Warrington 2 Gainsborough Trinity 1

The Blues and the travelling faithful can feel particularly hard done by after this one. They deservedly led at half-time and looked good for a point until a 90th minute penalty denied a well deserved point at a high flying side who had tanned our Hyde in our own back yard in February. Trinity went for the win with a bullish 4-4-2 including new beast of a Blue, Liam Hughes up front with Worsfold. Tom Davie slotted in at left back with Sheffield Wednesday wing wizard Ben Hughes and goal machine Reeves both on the bench.

Details

The Blues looked comfortable with Hughes head and shoulders above everyone in either box. A peach of a ball from Byrne saw him first head wide and then send a looping header that McMillan thankfully clawed back from under the bar. The hosts were struggling to find their rhythm with Davie and Austin marshalling Dunn and Vassallo and Gray and Amis well shackled by Stainfield and Maguire.

The Blues bar was rattled by Dunn, but in truth we were the better side in the first half. Trinity took a deserved lead in the 41st minute when Simmons' effort was charged down only for Worsfold to bury his 21st of the season with aplomb from 8 yards. A minute into the second half a Byrne free-kick was claimed by McMillan and taken out of play, but bizarrely no corner was given. Warrington moved up a gear and turned the screw but the Blues held firm. On the hour a massive moment for Trinity as Green bravely saved at the feet of Amis.

Clarke was harshly booked for a challenge and then Green saved well to his left from Gray's 20 yard free-kick that he saw late after it had breached the wall. It was clickety click, on 66 as an optimistic 40 yard effort from Byrne goes wide at one end before a long ball forward saw a Gray effort saved at full stretch by Green for a corner.

On 68 Stainfield was replaced by Evans through injury, but, two minutes later a tactical substitution from Paul Carden changed the outcome of the match. Vassello made way for Mackreth who two minutes later ghosted past Evans to fire a rasping drive across Green to bulge the netting at the far post and it was even stevens. With a minute on the clock Cusani appeared to get the ball stuck under his feet and then go to ground. The referee pointed to the spot to the consternation or surprise of everyone in the ground. Mackreth sent Green the wrong way for his brace and a rather harsh 1-2 defeat for the Holy Blues.

Teams & Schemes

Gainsborough Trinity: Green, Austin, Davie, Russell, Maguire, Stainfield, Byrne, Clarke (C), Worsfold, Hughes, Simmons

Warrington: McMillan, Beeley, Hughes, Garrity, Roberts (C), Raven, Dunn, Evans, Gray, Amis, Vassallo

Warrington 2 Gainsborough 1 (HT 0-1)
Worsfold 41 Mackreth 72 & 90 (Pen)

Report written by Neil Gentleman-Hobbs