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- Rex Page – Burton Mail

2nd March 1993
FA Vase bosses Steve Dolby and Gordon Richardson last night gave their verdict on the semi-final draw…disappointed!

Dolby, the man masterminding Gresley Rovers’ bid for their second Wembley appearance, and Bridlington Town supremo Richardson both revealed a secret hope that they would meet in a showpiece final at the famous old stadium on May 8th.

Instead, yesterday’s draw at Lancaster Gate left them contemplating a two-leg clash of the titans at the North Humberside club Queensgate home on March 20th and Gresley’s Moat Ground a week later.

Dolby admitted: “I was hoping we would get one of the other two (Canvey Island and Tiverton Town). Gresley and Bridlington would have made a great final.”

Richardson agreed: “We’re the top two teams left in the competition and it would have been nice to have met at Wembley.”

The draw means that Rovers will have a head-on confrontation with three Guiseley players who helped to beat them in the 1991 final – defender Paul Bottomley, Allan Roberts – scorer of the heartbreaking 119th minute Wembley equaliser – and striker Ian Noteman who played in the Bramall Lane replay.

But the bulk of the players were recruited by the Seasiders – along with Richardson and his assistant George Cook – from powerful North Shields who went bankrupt during the close season.

Gresley and HFS Loans Leaguers “Brid” have remarkably similar records this season, both chasing promotion as well as FA Vase glory.

But the fact that the table-topping Humbersiders – beaten Vase finalists in 1990 – currently lead Guiseley by three points with games in hand singles them out as formidable opponents.

Dolby said: “Their current position in the League shows what sort of opposition we’ve drawn.”

But he added: “We’ll approach it as we approach all games by trying to win at their place without being rash at the back – and then hopefully we can finish the job off at Gresley.”

Dolby confessed that he was not sure whether home advantage was better in the first or second leg.

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