After the impact of Storm Babet wreaked havoc with the fixture programme a fortnight ago, but the Blues went unhindered, winning away at Workington, before picking up a creditable point at home to Ashton United, thanks to Woody’s excellent efforts preparing the Northolme playing surface, the magician is sure to be on stand by once again, to do all it takes to get Saturday’s game on, and the pitch playable. So let's show our appreciation and do everything we can, to turn out in numbers and show our support. Loud, proud, and backing the Blues, the Holy Blues, Gainsborough Trinity.
Fell's side started the season brightly, but have struggled in recent weeks, sitting in 20th position in the six game form table, having only picked up four points from the last available 18 on offer. Improving Trinity in comparison, sit eighth in that same table, with 11 from eighteen points collected, with a positive three goal difference.
The size of the task
in hand, shouldn't be underestimated though, the Dolly Blues having picked up three wins against Gainsborough at the Northolme in recent seasons, since Trinity returned to the NPL in 2018. The well-drilled Lancastrians still having a number of players from 2018 actively involved in their squad, showing their experience at the level.
Last season, a bizarre turn of events saw Lancaster forced into a last minute kit change, after the referee that day, Anthony Tankard only spotted a kit clash after the two teams had lined up for the respect handshakes and just before kick off. Lancaster City’s all purple away kit, clashing with Trinity's royal blue, meaning the visitors, with no alternative, other than to don Gainsborough’s Oddball’s Charity pre-season kit, then went on to quickly take a two goal lead, that the Blues were unable to overturn.
Away from home, the side that hail from the Giant Axe, have picked up two wins on the road, on both occasions keeping clean sheets (against Atherton Collieries and Hyde United) as well as securing a point in a goal-less stalemate at Worksop Town. A run at the start of the campaign that had seen the team amass seven points from twelve in the opening four away games.
Three straight away defeats, to Workington, Marine and most recently Basford United on Tuesday night, see the City within striking distance of Russ Wilcox’s men who have been pulling in the points with increasing regularity – and with the side seemingly full of confidence, we are all set for a pre-Bonfire night spectacular! Hopefully with no hangover from the midweek round of Halloween trick or treating – there will be no horror shows in store for the Trinity faithful!
Match Sponsors
We extend a warm welcome to our Sponsors for today’s game, to Dan and Mick Page, John Goddard and Frank Newman. Thank you for your unwavering support of the Holy Blues. Enjoy your day with us, and here’s to three points, as a thank you for your backing!
Programme
On sale at the turnstiles is our Matchday Programme, produced in association with our partners Matchday Creative. There’s plenty of reading material to keep you entertained ahead of kick off, or when you get back home, and curl up in front of the fire! Steve Andrews provides his regular contribution 'from under the bed' looking back at fixtures from a similar period in time. Phil Anderson shares his View from Carlilse Street. Why do Tom Shaw and Liam Hughes feature in Pip’s musings this week? You will have to grab a copy (priced at £2.50) to find out! There are also the thoughts of Co-Chairman Dave Horsley, the boss Russ Wilcox and skipper Dylan Cogill. It’s the captain who adorns the cover of this one too, and I’m sure the captain (who scored at the Giant Axe last season) would be more than willing to autograph your copy of the programme, if you asked him nicely!
Elsewhere
Emirates FA Cup First Round day sees a shorter than normal programme of fixtures in the Pitching In Northern Premier League, but there are still plenty of cracking fixtures happening across the division. Here they are in full:
Ashton United vs Bamber Bridge
Atherton Collieries vs Ilkeston Town
Basford United vs Bradford Park Avenue
FC United of Manchester vs Hyde United
Marske United vs Macclesfield
Matlock Town vs Radcliffe
Warrington Rylands vs Guiseley AFC
Good luck to our fellow NPL sides in their FA Cup quests: Worksop Town, who travel to Stockport County, Marine who entertain Harrogate and Whitby Town, who travel to Bristol Rovers minus marmite manager Joey Barton, who was sacked during the build up to Trinity’s postponed trip to the seaside town of Whitby.
Preview written by Rob Hughes (@AATM_Media)
Photograph by Cian Stringer