Gresley Pass Deeping Test

Hopperational details
Date & Venue	NON-LEAGUE DAY Saturday 3 September 2016 at The Haydon Whitham Stadium, Outgang Road
Result	Deeping Rangers 2 Gresley 6
Competition	FA Cup 1st Qualifying Round.
Hopping	Ground 594 and I am here randomly because of a computer-simulated spin of an American roulette wheel which gave number 16.  See previous post for fuzzy-but-genuine proof.
Pre-match preparation
This is Step 5 v Step 4.  Deeping’s league form sees them in mid-table in the United Counties Premier Division. In the cup, they won 4-1 away at Ely City then beat Wroxham 2-1 at home.  Wroxham are Step 4 within the Isthmian leagues but have made a terrible start to the season.  Gresley will be a tougher proposition – they are undefeated and just outside early playoff positions in the Northern Premier League Division One South. They entered the cup in the last round and had a comfortable win over Loughborough University.
This match in one sentence
Gresley never looked like losing but Deeping never gave up.
So what?
Gresley are in the proverbial hat for the next round and Deeping concentrate on the (United Counties) league.
The drama unfolds
Gresley started brightly and Deeping never really had a chance to settle.  The opening goal had a slight deflection but it wasn’t a big surprise.  Reece Morris takes the credit for a low shot that tucked just inside the post.  0-1 after 7 mins The first Deeping chance came midway through the half but Scott Coupland headed straight at the keeper.  Maybe that was the hinge point of the game because Gresley’s Courtney Meade (below) had the freedom of Market Deeping as he headed a second goal almost immediately.  0-2 after 23 mins Again, Deeping heads stayed up but they were fighting a losing battle and Meade rounded the keeper for a third, his second, on the break.  Deeping held on to half-time with no further damage done.  0-3 after 27 mins and at half-time Deeping started the second half well but any thoughts of a comeback were snuffed out by Meade’s hat-trick.  He had time to create space for an easy finish to a Gresley break.  The availability of wide man Morris as an outball, Vardy-style, was a feature of the Gresley setup and as time went on he frequently drew two defenders for his forays into the penalty area.  0-4 after 55 mins The match meandered towards the inevitable result before a late goal flurry kept the crowd interested.  A own goal put Gresley five up.  Then Gresley's Jordan Wakeling earned a yellow card for a tackle deemed dangerous by the referee.  He got the ball but the studs were clearly showing.  David Burton-Jones scored (pic below) from the direct freekick for a consolation goal.  He is one of the candidates for the own goal, by the way.  I’m not sure. Wakeling then got a second yellow, and thus a red, for handball.  Burton-Jones scored (pic below) from the penalty spot.  2-5 after 88 minutes Pearson Mwanyongo scored the final goal of the day in stoppage time after a break down the right flank.  Job Done.  Final score 2-6 I heard an unusual referee’s whistle as I was walking towards the exit.  There was some argument going on with Gresley staff and an open bottle-throwing display of frustration from one of them.  I have no idea what it was about.  The ref and the assistants waited a few more moments before leaving the pitch.
Ground Pix
Match Pix
Something You Don’t Get in the Premier League
Change from £4 for a hot pasty, soup and Mars Bar.  At current exchange rates this sum would get you part-ownership of a West Ham hot dog.
Goalkeeper Top Colour Stats
No clean sheets but a win for Yellow over Green.  Full table again at the end of the month.  Red leads.
What Next?
Watch @GrahamYapp on Twitter for details!