Don Amott Cup
The Moat Ground
Saturday, 24th April 2021, 3.00pm
Rovers Off To A Winning Cup Start
BY HARRY TIZARD
Gresley Rovers secured an empahtic victory in their opening game of the Don Amott Cup, beating Borrowash Victoria 4-0 at the Moat Ground.
Two goals either side of half-time gave the home side a deserved victory. A volleyed effort from Paul Sullivan and header from Mason Frizelle gave the home side a comfortable advantage at the break, before the trialist added a third on the hour mark.
Kane Lee added a fourth with minutes to go to round off what was an impressive afternoon for the Rovers.
After a cagey start to the contest, it was Gresley who had the first chance through Alex Morris. Latching onto a Ryan Seal corner, centre-backs bullet effort beat the goalkeeper, but it was cleared off the line by an awaiting Borrowash defender.
Set pieces were a clear weakness of the away side, with a corner-kick from the same side causing concern to the opposition goal moments later. This time it was Paul Sullivan who latched onto the looped cross, but his header sailed comfortably over the bar.
The away side were warned on two occasions with close calls from a dead ball situation and were punished on the third. Seal, who proved a danger with his deliveries earlier in the game, chose to drill the ball in from the right-hand side. Catching out a sleeping Borrowash, the ball reached Sullivan at the front post, who volleyed in with the inside of his right foot.
The home side gained control of the match and had two chances soon after. It was the trialist who shot a yard wide after Danny Munday pressed the goalkeeper into a mistake, before Sullivan was denied a brace by Danny Rigley, who won the one-on-one battle.
Gresley did make their dominance pay soon after. Trialist hung a cross in the air from the left-hand side of the box. Asking for a player to reach it at the far post, it was Mason Frizelle who accepted the invitation, and powered it home from close range.
A youthful Borrowash side found it difficult to create chances, with a tame long-range effort from Kurt Hallam rolling into the gloves of an untroubled Joe Fryatt their only shot of the half.
The trialist was causing regular problems for the away side and was unlucky not to get a goal in the first period. First heading the ball just past the post, the strikers best chance came from a ball over the top from Morris. Shooting first time, his lobbed attempt in-behind the defence was caught comfortably by the ‘keeper.
The opening exchanges of the half could have swung the game into either sides favour, but both failed to make the most of a clear chance in the first 10 minutes after the break. With Gresley’s Sullivan denied by a goal-line clearance that would have given his side a 3-0 advantage, it was Sacha Markelic who could have halved the deficit. From the left of the box, his laced volley whistled over the top of the bar.
Borrowash were made to pay for their wasted chance, with the hosts obtaining a third goal on the hour mark. A lofted ball from the left-wing by Sullivan was nodded in by the trialist, who directed the ball into the bottom corner and away from the reach of the ‘keeper.
The confidence was flowing through the Moatmen and could had a fourth through an excellent Sullivan free kick. Dipping under the bar, Rigley flicked the ball onto the bar and out for a corner.
Seal took the next direct free kick and came close to a deserved goal. Curling the ball low, his effort wrong-footed the ‘keeper but bounced just wide.
With minutes left to play, Kane Lee rounded off a superb afternoon for the home side. Pushing the ball past his opponent, the substitute's shot deflected past Rigley.
After a superb start to the Don Amott Cup, Gresley will be looking to make it back-to-back wins when they visit Ashby Ivanhoe next weekend.
