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Ilson
sunk by Barrett double
18th
October 2005 - Derbyshire Senior Cup
Ilkeston
Town 2
Jenkins
32 Jemson
89
Gresley
Rovers 2 Barrett
26, 36 tate
50 Att
348
Ilkeston
Town
:- Scott,
Knowles (Adam 79), Jervis, Gaunt, Swinscoe, Holmes G, Clifford
(Smith 53), Burns, Goddard, Jemson, Jenkins Subs not used Townsend,
Brewer and Pashley.
Gresley
Rovers :- Pemberton, Davies, White, Smith M, Simpson,
Lyons
, Gray, Slater, Holmes D (Edwards 80), Barrett, Tate Subs not used
Williams, Smith G, Rowell and Saxby.
Ilkeston
Town
looked to
finish the job they so very nearly completed on Saturday without the
services of the injured Ben Scott. Gresley also had to make
changes with ex Robins Aaron O’Connor and Ton Hemmings both
unavailable through injury.
Ilkeston
started brightly and the first chance of the game fell to the Robins
when Mick Goddard headed over from a John Burns
corner. The visitors weathered the early pressure and then started
to make their mark on the game and David
Holmes hit the bar with a looping header after 16 minutes.
At
the other end Nigel Jemson put a strong header over the bar
after a good cross from Darren Knowles and then two minutes
later the same player curled a shot just past the post.
Gresley
opened the scoring when Alan Davies crossed for Jamie Barrett to
coolly place the ball past Ross Turner in to the bottom right
hand corner of the goal. Ilkeston replied with Jemson
shooting weakly wide after picking up a loose ball inside the
Gresley area. Jemson was again in the thick of the action and
he missed another good chance when he headed a Mark Clifford
corner over the bar.
After
30 minutes Barrett almost got his second after Jemson gave
the ball away. However the inform striker shot over the bar.
Ilkeston reacted to this close shave by creating an equaliser on 32
minutes. Justin Jenkins controlled a long ball steadied
himself and shot fiercely into the top corner of the net from eight
yards out.
Unfortunately
the Robins were only on equal terms for four minutes. Davies again
was the provider and Barrett rose above Knowles to head past Turner
and in off the post.
Mick
Goddard came close to leveling again when he hit a looping shot
which crashed against the bar from all of 25 yards out and just
before the interval Goddard had another chance when he
latched on to a long Turner clearance but rolled the ball
just wide of the post.
After
the break Gresley went further in front when Nathan Tate ran at the
Ilkeston defence and hit a tremendous shot that went in off the post. The
goal deflated Ilkeston who started to look a bit ragged. Their
frustration boiled over after 57 minutes when Knowles was
fouled by Andy Simpson. A 22 man brawl followed and the upshot was
that Goddard and Simpson were sent off and Gray was booked.
The
incident seem ed to effect the visitors more then the Robins and
they started to sit back and defend their lead. Knowles and Jervis
both came close with fine efforts and Jemson came very close
with a near post header. With time running out Paul Smith saw
a 25 yard effort fly past the post. On 89 minutes with many of the
home fans streaming out of the ground Jemson gave Ilkeston
hope when he lobbed the diminutive Pemberton from long range. In a frantic
four minutes of added time Ilkeston came close to forcing the game
into extra time with Adam and Smith both providing teasing
crosses which evaded the Ilkeston forwards. In the end Gresley
deservedly held onto their lead.
WhiteBallProject Man
of the Match – Craig Gaunt – Solid at the back on a
night when there were far too many below par performances.
Ilkeston
town were knocked out of the FA Trophy by a weakened Gresley side who
in the end proved too good for the Robins. Despite a strong fight back
towards the end when Gresley tired Ilkeston always looked second
best. The Robins continued to play the passing game but they were
well closed down by the hard working visitors. The
caretakers managers have found that when things are going wrong
management at this level is very difficult. Many fans could not
understand why Jenkins our most potent attacker was kept out
on the wing until late in the game and why Smith was bought
on when he is so obviously not match fit. The
game may not have done Nigel Jemson and Craig Gaunt's chances
of getting the job full time much good but they will have an even
sterner test on Saturday when they face Guiseley.
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