Match Report  |  Spalding United vs Gresley FC

Gresley produced a performance that cheered the hearts of the hardy few who had made the long trip to Spalding on a Tuesday evening.

Although the game will not be remembered for long there were two good goals followed by the lottery that is the penalty shoot-out with the visitors coming through victorious and going into the next round where they are hoping for a tie which is not so arduous on a midweek evening as the nights draw in.

As expected both sides made changes for this game with Gresley manager Damion Beckford-Quailey giving starts to Tom Hammerton, Zaky Hill, Jeremiah Dasaolu and Keenan King. On the bench were matt Melbourne, Ryan Robbins and Reece Morris.

The first half belonged to the home side and if they'd have taken their chances could easily have been two or three goals ahead as the Gresley backline of Lucas Harrison, Josh Egginton and Hammerton found it difficult to deal with the impressive Cenk Acar, Jamie Jackson and Johnny Lockie.

Jackson went close after 12 minutes but skewed his shot wide of the near post. However, the Tulips took the lead on 27 minutes from a good quick break which caught Gresley out. Flying down the left the ball was crossed into the area where Lewis Millington was waiting to slot the ball past the helpless Callum Hawkins.

Five minutes later the home side almost doubled their advantage. A poor cross field pass was intercepted by Jackson who raced forward but with only the keeper to beat, who was quickly off his line, managed to put his shot wide.

The second half arguably belonged to the visitors as they settled into the match. Dasaolu almost levelled within three minutes of the re-start with a well struck shot which flashed across the face of the Tulip's goal.

On 52 minutes a rare venture into the Gresley area almost provided the home side another goal but they were repelled by two outstanding saves from Hawkins. Jordan Neil made his way into the area but the young keeper made two excellent blocks to keep the score down to just one goal.

Robbins was introduced into the game on 57 minutes replacing Jason Law and he immediately started to have a presence in the Spalding half. Morris replaced Desaolu ten minutes and Gresley began to look a more potent force going forward.

Robbins showed his intent smashing a shot from the left which flew across the face of goal and wide of the far post.

To complete Gresley's attacking options Melbourne replaced Keenan King as they went looking to keep their mini revival going and Melbourne was soon in the thick of things feeding a ball through to Robbins whose shot, this time from the right, went agonisingly past the foot of the far post. Surely the next chance he had would prove successful but in the meantime Gresley had to witness Spalding having the miss of the game with only a couple of minutes remaining.

A cross from the right found Acar just a couple of yards or so out from the centre of Hawkins' goal but he somehow managed to put the ball over the bar, a bad miss that he and his teammates would rue just seconds later.

With time rapidly running out Gresley levelled through a well taken individual goal by Robbins. Collecting the ball midway in the Spalding half the big striker ran forward and shrugged off the attention of a couple of home defenders before rifling an unstoppable shot past keeper Alex Smith.

Minutes later referee Mr Salmons ended the game and the good thing about this competition there is no extra-time just straight to penalties. The spot kicks were to be taken into the goal behind which there was a few vocal home supporters.

Up first was Jordan Lemon but Hawkins made the save. Harrison was up next for Gresley and few travelling supporters expected him to take the net off the fixings but it was not the best shot he's hit and Smith was able to make the save.

Jackson up next for Spalding and he duly despatches his kick to give his side a small advantage. Tom Manship converted his kick to level.

Acar then made up for his glaring miss striking home well but Jon Stevenson kept Gresley in the shoot-out.

Hawkins then made a fine save to deny Tulips captain Adam Jackson. Gresley now had the advantage but it was short lived as Melbourne also saw his kick saved.

The next two kicks from Paul Walker and Robbins were both successful meaning one more slip by either side could be disastrous.

As Sir Alex Ferguson famously stated it was now squeaky bum time and the first to crack was Spalding's Scott Floyd whose kick was superbly saved by Hawkins. This meant that if the Gresley taker could convert his side would be through to the next round and that responsibility fell on the shoulders of the young Mansfield Town loanee Louis Danquah and he was up to the task lashing his shot into the net and his side into the next round.