The Gresley player manager impressed when he came on against Pinxton in the quarter-final and we were lucky to see him play tonight. He was red-carded in Gresley's previous match for responding badly to some alleged racial abuse in Leek in which he climbed into the crowd to confront the alleged racist.
I took the trip to Gresley's Moat Ground in South Derbyshire with my Rams supporting father and Forest supporting family friend and we stood near the dugouts.
With the home advantage and a bobbly pitch Gresley didn't look like a team two tiers below the visitors. Gresley started more brightly and deserved to take the lead on 19 minutes. A lovely deep cross-field ball to the right found Smyth who went passed his defender and drilled his shot low passed the 'keeper's right hand and inside the far post.
Alfreton's equalised came against the run of play when Jackson's glancing header, from a corner, found its way through a crowd of players.
Gresley were unlucky to go into the break level but were lucky to still have 11 men on the pitch mid-way through the second-half after a dangerous challenge left an Alfreton player rolling on the ground. Shortly after, the Gresley 'keeper fumbled a pass back, allowing Leesley an easy tap in.
Gresley almost got a last gasp equaliser when the Alfreton 'keeper looked to have simply fumbled a routine 'up and under', under pressure. The referee, however, saw it as a foul.
So, Gresley were unlucky and Belper Town will take on Alfreton Town in the final.
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