Another terrific, spirited, all round team performance saw Trinity earn the right to play on a heavy sloping pitch. Big Gregg Smith was denied another early bird opener when his header was well saved by Wharton. The keeper would later deny rasping rising drives from Bacon and Walker whilst Williams shot wide. The midfield trio of James, Williams and Wiles began to get to grips on the midfield sand bank after keeper Wills had saved superbly with his legs from a Bentham drive on 11.

In the 18th minute the ball fell to the feet of Walker who fired low inside the far post. Five minutes later Williams was through following a four man swashbuckling counter but curled the wrong side of the far post. Atherton then began to take the initiative but the back four put the bodies on the line when it mattered to deny any clear cut opportunities. Green reads the game so much better now cutting out the danger by seeing and intercepting balls or getting at his man before they can turn.

However the counter attacking cavaliers came up with the killer second on 39 minutes with Walker again firing home from 18 yards across the bemused and helpless keeper. Half time: Atherton Collieries 0 Gainsborough Trinity 2.

Playing up the hill in the second half the Blues stood up to the hosts battle plan until the 85th minute when Peet fired into the bottom corner from 12 yards. Keeper Willis had required two bouts of treatment that would see six minutes of added time. Once again Trinity dug deeper and moved up a gear with Walker denied just as he was about to pull the trigger. Then on 90 minutes another four man counter saw Walker claim the match ball by beating the offside trap to hold off his man and fizz to the oncoming keepers right from 12 yards.

The Holy blues march goes on on on then, with high flying big spending Basford coming to the Northolme next Saturday. Can Curtis' cavaliers continue the run and achieve the unthinkable? We'll have to wait and see, at 3 next Saturday.

The Teams

Atherton Collieries: Paddy Wharton, Clive Smith, Gareth Peet, John Welsh, Daniel Lafferty (C), Niall Battersby, Ben Conway (Jordan Cover), Daniel Lambert (Kris Holt), Tom Bentham, Vinny Bailey, Danny O'Brien. Subs not used: Christopher Lynch and Matthew Grimshaw.

Collieries Goal: Gaz Peet (85)
Collieries Bookings: Gaz Peet (85)

Gainsborough Trinity: George Willis, James Williamson, Jamie Green, Kingsley James, Will Thornton, Nathan Stainfield (C), Declan Bacon, Michael Williams (Shane Clarke), Gregg Smith, Alex Wiles, Nicky Walker (Nuno Perreria). Subs not used: Ross Hannah and Dan Wallis.

Trinity Goals: Nicky Walker (18, 39, 90)
Trinity Bookings: James Williamson

Contributed by Neil Gentleman-Hobbs