Tamworth vs Gresley Rovers
Lamb chop - Mike St John - Burton Mail
Gresley Rovers' dream of reaching the final of the Banks's Brewery League Cup was wrecked at The Lamb on Saturday.
Depleted Rovers, without five regular players battled admirably to the bitter end of a typically tense semi-final second leg but were floored by another Mark Stanton goal.
Stanton, Tamworth's leading marksman, added to his first leg winner at Gresley with a goal on the stroke of half time, and although Rovers' pulled it back to 2-1 on aggregate straight after the interval with a Steve Dolby penalty they couldn't turn the game around.
Disappointed Gresley manager Frank Northwood said afterwards: "If we'd have competed in the first half the same way as we did in the second we would have won."
Gresley had indeed been lacking in ideas up front. There had been a chronic shortage of attempts on the Tamworth goal before half time, and had the home side sharpened up their own act Rovers could well have trailed by a bigger margin at that stage.
It was a typical cup-tie throughout and one that roused the passions of the 1,000 plus crowd.
The game started at a frantic, if erratic pace, and Tamworth undoubtedly had the edge over their rivals in a scruffy opening 20 minutes.
Only a vital sweeping clearance from Mark Bromley to deny the advancing Bob Atkins and an equally important punch off the head of centre forward Andy Maddocks by Rovers' keeper Bob Aston stopped Tamworth racing ahead.
Rovers appeared to have weathered the storm though when a remarkable save by goalkeeper Bob Aston from Andy Foote's 30-yard screamer brought the crowd to it's feet.
Aston was completely helpless four minutes later, however, when Stanton grabbed his second goal of this two-legged semi-final.
Neil Lovell was totally outstripped on the halfway line and the ball was switched over from the right side to the left flank.
Rusty-haired Danny McCormack was waiting there to whip a first time ball across for Stanton who cracked home a low, rasping drive from 15 yards. Gresley's task was even greater now, but their hopes were given an immediate boost after the interval.
Keith Hill, who improved as the game went on, was clumsily chopped down inside the area by Tamworth full back Corrigan Lockett. Steve Dolby's penalty kick was deposited crisply above the diving Hemming and into the top right corner of the net and suddenly the game exploded into life.
Gresley discovered a new lease of life and striker Martin Devaney nearly made it 2-2 on aggregate with two good attempts midway through the half.
Devaney was a little too enthusiastic though when he clattered into Hemming as they both went up for a high ball. The grounded goalkeeper needed a lengthy spell of treatment and Devaney escaped a booking.
Gresley threw everything they had at a Tamworth defence that looked decidedly frail but their late fling was sadly to no avail.
Tamworth (1) 1
Gresley Rovers (0) 1
(Tamworth won 2-1 on aggregate)
Scorers: Stanton 42 (Tamworth); Dolby (pen) 48 (Gresley Rovers).
Tamworth: Hemming, Lockett, Brown, Atkins, Foote, Cartwright, Gordon, Stanton, Maddocks, Rathbone, McCormack. Sub: Gillmore.
Gresley Rovers: Aston, Bottomley, Williams, Hall (Earley 75), Dolby, Bromley, Arthur, Jackson, Hill, Devaney, Lovell.
Rovers man-of-the-match: Mark Bromley.
Referee: M Ibbotson (Shrewsbury).
