Four-goal Gainsborough Trinity off to a winning start at Frickley Athletic

On an extremely warm afternoon, Gainsborough goals were scored by Lewis Butroid, Javelle Clarke, Connor Brown and Jack Watson.

Save for niggles to Bobby Johnson and new man Elliot Whitehouse, boss Russ Wilcox got minutes into the legs of all squad members and also gave an outing to half a dozen youngsters from the U21s set-up.

It was a first glimpse of Connor Hawkins in goal and centre forward Brown.

The hosts went straight out on the front foot from kick off, but Hawkins wasn't truly troubled before Trinity slipped into their stride as Javelle Clarke forced a save from Allinson.

A quarter of an hour in, Lewis Butroid broke the deadlock.

George Hornshaw recycled the ball back into the box, his cross only partially dealt with as it found Butroid just outside the 'D'. Taking a touch, he finished well into the top left hand corner to put Trinity on their way.

Quickly after Butroid’s opener, Jordan Helliwell brought a good save from Allinson.

But just past the midway point of the half, Theo Williams did well to tee up Clarke to lash behind Allinson, doubling the Gainsborough advantage.

That came after Williams had done well, initially drifting out to the left, before getting back between the frame of the goal, as Hornshaw released Butroid down the left. He squared into the feet of Williams, with his back to goal, and Clarke made no mistake.

Preston was denied on the half hour, but Allinson was equal to the effort, tipping it behind for a corner.

And five minutes before the break, Butroid tried to bend one with his weaker foot, but just couldn't find that far corner to nestle in his second.

Despite making a raft of changes at the break, it was the Blues who started quickest, two goals in four second half minutes taking the game away from Frickley.

New signing Brown, took just 26 seconds to open his account. Capitalising on a poor backpass, he chased a lost cause before poking past Allinson with a real poacher's finish.

When fellow substitute Jack Watson intercepted the ball in the middle of the park, he drove forward before slipping a pass into Brown down the side.

Continuing his run, Brown found the clever reverse pass to give Watson the simplest of finishes and it was 4-0 just four minutes into the second period.

Brown showed good hold-up play that allowed Preston the chance to get up in support. He caught his strike well, but it was well blocked by the Frickley keeper.

With 20 minutes to play, Wilcox turned to his clutch of U21s talent, as he rotated his squad.

The number of changes for both sides gave a disjointed end to the game, but the damage had already been done and the Holy Blues saw out the game comfortably.