Buxton vs Gresley Rovers
Cup Cracker - Richard Whitehead - Burton Mail
Gresley Rovers slithered sorrowfully out of the Derbyshire Senior Cup at rain sodden Buxton last night after coming out on the wrong end of a nine goal spectacular.
The Moatmen were finally sunk by an extra time goal burst from the Multipart League side after two hours of stamina sapping endeavour on a boggy Silverlands pitch.
In a match that bubbled from start to finish with inventive attacking football, Gresley clawed their way back into the game three times.
But all their efforts came to nothing in extra time as Buxton took advantage of some tired defending to clinch a quarterfinal tie against arch rivals Matlock.
It was a thrilling cup-tie from the first whistle to the last but at the end of it Rovers were left with just their bread and butter league programme to concentrate on for the rest of the campaign.
However, there was nothing for Frank Northwood's team to feel ashamed of as they displayed an unquenchable spirit and tight battling against a Buxton side who always looked capable of scoring goals.
Just has they had in the first game at the Moat Ground a week earlier Buxton displayed more skill and ideas going forward than any side wearing their colours has in recent seasons.
Midfielder Malcolm Hill began the goal riot in only the eighth minute when he cut in from the right before cracking a 25-yard drive into the top corner of the net with Nicky Griffiths rooted to the spot.
But Rovers, with emergency midfielder Reg Priest and Ian Early getting through a tremendous amount of work in midfield, bounced back with their first equaliser of the night 13 minutes later.
Clive Arthur retrieved Steve Dolby's long ball near the bye-line and turned smartly to pick out an unmarked Brian Beresford who made no mistake with a close range header.
Both sides created further first half opportunities but at 1-1 at half time it was difficult to see which way the scales might tip.
However, it was Buxton who grasped the advantage again in the53rd minute when Griffiths made a hash of collecting an angled cross from the left and Nigel Philips walked the ball into the empty net.
This time though it took Rovers just three minutes to equalise. Another Arthur turn and cross made the chance and when the ball dropped to Beresford 10 yards out he coolly pushed the ball past the advancing Gil Hopkinson.
Seven minutes later Buxton were ahead again when a mesmerised Rovers defence stood back and gave Terry Rodwell enough time to set his sights before unleashing a searing drive from just outside the box which again gave Griffiths no chance.
But astonishingly Gresley's never say die spirit brought them level for a third time three minutes later. Dolby was on target this time getting up superbly at the near post to head home Kevin Banton's corner.
But defensive errors were always likely to prove the deciding factor and so it proved in only the fourth minute of extra time when Griffiths allowed Steve Jackson's weak header to go under his dive to put Buxton back into the driving seat.
Three minutes later Rovers skipper Brian Attley was rather harshly adjudged to have fouled Hill and he drove home the resulting penalty to effectively settle the issue.
Full back Dave Bainbridge administered the coup de grace in the second period of extra time when a 35 yard solo run took him through a static defence and he rolled in the sixth goal slowly into the net.
Buxton (1) 6
Gresley Rovers (1) 3
After extra time.
Scorers: Hill 8, Philips 53, Rodwell 63, Jackson 94, Hill 97, Bainbridge 116(Buxton):Beresford 21, 56, Dolby 66 (Gresley Rovers).
Buxton: Hopkinson, Vaughan, Bainbridge, Philips, Jackson, Gorman, White, Hill, Halliday (Yates 105), Harris (Keeland 68), Rodwell.
Gresley Rovers: Griffiths, Attley, Bromley, Watkiss, Dolby, Priest, Arthur, Earley, Staley (Goddard 95), Beresford, Banton (Eley 105).
Referee: S Wesson (Mickleover).
Attendance: 153
