Just the one change to the starting eleven, saw Russ Wilcox without Aaron Simpson. The experienced full back, missing out through injury, replaced by exciting youngster Sisa Tuntulwana. Jack McMenemy was back with the squad and named amongst the substitutes, as Declan Howe was once again fit to lead the line. It was a lacklustre half, where both sides failed to find the telling final ball, The visitors saw more of the ball, but rarely troubled Dylan Wharton in the Gainsborough goal. Though saying that, it was the higher-ranked side,who went closest to breaking the deadlock. Tom Peers held the ball up well. And he found Kurt Willoughby, who fashioned a shooting opportunity. Trinity's keeper Wharton, strongly beating the ball away from danger.

Howe and Tuntulwana combined down the right. The overlapping full back smashing a cross-shot across the face of goal. Appearing to glance off the crossbar and out for a throw on the far side. The effort catching Elyh Harrison completely off-guard as it fizzed, dipped and swerved.

Fraser Preston then looked for Howe, but his ball was agonisingly, just too far in front of the Gainsborough number ten. And when the roles were reversed, again, the killer ball was just lacking. Howe did hit the target on the stroke of half time, but it was comfortable for Harrison, after neat build up play from the Blues had found the feet of the forward inside the box. There were positive signs though, as the two teams went in at half-time at level pegging.

Half Time: Gainsborough Trinity 0 Chester FC 0

Neither side made any changes at the break, and it was Gainsborough who exploded into life two minutes into the second half. Sisa Tuntulwana drove the Holy Blues forward, he cut in from the right, onto his left, and unleashed a fierce dipping effort that called the Manchester United youngster, Harrison into action. Tipping the ball over for a corner, at full stretch.

At the other end, Chester's Will Hugill then saw his effort blocked by Dylan Cogill, before Willoughby caught a right-footed volley well, but he didn’t trouble Wharton with his effort. Ben Pollock's raking cross field ball had found Jordan Hunter (the former South Shields full back) and his delivery for Willougbhy was perhaps the visitors' best moment of quality throughout the ninety minutes.

Trinity then looked to get away, as the game had really started to come to life. Howe again looking to pose problems. He nipped in down the Chester left and looked to square for Preston, but Pollock retreated well to knick the ball off the toe of Preston, Clearing the initial danger away, for a corner. From the resultant corner, Bobby Johnson whipped in a peach of a ball. Sisa Tuntulwana rising getting there ahead of Harrison, to guide the ball home. Only to be denied by Referee Liam Smith’s whistle. The man in black cutting short the Holy Blues' celebration, and Tuntulwana again, unfortunately, seeing a goal ruled out.

Twenty minutes from time, Joe Stacey looked to get forward down the left hand side. A mazy run saw him jink past three challenges, and as he looked to fire across the face of goal, his ball was deflected behind for a corner. Trinity sensed an opener, but when Harrison gathered the corner comfortably, he quickly looked to launch a counter attack, but Tuntulwana was alert to sweep away the danger. The side from the England/Wales border again looked to threaten. Iwan Murray's ball from the left flashed across Wharton's goal, but it came to nothing in the end.

Lewis Butroid replaced Joe Stacey with a quarter of an hour to play, and he was soon into the action. The industry of Helliwell saw the former Barnsley man win a freekick in a dangerous position. A clever set piece saw Johnson pick out Butroid with a disguised ball - the Gainsborough lad drilling low. Perhaps unsighted until late, Harrison spilt the effort initially, only to recover well as the ball squirmed towards the goal, in a crowded six yard box.

Chester were reduced to ten men, eleven minutes from time, when Jack Bainbridge was shown a straight red card for a reckless challenge on Fraser Preston, in the middle of the park. Lewis Butroid almost making the man advantage count immediately when he fizzed an effort a yard wide of the post as the visitors failed to clear their lines.

Ashley Jackson and Butroid then combined to good effect down the left. Howe's goalward header blocked, Preston retrieved the ball, recycling it for Tuntulwana to again dart inside. Only to see his effort, leaning back, bend the wrong side of the far post.

Trinity would make the most of the man advantage though. Two minutes from time, Russ Wilcox's men struck the decisive blow. Scoring on the counter. Winning the ball back on the edge of the box, Bobby Johnson strode out from the back, releasing Javelle Clarke down the left. Clarke's pace saw him in down the side. And his dangerous ball was spilt by Harrison, with Howe on hand to bundle the ball over the line.

Chester chased a late leveller, but Russ Wilcox’s men stood firm, recording a third straight shutout. Booking a spot in the last 64 of the Isuzu FA Trophy, for the first time in seven years.

Attention immediately switches back to the Pitching In Northern Premier League, with two home games on the bounce, against sides around us in the table. Warrington Rylands (a place above, but on the same number of points) are the visitors on Tuesday night, before Bamber Bridge visit the Kal Group Stadium on Saturday (a point and two places ahead). Trinity with three games in hand against both, it's all to play for, for the Holy Blues!

The Teams

Gainsborough Trinity: Dylan Wharton, Sisa Tuntulwana, Ashley Jackson, Bobby Johnson, Will Lancaster, Dylan Cogill, Joe Stacey (Lewis Butroid 74), Jordan Helliwell, Javelle Clarke (Jack McMenemey 90), Declan Howe, Fraser Preston. Subs not used: Bailey Conway, George Hornshaw and Kian Johnson

Chester FC:Elyh Harrison, Jordan Hunter, Harrison Burke, Declan Weeks, Tom Peers, Kurt Willoughby (Mitch Hancox 74), Nathan Woodthorpe, Will Hugill (Charlie Caton 62), Ben Pollock, Jack Bainbridge, Iwan Murray (Daniel Turner 85). Subs not used: Connor Rawlinson and George Glendon.

Gainsborough Goal: Declan Howe 88
Sponsors Man of the Match: Sisa Tuntulwana
Referee: Liam Smith
Attendance: 753

Match Report by Rob Hughes (@AATM_Media)
Photos by Rick Matthews