The pattern of this game was set very early on. Glossop dominated possession of the ball, but struggled to create clear cut chances against stoic defending from the Whaley Bridge defence, and when they did they found goalkeeper James Tattersall in top form. The game was largely dour and needed a spark. Fortunately Alex Byrne was able to come off the bench and provide it.
Glossop North End 2, Whaley Bridge Athletic 1
Derbyshire Senior Cup, Second Round
Match Report: Jonathan Haggart
Pictures: Jim Lockwood
The rested right back set up one and scored the winner deep into the added on minutes as the prospect of and extra 30 minutes loomed. All but the Whaley Bridge contingent were grateful for his intervention.
The first team squad was used in full as Byrne, Tom Bailey, Sam Madeley and Alex Byrne were all on the bench and Kelvin Lugsden & Matt Russell left out altogether. It gave Chris Willcock a chance to give a run out to a few players coming back from injury and others who had not had regular starts of late.
The first half was a dour affair, brightened only by Tattersall’s tip over the bar from Andy Kilheeney’s drive from the edge of the area, Nathan Neequaye forcing another save with a placed shot that Tattersall pushed wide and Chris Hirst’s shot from Kyle Riley’s lay off that too was saved.
The second half was brighter, and within a minute Riley’s header from a corner was saved, and minutes later Whaley had their first real chance when Dean Williams had to be quick off his line to block Dwolitka’s shot.
The breakthrough came in the 57th minute when Byrne, on for Kilheeney, beat two men on the right side to get to the by-line and advance into the area. His low cross eluded all in front of goal but found Neequaye at the back post, and the striker had time to control and finish.
Inexplicably, rather than kick on, North End switched off, seemingly thinking that that was job done, and it allowed the visitors to build up their first head of steam. After a spell of pressure they got the leveller as the ball was cross from the right and fell to Dwolitka, 10 yards out, and he finished into the corner.
Glossop struggled to get going again, and extra time looked certain when in the 6th minute of injury time the ball was played behind the left full back for Byrne to latch onto. Crucially, Tattersall initially thought he could reach it and left his line. He changed his mind too late as Byrne spotted him and lobbed it over his head. There was an anxious wait to see where the ball would bounce, cheers of relief greeting it as it crossed the line. North End’s reward is a home tie with Matlock Town in early December.
GNE: Williams, Allen, Blackshaw, Young, Adams, Parker, Ellison (Hare), Kilheeney (Byrne), Riley, Neequaye, Hirst.
