Match Photos
Gresley Rovers vs Southport
Southport rock as Gresley roll
Gresley
Rovers brought memories of their glory days back to Moat Ground as they entertained Southport in the 3rd Round replay of the FA Umbro Trophy in front of 776 crowd.
It had been some years since there had been such an atmosphere in the compact ground with fans hoping that it would not be the last.
Southport who are at present riding high in the Nationwide Conference where they sit in 4th place came as favourites to win the tie after the humiliation of being held at home by a side two divisions below them.
After some harsh words that surely manager Phil Wilson would have used at his players after Saturday's performance, Gresley were expecting to see a different Southport for the replay.
If the Sandgrounders had not taken the first game seriously then surely they would not make the same mistake twice.
It was the visitors who started the brighter. On nine minutes Dean Howell's corner was glanced well wide by former Aston Villa defender Shaun Teale.
The first attempt on goal by Gresley came on 15 minutes when a Chris Parkins header looped over the bar after a cross by Chris Gray.
It was the home side, which had the first real chance to take the lead. On 28 minutes Gray received Bourne's low cross from the right but could not keep his first-time shot down.
A minute later Gresley Keeper James Lindley had strayed out of his area and Simon Parkes the Southport striker hit the ball that seemed to catch him. There were appeals for a foul on the edge of the area which the referee turned down.
On 35 minutes the visitors thought they had opened the scoring but the goal was ruled out after Steve Whitehall had fouled Stuart Evans before Steve Jones put the ball in the net.
Gresley were awarded an indirect free-kick inside the Southport box after a defender had obstructed a Gresley player but the home side failed to take advantage of that and the re-take given because the Southport wall had rushed forward too soon.
Just before the interval Woolley had his shot blocked by John Robertson after Parkins had made a great run and pass, and the unfortunate Sean Cleary failing to latch onto the rebound.
Gresley began the second half well with Gray's fine header saved by Dickinson who did well to hold on to the ball.
On 58 minutes the home fans got the goal that they had all been hoping for. Barry Woolley, who had responded magnificently to John McGinlay's request to play up front again, hit the ball over the line after a moment of utter chaos in the Southport goal area caused by Evans flicking on a Gray corner and Andy Bourne helping the ball down in to the crowded area.
It was no more than the big frontman deserved as he had caused the Sandgrounders defence all sorts of problems and indeed could easily have claimed a second half hat trick.
The noise in the Moat Ground was overwhelming and almost doubled when four minutes Woolley latched on to a Parkins pass but he lifted his shot over the bar.
Phil Wilson, the Southport boss then decided to play three up front bringing on Phil Eastwood and Tony Sullivan for Parke and Elam.
McGinlay also made a change as he saw Bourne struggling with a leg injury. He brought on Lee Westwood and reverted to 4-4-2. Jake Fairbrother was dropped back in the centre of defence alongside Evans.
Gresley began to defend deep allowing Southport to apply more and more pressure but the defence held firm.
Eastwood was first to test Gresley's resolve hitting his shot on the turn well over and then Sullivan putting a free header well past the post.
On 74 minutes Lindley made what was the save of the match when he superbly tipped over the goal bound header by Jones.
On 81 minutes Gresley were forced into another change as Matt Moran substituted Bluck who was struggling with a back injury.
For the last agonising few minutes Gresley were under tremendous pressure has the visitors pressed for the equaliser. They had to defend three corners in quick succession but only gave Southport one real chance from them as Whitehall blasted a shot well wide.
On 88 Gresley could have finished the game off. Visiting keeper was forced to volley a poor pass back from Robertson which fell to the feet of Woolley. Unfortunately his first touch let him down when clean through on goal giving Dickinson time to scramble back and clear.
After what seemed an age the referee ended this memorable game sending the home fans home deliriously happy and the visitors on their long, long miserable journey back up to the North West coast.
No one could deny Gresley the victory and if they had won by 2 or 3 it would not have flattered them. Every player had given 110% had they deserved to claim the scalp of their illustrious visitors.
The Manager's view of the match
"I'm absolutely delighted. What more could I ask for?
"Credit to the lads. They deserve every plaudit from tonight's game and it was nice to see a good crowd in here as well and it's nice to put a few smiles on some faces!
"As on Saturday the team was absolutely fantastic. I'm proud of every one of them. I could not have asked more of any player from the subs all the way through. Everybody's involved; it's a squad game.
"A couple of players were disappointed to be left out but they've done as much towards tonight's win as everybody else. There is nobody forgotten. That goes all the way through to the chairman and the hard work he's doing.
"I thought it was a good game and the 'big man' was tremendous he got his goal and I think it justifies playing him upfront. He's a handful, he's a colossus for us and Southport's big number 5 was ready to submit at the end.
"Southport took a while to settle because the players were asking those on the side lines where they should be playing, they seemed unsure and that worked for us.
"The crowd went a little quite in the second half when we were leading 1 -0. Perhaps they were a little apprehensive and nervous for the last twenty minutes because we defended a bit deeper. We changed our 4-4-2 and I tried to get Matt Moran to run the ball for us down the side but he did not get too much service to be fair. But he did a job for us.
"I dropped Richard Wardle back because Ian Bluck had taken a knock on his back and he was struggling for about ten or fifteen minutes. I kept leaving him and leaving him and the point came when I had to take him off.
"Everything we planned tonight and everything we went to do worked for us. When we needed to, we defended well in numbers people covering each other. We made ourselves hard to be beaten tonight because we worked so hard, we closed down quickly and the players played for each other. That's why we won the game.
"That's no disrespect to Southport but we just wanted it that little bit more.
"Somehow I've got to get their feet back on the ground for Saturday because we've a tough game at Bilston. The League is still the most important thing to this club but this is a welcome bonus.
"We are away again at Morecambe in the next round. It would have been nice to have been at home and give the club a little bit of revenue. We've got to go away but we've been up the North West coast previous so there is no reason why we can't go and give a good account of ourselves again."
Gresley Rovers (0) 1
Southport (0) 0
Scorer: Woolley 58
Gresley Rovers: Lindley, Bluck (Moran 81), Cheetham, Wardle, Cleary,
Evans, Bourne (Westwood 67), Fairbrother, Woolley, Parkins (Moore 90), Gray.
Subs not used: McGinlay, White.
Southport: Dickinson, Lane, Howell, Teale, Robertson, B Jones, Elam
(Sullivan 63), S Jones, Parke (Eastwood 63), Whitehall, Grayston. Subs not used:
McCauley, Bauress, Morgan (gk).
Rovers
Star Man: Everyone - Not fair to single one player out as everyone had given
their all.
Referee: A M Penn (West Midlands).
Attendance: 776
