Gainsborough Trinity short on numbers with big kick-off looming
Gainsborough Trinity rounded off a whirlwind pre-season with a 2-0 home defeat to Bradford Park Avenue at the weekend ahead of this Saturday's big kick-off in the NPL Premier Division at home to Workington.
It will be the start of a massive opening month of the season that will see the Holy Blues play five games in 23 days, before the campaign rolls into September.
Visitors Workington looked dead and buried at Christmas last year but staged a remarkable comeback under manager Billy Barr, and with a full summer under his belt he will hope to have his Reds side fit and firing.
Trinity manager Russ Wilcox is currently short on numbers and said: “We have to work with what we’ve got, but we need to get people back fit as the league is unforgiving.
“And for a squad that is carrying a couple of knocks, it will really test us.
“It won't be easy - but we'll give it our best, like we always do."
Pre-season saw Trinity win two, draw two and lose two of their friendlies while they also won 4-0 away at Lincoln United in a feisty Lincolnshire County Cup Preliminary tie.
“Saturday was a disappointing one,” bemoaned Wilcox, who labelled the defeat 'a reality check'.
“The lads gave their all, and their effort is never in doubt.
“I don't want to sound disrespectful to the players out there, but we have been missing key players.
“We need to sit down and reassess where we go from here.
“We spoke about our work in the final third, but for me it was missing.
“We hit the post towards the end of the game - but it wasn't enough.”
Wilcox did at least add one new name to his squad last week when 24-year-old centre half Ben Blythe became Trinity's fifth summer signing.
Following the opening day on home turf on Saturday, the Blues face two tough away games against recently relegated Alfreton Town and third placed FC United of Manchester.