The Greens were determined and persistent throughout the afternoon and finally earned their joy midway through the second half when the lively Josh Parker headed home the opener from Ryan Flitton’s corner. It was then Flitton who made sure of the Greens safe passage, dispatching his own flicked header from Finlay Armond’s cross 15-minutes later as the Greens booked a 2nd Qualifying Round date with Kirby Muxloe.

Player/Manager Tom Ward was forced into four changes from the side that were defeated 5-2 by Lincoln United last weekend. Most notably, goalkeeper Liam Flitton missed just his second ever game for the Greens following his sending off last weekend – Grantham Town goalkeeper Jonasz Gadomski, who joined the Greens in the week on loan, deputised in his place. The other changes saw Ward himself absent from the side as he served his one-match suspension for a sending off against Newark & Sherwood United, while his brother Charlie Ward and Jake Henderson both missed out too – the latter dropping to the bench. In their places came Mitchell Clogg, Sam Greenwood, and Joshua Parker. Hosts Gedling Miners Welfare meanwhile also made four changes from the side that defeated Radford FC 3-1 in league action last week. Out went Gianfranco Ciaurro, Jack Jepson, Joshua Thornton, and Harvey Woodward, with their places taken by Nashiem Isman, Rueben Wiggins-Thomas, Ross McCaughey, and Joshua Lawe.

The Greens began the contest in confident fashion and had home keeper Steven Brett in action early on to deny Finlay Armond to good effect after he’d broken free in the box. That same combination was in action again two minutes later, Brett again required to beat over from Armond’s cross. He was in useful action again for a third time five minutes later, beating Josh Parker’s effort aside, before helplessly watching as Joe Smith headed Ryan Flitton’s corner inches wide of the post.

The hosts gradually grew into the contest though and it was the lively Mutawakel Eisa that looked the most likely in yellow – first handily finding Ruben Wiggins-Thomas to fire into Jonasz Gadomski’s hands before letting fly from distance on 40-minutes, his effort sailing just beyond the upright. The Greens ended the half as they began it, and a fine block was required to prevent Josh Parker from finding a breakthrough after a lovely sweeping ball from Sam Greenwood set him free. There was still time for Ben Robson to nearly claim his fourth goal in four games, but he headed Mitchell Clogg’s corner just over the bar.

It was the hosts who generated the first opportunity of the second period, Gadomski forced into a fine block at close range to deny Josh Lawe who had broken free. The Greens responded well though and Parker was unlucky to head wide of the post before Mitchell Clogg powered an effort from range over the crossbar. A succession of Greens chances continued when Joe Smith rose highest but could only head wide of Steven Brett's goal before Josh Parker did likewise, heading Ben Robson's cross wide. It was Parker who was to find the breakthrough though just short of an hour when Ryan Flitton's freekick was flicked on neatly by the young attacker to put the Greens in front.

The Greens continued to push, and Parker was up again three minutes later to divert Joe Smith's cross just wide before Finlay Armond forced Brett into a fine diving save to tip away his drive from range. It was from that chance the Greens found a second goal, Armond recycling well to cross for Ryan Flitton to guide a lovely header into the bottom corner. The Greens could have had more on another day but found home keeper Brett in good form again as he clawed Joe Smith's goal bound freekick out of the top corner before he swung a leg to divert Sam Greenwood's drive around the post. Despite some later pressure from the hosts though, it was to be the Greens who progressed to a 2nd Qualifying Round tie with Kirby Muxloe.

Words: Oliver Atkin