Gainsborough Trinity end pre-season on a high with win over young Barnsley side
Gainsborough Trinity revved up for the new season with a 3-0 home friendly win over a youthful Barnsley XI on Saturday.
That saw Trinity finish pre-season unbeaten, having picked up six wins and a draw while keeping clean sheets in four of the seven games, ahead of this Saturday's big Northern Premier League curtain raiser at home to Ashton United.
Trinity were quickly out of the traps, and a pinpoint Bobby Johnson corner picked out Adam Crookes, whose downward header forced Tom Wooster into a point blank reaction save.
Gainsborough were looking to press high, and unlock the visitors with some slick interplay.
Javelle Clarke and Fraser Preston looking bright as they linked up behind the effective Frank Mulhern.
And it was the former who opened the scoring on 10 minutes, the high intensity start unsettling Barnsley and forcing a mistake, Butroid cushioning a calm header into the path of Clarke, who rolled home into the unguarded net.
On 20 minutes, Jackson doubled the Gainsborough advantage.
His well-timed burst into the box saw him face to face with the former Manchester United youngster, drilling past the shot-stopper, who was perhaps expecting the ball to be squared across the face of goal.
Barnsley then went close, but a fizzing effort needed no involvement from Robson, who dived away to his right – showing he had the shot covered in any eventuality.
Butroid then went close, ghosting in between goalkeeper and full back, but he got too much on his finish, lifting the ball over Wooster, but over the bar too.
As half-time approached, both Robson and Lancaster were tested. Robson gathering well at his near post under pressure, before Trinity’s multi-award winning centre back came out on top in his personal one v one, ensuring Gainsborough went in at the break with a two -goal cushion nd the clean sheet intact.
After the break, Jordan Helliwell was fouled just outside as he burst into the box, Preston striking the upright with the free kick, with the keeper seemingly beaten.
Robson was called into action 16 minutes from time. Beeden’s slip allowed the Barnsley substitute to get a shot off, but the keeper was equal to it – diving away to his right.
A minute later Butroid rounded off the a well crafted move for the third, the Blues prising up the visitors, and Gainsborough’s own able to bide his time, opening up his body beautifully and curling a lovely finish past Wooster from just inside the box.
When George Hornshaw was shoved in the back 20 yards from goal, in an identical position to where Preston rattled the frame of the goal, Mulhern stepped up this time, his thumping hit, through the wall, forcing a diving save from Wooster to his left.
Trinity had played with some real flair and fluidity throughout the afternoon, but also had to show a miserly side.
And Robson had to be alert to tip a free kick over the bar five minutes from time as the Blues remained determined to shutout the visitors.