Gresley FC vs Bustleholme
League Cup
Gresley Youth 0 - 4 Bustleholme
Report by Brian Jones
Gresley Youth entertained Bustleholme in the Midland Floodlit Youth League Cup and it was the outfit from West Bromwich that progressed into the next round with a 4-0 victory that was in no way as one-sided as the scoreline would suggest.
Both teams played fast, committed, entertaining football from the off and it was honours even until the fifteenth minute when a mistimed tackle by Gresley's Will Simpson brought down the away team's Danny Hill in the area and the same player calmly struck his spot-kick into the bottom corner.
Simpson redeemed himself minutes later with a saving tackle to prevent a further goal before Rikki Birch latched on to a defensive error but saw his shot diverted on to the post by Bustleholme's keeper, who was beaten all ends up three minutes later as a Birch strike from 25 yards unfortunately hit the bar.
Meanwhile, Gresley's Jake Sharp had hit a free-kick straight into the keeper's arms and another misdemeanour produced a 30 yard effort from Josh Pearson which went just wide.
Further attempts from Sharp and Luke Watts drifted the wrong side of the posts and on 33 minutes the away side showed how it should be done, Ryan Thomason fastening on to a through ball and confidently firing home with the outside of his right foot to double his team's lead.
Jamie Davis had a chance to reduce the arrears when through on goal, but put his shot wide and a header by the same player set up Birch who achieved a similar result.
Chances were also being missed at the other end as half-time approached, with the home side's defenders and keeper Luke Hemingway thwarting goal-scoring opportunities.
Gresley needed an early goal after the break and a Birch volley only just went the wrong side of the far post before the visitors increased their advantage on 55 minutes after spurning several excellent chances, an unmarked Thomason tapping into the net from a Tom Jeavons cross.
The home team continued to do everything but score, Benny Watson firing a long range free-kick just over and further attempts from Birch, Davis and Sharp either failing to hit the target or being saved by the away keeper.
In return, Bustleholme's Ross Fellows rattled the crossbar, but they were mainly content to soak up the pressure and play for the final whistle, before grabbing a lucky fourth goal in added time when Thomason completed his hat-trick with a close range mis-hit shot which sailed over the keeper's head and ruffled the net.
Goals: Bustleholme: Hill (pen) 15, Thomason 33, 55, 90 + 4.
Gresley: Hemingway 7, Curtis 6 (Morton 87 5), Metcalfe 6, Pearson 6, Simpson 6, Watson 7 (Wood 80 5), Watts 6, Sharp <6> (McBride 74 5), Davis 7, Birch 7, Francis 6. Subs not used: Frewtrell, Jones.
Bustleholme: Sayers, Butler, Jeavons (Pickering 86), Fellows, Julian, Rickards, Bell, Perry(Bowen 61), Thomason, Hill, Iddles (Protheroe 61). Sub not used: Parker.
