Derbyshire Senior Cup Quarter Final
The Moat Ground
Tuesday, 31st January 2023, 7.45pm
Rovers In Spot Of Bother
Gresley Rovers slipped out of the Derbyshire Senior Cup losing on penalties after drawing the game at the end of ninety minutes.
Tatenda Chirata score his first goal for Rovers but former Moatman Kieran O’Connell scored just after the hour mark to eventually take the game into spot kicks.
This wasn’t a game for the purists with both sides struggling to make the passes needed to open the game up.
The first chance went to the visitors on 24 minutes when another former Rovers player, Richard Hanslow fired a shot from the right which flew across the face of Lewis Fenney’s goal mouth and wide of the far post.
A corner on 35 minutes from the right gave Rovers their first real chance of the half. Chris Camwell slung the ball into the area and Alby Lansdowne got on the end of it but his header went wide at the far post.
Rovers made a change at the break with James Harrison replacing Kieron Berry and his endeavour started to give his side a little more purpose.
A couple of minutes after the break, Rovers went close. Camwell’s in swinging corner from right almost caught out visiting keeper Curtis Hall out but he managed to touch the ball over the bar.
Rovers didn’t have to wait much longer to take the lead. Akanni Akinwe’s clever overhead kick from the bye line just inside the area sent the ball looping to the far post and Chirata headed the ball back over the keeper and into the net.
If Rovers thought, they were heading to the semi-finals they could not have been more wrong. United began to put the home defence under some pressure with Jack Tyson’s shot from the right bringing out a fine save from Fenney.
United levelled the score on 63 minutes and it was yet another former Rovers man who grabbed the goal as he managed to cut in from the left before slipping the ball past Fenney and into the net.
Rovers then made three changes with Kane Lee, James Spruce and Danny Munday replacing Chirata, Camwell and Ryan King.
Fenney was called on again to keep his side in the game by denying another former Rovers man Martin Smyth with a good save. The visitors went close again as John Guy, unmarked in the box, put his header wide from Jake Dodds’ corner.
Another save from Fenney towards the end of the game ensured both side would need to settle the tie from the spot.
The first spot kick saw United’s Hanslow score while Rovers’ first by James Spruce was saved. Dodds scored for the visitors with Munday and Harrison both scoring for Rovers. United’s third spot kick by Alex Steadman was saved by Fenney.
Alby Lansdowne’s attempt was saved and with Guy having score his for United it was left to Smyth to see his side through to meet Buxton in the semi-final which he duly did.
