West Midlands Police vs Gresley Rovers
Extra special Rovers – Rex Page – Burton Mail
Gresley Rovers survived a rough and tough interrogation by the West Midlands Police to clinch a place in the third round of the FA Vase on Saturday.
Darkness was rapidly descending on the Tally Ho! Sports Ground when Rovers finally put the strong arm of the law in its place with two brilliant extra time goals.
In the end it was a triumph for brain over boot and brawn in a compelling battle of hugely fluctuating fortunes.
As Rovers boss Frank Northwood put it: “I’m a firm believer that skill and quality will always triumph in the end and I think we proved a point this afternoon.”
It was a clear reference to the tactics employed by their hosts. Police brutality it may not have been, but there was enough boots hung in where it hurts to put Rovers out of their usually slick and stylish stride for much of the game.
Curiously, only Rovers defender Dean Page was cautioned – a fact which bewildered Rovers almost as much as the referee’s refusal of a blatant penalty that surely would have wrapped things up in Rovers’ favour a minute from normal time.
As it was, Gresley had by that stage broken free of the police cordon to take control and in extra time superior fitness and ability ensured there were no further upsets for the travelling fans.
Not that it would have been such a spine-tingling affair if Rovers had made the most of their first half pressure.
Geoff Palmer, the former Wolves defender, had already made two goal line clearances by the time Tracey Norton forced in Andy Moore’s corner to give Gresley a 12th minute lead.
Apart from sporadic police raids, it was all one-way traffic with the magnificent Richard Denby directing operations like a traffic cop on point duty.
But chances came and went. Norton and Paul Acklam both shot against the body of John Southall, Kieron Smith hoisted an eight-yard shot much too high and Acklam hit the top of the bar with a header that ought to have been deposited into the far corner.
The complacency spread through to Rovers’ defence after the interval when, more than once, they were lucky not to be picked up for loitering.
Police levelled in the 52nd minute when Bob Aston’s poor punchout of a long throw gave Paul Shaw the chance to beat him with a rasping right foot shot from 12 yards.
Gresley rocked and rolled alarmingly, but restored their lead with a 61st minute smash-and-grab of the highest quality, Andy Moore timing his run perfectly to meet Smith’s lovely cross and steer a difficult eight-yard shot past marooned Southall.
But Rovers made another contribution to the police benevolent fund when they again failed to cope with Peter Grimshaw’s long throw allowing the aggressive Billy Shannon to prod in the second equaliser.
Gresley, with the groggy Page all at sea more than once, weathered the next storm – and then caused one of their own when they were denied an obvious penalty in the 89th minute.
Peter Perry, on for police assault victim Martin Dick, carved his way into the left side of the area where Palmer clearly ‘took him out’. All the evidence pointed to a penalty, but Gresley’s case was summarily dismissed by referee Roy Green.
Justice was seen to be done, however, as Rovers put the police under the cosh as the game spilled over into extra time. Martin Haskins twice went close with headers before Norton struck with one of the goals of the season in the 108th minute.
The resourceful Moore set his team mate in motion and the rest was pure genius as Norton gracefully side-stepped three defenders to beat Southall with a clinical low shot.
Aston had to leave his line quickly to save at the feet of Dave Scriven after another piece of indecision from Page, but it became an open and shut case a minute from time when Denby smashed in a superb 25-yarder.
West Midlands Police (0) 2
Gresley Rovers (1) 4
After extra time.
Scorers: Shaw 52, Shannon 73 (West Midlands Police); Norton 12, 108, Moore 61, Denby 119.
West Midlands Police: Southall, Fogarty, Grimshaw, Palmer, Sutton, Buttress, Ingram (Davison 117), McMenamin, Scriven, Shannon, Shaw. Sub not used: Tinkler.
Gresley Rovers: Aston, Beattie, Dick (Perry 57), Denby, Haskins, Page, Moore, Norton, Acklam, Wells, Smith. Sub not used: Fernihough.
Gresley man-of-the-match: Richard Denby.
Referee: R Green (Stoke).
Attendance: 110
