Kidsgrove kicked off their FA Trophy campaign in style with a 2-1 victory over Coleshill Town.
Grove looked bright from kick off with Will Saxon breaking on the counter in the 8th minute before crossing to Jordan Cole but Cole’s powerful shot was blocked.
Grove’s task got a lot harder when we were reduced to ten men just 13 minutes into the game as defender Rhys Thompson was adjudged to have gone into a 50/50 with a high foot and sent for an early shower.
But despite a one-man advantage to the home side it was Grove that broke the deadlock and who else but captain Anthony Malbon to give Grove the lead.
Hitting Coleshill on the counter attack during the 28th minute Malbon beat the final defender on the outside before firing into the roof of the net to spark a familiar chant: “We’ve got Malbinho”
Malbon doubled the lead just before half time with an almost identical goal, dummying his man on the inside, beating him on the outside before driving a strong shot beyond Coleshill goalkeeper Paul Hathaway to send Grove fans into raptures.
Coleshill were determined to not go in at half time two behind and just one minute after the second goal they had their best chance of the second half.
A one on one was saved by goalkeeper Don Kurasik and the rebound fell to Coleshill striker Nathan Waite who fired his shot over as Kurasik scrambled to cover what would have been an empty net.
Coleshill looked buoyed after half time, with attacker Reece Leek fizzing a shot at goal from 25 yards out but Kurasik leaped to keep the ball out with a top quality save.
The second half was a lot slower than the first period and despite both sides creating chances neither came close enough to be any major threat to the score line.
But Grove’s clean sheet wasn’t to be as in the 89th minute a cross from Gio Dainty swung over Kurasik’s head and Coleshill captain Joe Halsall tapped in at the back post to give the home side a glimmer of hope.
But the ever-resilient Grove held on to secure the 2-1 victory and will now play Wisbech Town away in the next round.