple of seasons ago, twice escaped attention, but on each occasion failed even to force McNamara into a save.
Mark Jones sent a fierce volley uncomfortably close, yet McNamara was not forced to produce a save of real quality until the 71st minute when he superbly clutched at John Whiteley’s deflected shot.
The extent of Gresley’s bravery and a measure of their ability to cope with pressure came in the 75th minute.
Not for the first time a Gresley player emerged from a tangle with O’Kine with a head injury. This time the victim was Steve Dolby and with blood streaming from a head wound, he was forced to receive attention on the touchline.
But Gresley were not rushed into making a panicky substitution at such a crucial stage of the game and for the next five minutes a re-organised defence calmly soaked up yet more Alfreton pressure.
Dolby’s return to the action signalled the end of the last real crisis for Rovers.
As the game entered injury time they went astonishingly close to putting the issue beyond all doubt.
Beresford broke clear and when his vicious low shot squirmed out of the hands of Shaw, Tommy Thompson seemed certain to score until Dave Markham appeared on the line to complete a remarkable clearance.
Alfreton Town (0) 0
Gresley Rovers (1) 1
Scorer: Arthur 45 (pen).
Alfreton Town: Shaw, Markham, Stanley, M Jones, Shirt, Prophett, Whiteley, Maskery, O’Kine, Mountain (Whittaker 89), T Jones.
Gresley Rovers: McNamara, Attley, Pegg, Bromley, Dolby, Thompson, Arthur, Earley, Butler, Beresford, Steele. Sub not used; Dearn.
Attendance: 445
