Gainsborough Trinity see red as Prescot Cables leapfrog them with controversial victory
Prescot Cables leapfrogged Gainsborough Trinity in the Northern Premier League table with a controversial 3-2 win on Saturday which saw the Holy Blues shown two red cards.
The visitors returned to Merseyside with all three points, in a game that left anyone of a Blue persuasion, feeling a little bemused, hard done to or, in the words of manager Russ Wilcox, robbed.
Charlie Hickingbottom had earlier netted his first for Gainsborough, stabbing home Fraser Preston's swirling cross from the right, to immediately cancel out John Murphy's controversial opener inside the opening half an hour.
However, Bailey Conway's red card, early in the second half before Lewis Butroid had given batlingTrinity the lead, ultimately had a huge bearing on the direction of the game.
Conway was adjudged to be the final man, dragging down goalscorer Murphy, 40 yards from goal.
Two late Prescot goals amid two controversial late penalty decisions then settled the outcome.
“To lose on Saturday the way that we have when we don't feel like we have deserved to makes it hard to take, but that's football,” said Butroid.
“The performance, when we went down to 10 men, showed why we have had such a good season.
“We dug in, got the goal and still had the energy going forward.
“We were resolute, and it was a blow to concede the penalty how we did.”
An 85th penalty to the visitors swung the momentum in favour of Prescot, Will Lancaster tangling with Murphy as he tried to see the ball out for a goalkick and the referee deciding he had committed a foul.
James Foley tucked away the spot kick and, smelling blood, Cables netted a winner three minutes into nine minutes of added on time, Murphy netting as Trinity failed to clear a corner.
The drama continued as Trinity were denied a penalty of their own in the final throws, Aaron Simpson barged from behind as he primed to shoot.
After the final whistle, an incensed Dylan Cogill was shown a straight red card to further compound the Blues' misery as he protested the decision.
“We weren't quite at it at Bamber Bridge. We needed a reaction and we definitely gave one,” said goalscorer Butroid.
“It was a pretty eventful game, and I'm pretty sure the supporters have had their money's worth. And, especially throughout the season, they'll have had plenty to smile about.”