Match Photos
Southport vs Gresley Rovers
Second chance for Gresley
Sean Cleary, on loan from Derby County, could not have picked a better time
to score his first goal in a Gresley Rovers shirt.
With only four minutes of the match to go the Northern Ireland U18 defender
tucked away his shot and sent the Gresley following home extremely happy and
looking forward to the replay at the Moat Ground on Wednesday.
John McGinlay started the game with the 3 - 5 - 2 formation with Andy Bourne
and Barry Woolley forming the front two.
Skipper Stuart Evans came back into the side in the centre of the back three
with Jake Fairbrother moving into his favoured midfield position.
Chris Gray could have given Gresley a dream start when he was put through by
Bourne in the third minute but he put his shot straight at keeper Steve Dickinson.
Gresley keeper James Lindley was kept on his toes when, as the result of two
defensive mistakes, he saved from Steve Whitehall after Andy Cheetham had misjudged
a header and from Lee Elam after Cleary had lost possession in his own half.
On 17 minutes Gray again had the opportunity to embarrass the home side when,
after another good pass from Bourne, he beat the off side trap but as he ran
on to the ball his first touch was too strong which gave Dickinson the chance
to scamper off his line and gather the ball.
Three minutes later Southport took the lead. A free kick from former Aston
Villa defender Shaun Teale was headed on by Simon Parke to the waiting Steve
Jones who turned quickly and hammered a shot past the outstretched arm of Lindley
and into the bottom corner.
It was at this point when, perhaps, the Gresley faithful expected the worst
but to their team's credit Gresley kept their nerve and composure and refused
to buckle and hung on to half time with the home side making very few chances.
The majority of the second half was Gresley's. They began to get the upper
hand with Woolley coming close on 70 minutes. Chris Parkins found the unmarked
Woolley with a peach of a cross and the big 'striker' headed the ball downward
only to see it come off the post. Richard Wardle hit the partial clearance back
at the goal and to Southport's relief the ball was hacked to safety.
Southport had the chance to finish the tie off on 75 minutes. Both Evans and
Cheetham failed to deal with a long ball from Teale which found Whitehall in
acres of space on the right.
The Southport striker hit a stunning first time shot which Lindley tipped superbly
onto the bar.
With time running out McGinlay replaced Parkins with Michael Moore and the
decision proved to be the right one when the Gresley striker fought for and
won the ball on the edge of Southport's box. He lifted the ball into the area
and Bourne flicked it on for Cleary who buried his shot into the net to the
stunned silence of the home fans and to the obvious delight of the many travelling
Gresley supporters.
This 86th minute equaliser was no more than Gresley deserved. They had been
equal to and at times superior to their illustrious opponents and now they had
earned a replay on Wednesday at the Moat Ground.
The manager's view of the game
"The team performance today was exactly what I had asked of them before
the game.
"Every player was 100% committed and they gave everything they had. I
was proud of every single one of them - they all played out of their skins.
"They deserve all the credit and plaudits from that game but they now
have to realise that they have to start again on Wednesday.
"Southport will come to Gresley a different side because their pride
has been hurt and their manager will have had a go at them and I'm sure we will
see the real Southport on Wednesday.
"Make no mistake they are a very very good side - you don't sit 4th in
the Conference for nothing.
"They will come to Gresley a different side so we must be a different
side.
"One thing our players must take from this game is a little bit more confidence
in their own ability because they've acquitted themselves well and shown they
can handle themselves, and if they do the same again Wednesday they've got a
chance.
"The players have to start again and they have to get their feet back
on the ground.
"We are training Monday night and we will start preparing and looking
towards the game.
"Saturday's game has gone, and Wednesday is a different game. It's going
to be a far harder match because now we are at home and there will be a little
more onus on us to come out and make a bit more of the play."
Southport (1) 1
Gresley Rovers (0) 1
Scorers: S Jones 21 (Southport); Cleary 86 (Gresley Rovers).
Southport: Dickinson, Lane, Howell (McCauley 71), Teale, Robertson,
B Jones, Elam, S Jones, Parke, Whitehall, Grayston: Subs not used: Sullivan,
Eastwood, Bauress, Morgan.
Gresley Rovers: Lindley, Wardle, Cheetham, Bluck, Woolley, Evans, Bourne
(McGinlay 90), Fairbrother, Cleary, Parkins (Moore 81), Gray (Ford 60). Subs
not used: Westwood, White.
Rovers
Star Man: Everyone in a Rovers shirt - for 110% effort against the odds.
Referee: A Penn (Walsall).
