Russ Wilcox made three changes from the side that drew 2-2 with Quorn three days ago. Recalls for Lewis Butroid, George Hornshaw & Theo Williams, saw Bobby Johnson, Elliott Whitehouse & Connor Brown start on the bench for the Holy Blues. Steve Cunningham lost experienced forward Darius Osei in the warm up, replacing him with experienced, former Stockport County goal-getter Kurt Willoughby

In yellow, the Holy Blues got off to the dream start with Lewis Butroid volley home on seven minutes, to give former Worksop Town and Scarborough Athletic goalkeeper Tommy Taylor no time to set himself. Ashton had a throw in, in their left back position, which Harvey Sutcliffe did well to win the first contact. Helped on by Ashton Offler, he found Jordan Helliwell linking up from midfield, and his dinked ball onto Butroid was perfectly weighted.

Butroid was causing Ashton all sorts of problems from his position on the left hand side. Young full back Spencer Knight powerless to stop the Trinity skipper, who edges ever closer to his 150 appearances for his hometown club. Looking to cross, Knight appeared to block the cross with arms in an unnatural position, but with the Referee allowing play to continue, it was Lewis who reacted first, landing on the loose ball inside the penalty area, he cut onto his right foot, flashing an effort narrowly wide of the far post.>

Harrison Beeden strode out from the back, with ball at feet, before leaving it to Fraser Preston to sweep the ball out to Butroid. His early delivery from the left was met by Offler – but it didn’t quite sit kindly for the Trinity number ten.

Butroid did make it two on thirty-four minutes. Taking responsibility from the spot, he fired confidently past Taylor for his, and Trinity’s second of the night. Theo Williams having applied the pressure and Harry Flowers having a couple of minutes to forget, skying his clearance into the air, he tried to redeem himself, appearing to handle – and then with Williams nipping in around his feet, Flowers felled the Gainsborough forward, with Ashley Royston pointing to the spot.

Flowers, who had already been booked for clattering through the back of Offler, and conceding the penalty, was undoubtedly on a tightrope five minutes from half time, when he was again late on Ashton Offler. Butroid’s teasing freekick tempting Taylor from his line. The experienced ‘keeper got nowhere near the ball, but his presence was enough to put off Jack Leckie attacking the ball round the back.

David Robson had to be alert three minutes before the break. And he was. Alex Byrne, the home captain pinched the ball back on the edge of the box, feeding a cute ball into Dan Turner, but he saw Robson smartly down to his right hand side to divert the ball behind for a corner. Defending in numbers, Trinity had enough players around the ball, as Byrne’s inswinging corner struck another former Blue, Dylan Cogill. The ball bouncing behind for a goal kick.

Half Time: Ashton United 0 Gainsborough Trinity 2

Ashton came out after the break fired up. Neither side making any changes at the interval. Mikey O’Neil thumped an effort a couple of yards wide of Robbo’s right hand up right. An opportunity that would have been shrouded in controversy if it had ended in a goal to the hosts. The ball striking the Referee in the build up. With the Trinity players expecting the game to have been stopped for a dropball.

Sutcliffe did well to block an Al Byrne effort, as Beeden and Leckie marshalled the defensive line, winning countless first contacts. On the hour, Bobby Johnson replaced George Honrshaw in the middle of the park, as the hosts began to dominate the ball. And Trinity continued to put bodies on the line, as Ashton really ramped up the pressure.

Johnson and Ashley Jackson threw their bodies in the way, as the Robins’ corner count rose. Connor Brown replaced Offler, as Wilcox looked to occupy the Ashton defensive line with a different problem. And immediately the former Lincoln United man was involved, in bustling fashion. Linking up with Preston, who improvised with an early left footed effort that drifted wide of the far post. Ashton were pressing, but Trinity looked a threat on the counter.

A smattering of cards disrupted the flow of the game. Helliwell for Trinity, Nathan Okome and Doru for Ashton. After Brown was wrestled back on halfway, a good advantage was played as Helliwell skipped onto the loose ball and drove the visitors forward – but he was wiped out on the edge of the box. Ashton tried to employ a high line, and that nearly proved costly, as Brown was again dragged to the ground.

Trinity looked to have done enough to hold onto the clean sheet, as the board was raised to indicate four added minutes, unfortunately for once, Trinity couldn’t clear their defensive lines, and Justin Johnson drilled a low effort past Robson from twenty yards to reduce the deficit. The Holy Blues saw out the remaining four minutes of stoppage time.

Even having Harry Flowers up as an additional forward option, his layoff finding Kurt Willoughby who hooked wide from the edge of the box.

Ashton United: Tommy Taylor, Spencer Knight (Justin Johnson 62) Mworinio Doro, Dylan Cogill, Harry Flowers, Nathan Okome, Alex Byrne, Dan Turner, Mikey O’Neill, Kurt Willoughby, James Hardy
Subs not used: Sam Booth, Jack Geddes, John Lufudu & Darius Osei
Ashton goal: Justin Johnson 89'

Gainsborough Trinity: David Robson, Harvey Sutcliffe, Ashley Jackson, George Hornshaw (Bobby Johnson 61) Jack Leckie, Harrison Beeden, Lewis Butroid (Ben Blythe 77) Jordan Helliwell, Theo Williams (Javelle Clarke 83) Ashton Offler (Connor Brown 70) Fraser Preston (Elliott Whitehouse 77) 
Gainsborough goals: Lewis Butroid 7' & 34' (pen)

Referee: Ashley Royston
Attendance 363

Report by Rob Hughes (@AATM_Media)
Images by Ben Page