Flying start to season for a composed Gainsborough Trinity

Second half goals from Ashton Offler and Fraser Preston were enough to give Trinity all three points on opening day.

David Robson was named between the sticks, returning to the side where he had picked up multiple awards in last season’s Player of the Year awards, and he settled back in with an assured performance.

Theo Williams made his first start as a full Trinity player while Elliott Whitehouse and Ben Blythe were named amongst the substitutes, alongside club captain Bobby Johnson.

Preston twice went close to opening the scoring for the home side, the first side footing narrowly wide and, soon after, Alex Mitchell forced into a full length save.

Sutcliffe tested Mitchell while, equally involved at the other end, Sutcliffe cleared over his own bar as Hunter squared across the face of goal.

Just before the break, Preston saw his free kick tipped over the bar by a full length Mitchell.

Jamie Allan swung in a Workington corner which Luke Hunter met – but he planted his header wide of the near post.

The big turnaround finally occurred with 19 minutes of the game remaining, boss Russ Wilcox making what would turn out to be an inspired substitution, replacing Clarke with Offler.

The former Mickleover and Matlock man was thrust into an attacking role, and less than two minutes into his cameo he was opening the scoring.

Mitchell was the busier of the two keepers, but there was nothing he could do to keep out Offler’s towering backpost header.

Following Offler’s introduction, Williams was shifted out to the right, and immediately he was more involved in the action – driving at his full back.

The former King’s Lynn man delivered a wicked ball on the run, picking out the late run of Offler, who crashed his towering header home off the underside of the bar on 73 minutes.

Moments later, Mitchell was at his best to deny Leckie from close range, And Jackson saw his looping header tipped over the bar.

Another header, this time from Leckie, looped onto the roof of the net.

But there was nothing Mitchell could do when Preston caressed home a delicate finish after a flowing move on 80 minutes.

Williams again the outlet down the right for Trinity. He found skipper Lewis Butroid, who instead of shooting, deftly rolled the ball into the path of Preston to make ehe game safe.

Two goals scored, a clean sheet in the bag and up and running for the new season was the perfect way for the Holy Blues to start a busy opening month to the campaign with seven more August games to play.