Match Report  |  Dunkirk vs Gresley FC

Mark Potts played the get out of jail card deep in time added on to save his side’s blushes as Dunkirk threatened to dump Gresley out of the FA Cup at the first hurdle.

The home would have deserved their win even though they played the whole of the second half with just 10 men after Dunkirk’s keeper was shown a straight card on the stroke of halftime.

Gresley manager Gavin Hurren was still without the holidaying Alby Lansdowne and the injured Kane Lee but introduced a new face Jack Walsh who signed this week.

Playing into a very stiff breeze but not the gale force wind that had been forecast Gresley were soon under pressure as the hardworking Dunkirk side played some good football. They went very close to taking an early lead with Greg Tobin narrowly heading over James Price’s corner. The Boatmen went close again a minute or so later, but Paul Sullivan cleared a header off the line.

Still more chances for the home side as Tyler Shannon-Lewis blazed a shot over the bar from a quickly taken free kick.

Dunkirk took the lead, but it was gifted by Gresley when a ball was played forward and Gresley keeper raced off his line, but Jordan Alls got to the loose ball and slotted it into the empty net.

A very poor decision by the referee denied Dunkirk a second goal when a ball was played back to Crane by a Gresley player and was latched onto by a home player only for the official to blow his whistle for offside which obviously he wasn’t. The ball was duly despatched into the bottom corner of the net. Crane and a couple of visiting defenders had stopped when the whistle blew so whether they would have prevented the ball going into the net was pure speculation.

The referee consulted with his assistant and stood by his decision to blow for offside much to the annoyance of the players who were fortunate not to have been punished for some abusive language both to the referee and his assistant.

On 45 minutes Potts was through on goal but was clearly held back by Liam Mitchell who gave the referee Mr Simpson no option but to show a straight red card. Simpson was replaced by outfielder Scott Bailey.

The resultant free kick saw Paul Sullivan curl a shot which was cleared off the line and the loose ball cleared.

James Harrison replaced James Bennett-Tindall who was suffering with a chest problem at the break, but it was Dunkirk who were making all the running with Gresley failing, on numerous occasions, to find their teammates with their passes. Dunkirk, to their credit, were playing the better of the football and were having no problem in picking out their men.

The first attempt on goal for Gresley came on 56 minutes when Sullivan collected a quickly taken free kick but fired his effort straight at the keeper.

Four minutes later Sullivan carved out another chance striking a shot from distance which Bailey had to grab at the second attempt.

Gresley were getting back into the game but were still finding it difficult to get through the stubborn home defence. Joe Haines effort from distance flew wide and Darryl Thomas had a shot blocked.

Time appeared to be slipping away for Gresley and the travelling support began to wonder if they would have one more chance before the final whistle.

That chance came deep into time added on and Potts took full advantage blasting his shot past Bailey to keep his side in the FA Cup.

The winners of Tuesday’s replay at the Moat will entertain Sutton Coldfield Town in the next round.