Ilkeston Town vs Gresley Rovers
Deeney spot on
Gresley started this game as though they had come to take the game to Ilkeston.
They attacked from the first whistle and could have easily been three up by
half time but for the saves of the Robins' keeper Andy Love.
John McGinlay tested Love with a first time shot, which was well held, and
then the play switched to the other end when former Gresley player David Holmes
forced Saul Deeney into a superb save.
The league difference gave no advantage to the home side has Gresley forced
the pace. Chris Gray bringing out another fine save from Love as did Barry Woolley
with a cracking volley.
On 22 minutes Deeney was played into trouble by a back pass from Ian Bluck
that fell slightly short. The keeper hit his hurried clearance at Carl Wright
but to the keeper 's relief went wide of the upright.
On 32 minutes Gresley almost took the lead when Woolley powered a header goal
wards only for Love to get his hand to it and put it away to safety from just
under his cross bar.
Five minutes later, however, the Robins' took the lead against the run of play.
Woolley unfortunately gave the ball away in a dangerous position and Matt McKenzie
quick to the ball put a decisive ball through to Wright who made no mistake
in putting the ball past the advancing Gresley keeper and into the net.
After the break Gresley again began the brighter and the lively Bourne was
unlucky to see his downward header flash just past the post with the Ilkeston
keeper nowhere.
The play flowed from end to end with both sides making but not converting a
host of chances.
On 65 minutes top scorer Chris Parkins replaced the jaded looking Simon Tucker
and Chris White for Bluck who was suffering from a slight hamstring problem
picked up on Saturday during the Weston-super-Mare game with Woolley dropping
back into defence.
Nine minutes later this change proved effective. A long ball ran toward Love
and Bourne closed the keeper down causing him to slice his clearance. The ball
fell to White on the left and still with plenty to do he held off a challenge
by Gary Middleton and then hit a shot over Love and into the far corner of the
net to the delight of the Gresley supporters behind the goal.
With only four minutes of normal time left Gresley almost grabbed the winner
when Woolley's header narrowly missed the angle of bar and post.
There were many anxious checks on watches as the referee drew normal time to
an end.
Ilkeston started extra time pushing Gresley deep into defence and could have
taken the lead after just two minutes. Glen Kirkwood hit a free kick by Paul
Bagshaw on the volley and the ball flew back of the upright.
In the tenth minute of extra time Deeney pulled off two saves within as many
minutes as the home side continued to press. The first he managed to tip away
a cross from Wright with Kirkwood waiting in acres of space and the second when
he held a vicious shot from Bagshaw.
The second period began as the first had with Ilkeston pressing for a winner
and it would have come if it had not been for Andy Cheetham clearing Kirkwood's
header off the line.
Bourne, again causing the home defence problems, was unlucky when his shot
smashed against the foot of the post on 117 minutes.
The referee blew and it was time for the dreaded penalty shoot-out. Mark Peters
strode forward and made no mistake in crashing home the first penalty. Kirkwood
was the first home penalty taker and as he hit a fierce drive, Deeney had chosen
to go to his left and he managed to get a hand to the ball sending sailing over
the bar.
The next six penalties were all scored with Wardle, Cheetham and White converting
for Gresley. If Gresley scored the next then they would take their place in
the Derbyshire Senior Cup Final.
And while some of the crowd were looking to the Gresley players in the centre
circle to see who would take the next kick, Deeney had placed the ball on the
spot and was waiting for the referee to blow his whistle. Deeney then crashed
the perfect penalty past his opposite number and was soon buried underneath
a pile of Gresley Players as they celebrated their thoroughly deserved victory.
The manager's view of the game
"It was a good end-to-end game. If we were to be totally honest it could
have gone either way because we had chances and they had chances.
"I thought Andy Bourne had wrapped it up near the end when he hit the
post. Overall I think we had the most chances. Their keeper made more saves
than ours so in that sense we created the better chances tonight.
"We had some tough decisions to make one was the goalkeeper. I had a chat
with Ian Roberts before the game and explained to him and he was great, his
attitude was spot-on. He realised he had done well on Saturday and I totally
agreed with him and I told him he had done well.
"It wasn't for any other reason but that I felt in my heart to go with
Saul and that's the way we went. When you make a decision like that you hope
it doesn't backfire on you and thankfully it didn't.
"I felt overall we looked a bit sharper when Parkins and White came on
and it was a great goal by Chris White again. That's two goals in three games,
which can't do his confidence any harm, and he's got to be pushing for a start
on Saturday after tonight's performance. It's competition. Simon Tucker has
come in and has yet to score, he doesn't look as fit as he might be.
"We had to swap things around a bit because of Ian Bluck's hamstring.
He was struggling a bit from Saturday so we were forced to make a change.
"It was good to see young Lee Withers getting on and getting a taste of
it because he's been patient, he's been involved a few times and not got on
the park. Tonight was good because he got on the park and he has done great.
Credit to him, he got stuck in and did well.
"There are not many players who have not been involved now. It's good
for them. We have some good young players coming through and they are all getting
bits and pieces here and there. It's only going to add to their experience and
we have one eye on next year for these boys. Hopefully, they will come to the
fore and be pushing for a first team place.
"I am delighted with the performance and result. We are in a final now
and it keeps the season going, something to play for, something to look forward
to. It's something for the supporters as well as the players and myself. It's
something for us all to look forward to along with the league places, they go
hand in hand.
"So I am delighted with the performance. We took the game to them from
the kick off but we found it hard going in the first half because of the stiff
wind. We struggled to get out of our own half at times but when we kept the
ball down and passed it that's when we got out joy. We had some good chances,
Barry Woolley hit the post and another went across the goal line and no one
could get a touch on it.
"Overall the determination and desire to win the game made the performance
what it was. They worked hard and got their just reward in the end.
"I am absolutely delighted with every one of them because they deserve
it."
Ilkeston Town (1) 1
Gresley Rovers (0) 1 (aet)
Gresley won 5 - 3 on penalties.
Scorers: Wright 37 (Ilkeston Town); White 74 (Gresley Rovers).
Ilkeston Town: Love, Whitehead, Curtis, Middleton, Timmons, Knapper,
Bagshaw, McKenzie, Kirkwood, Holmes, Wright. Subs not used: Abbot, Rowe, Foster.
Gresley Rovers: Deeney, Bluck (White 65), Cheetham, Wardle, Woolley,
Evans, Bourne, Peters, McGinlay (Withers 86), Tucker (Parkins 65), Gray.
Rovers
Star Man: Saul Deeney - Outstanding and he scored the final penalty.
Referee: R Gould (Newhall).
Attendance: 224
