Whaley Bridge exited the Derbyshire Senior Cup at the third round stage having been narrowly edged out by higher league opposition on Saturday.

Whaley were denied a point on their travels after a stunning late winner from Gamesley’s Micky Dewhurst on Saturday.

An entertaining fixture between two evenly matched sides was decided in the final minute when the striker chipped the ball brilliantly over Whaley’s stand-in goalkeeper James Gemmell.

Gemmell, deputising for the suspended James Tattersall had denied the hosts with good saves on three separate occasions but was helpless to prevent the winner which saw the visitors fall to their fourth defeat in their last seven league outings.

On a sodden playing surface deputy goalkeeper Gemmell was called into action after a quarter of an hour turning a shot round the post.

The hosts broke the deadlock after 25 minutes when Dewhurst followed up his blocked free-kick to lash the ball in on the second attempt having been felled on the edge of the box by Colin Moss.

Gemmell denied Gamesley’s Andy Heath from close range to prevent the home side doubling their advantage; the midfielder looked certain to score but the ‘keeper saved well with his legs.

Whaley responded before the interval; Bill Sutton curling the ball in from the corner of the box after good work from Ray Dwolitka, as the sides went in level at the break.

Gamesley re-took the lead after half-time, Dewhurst crossing for his teammate who glanced in unmarked, giving Gemmell no chance.

The visitors showed good character to level the score for a second time when Dwolitka pressured Heath into surrendering possession before rounding the ‘keeper and putting the ball into the empty net.

Gemmell saved well with his legs again to deny Gamesley before spilling a high ball to present the usually clinical Dewhurst but the striker could not react quickly enough and his effort missed the target.

Whaley must have thought they had won it with five minutes to go when Rob Newton poked Sutton’s low corner goalwards but the goalkeeper blocked the shot and the scores remained level.

As the game drew to a close an accurate through ball split the Whaley defence and despite the attentions of Dan Whelan, Dewhurst  lofted the ball delicately over Gemmell to steal the points for the home side.

Team:

Gemmell, Brown, Newton, Moss, Whelan, J Burgess, Broome, Sutton, Melville (Gregory), Dwolitka, Christie (Bailey)

Whaley Bridge battled for a deserved point against unbeaten Cheadle at Horwich Park on Saturday afternoon.

After a goalless first half Dan Christie fired his side into the lead before Phillip Yuille’s free-kick salvaged a point for the visitors.

Having suffered defeat on the road last weekend Whaley were determined to put on an improved display in front of their own fans against the only unbeaten side in the division.

A 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture in September suggested that this would be another close encounter.

Whaley had the first sight of goal when George Burgess headed powerfully at goal only to be denied by an outstanding finger-tip save from Peter Mellor.

In response Cheadle were denied a penalty when Leon Grandison went down in the box under pressure from James Tattersall but the referee turned down the visitor’s fervent appeals.

Christie almost gave his side the lead going into the break after a neat turn in the box afforded him room for a snap shot which trickled wide of the upright as the sides went in level at half-time.

15 minutes into the second half Whaley took the lead when a brilliant clipped ball from Matt Brown found Dan Christie who displayed good strength to hold off a defender before unleashing an unstoppable left-foot drive into the bottom corner.

Whaley’s lead was deserved but short-lived as Cheadle captain Phillip Yuille found the net with a free-kick just ten minutes later.

The visitors looked to complete a quick turnaround when the referee awarded them a penalty after Kingsley Grandison went to ground in the box but Jordon Goodeve’s spot kick hit the post much to host’s relief.

Whaley were forced to hold on for the remainder to the game as Goodeve again squandered a chance to give his side the lead; firing over when one on one with Tattersall.

The ‘keeper was then called into action to deny Leon Grandison with his legs before the striker was foiled in the box by a timely intervention from Bill Sutton.

Despite these chances it was Whaley who came closest to snatching all three points when George Burgess’ chip beat Mellor but went agonisingly wide of the post resulting in the spoils being shared.

Whaley host Pilkington next week as manager Jon Brogden continues to tussle with an increasing injury list and a number of suspensions.

The reserves lost for the first time since the final game of last season as they were beaten by a single goal against Styal.

Team:

Tattersall, Brown, Newton, Whelan, Sutton, J Burgess (Cole), Gregory, Broome, Melville (Bailey), Christie, G Burgess

Man of the Match: Jack Gregory