Late Margetts goal at Corby Town sends Gainsborough Trinity into next round of FA Cup
Jonny Margetts left it late to seal Gainsborough Trinity’s passage to the Second Qualifying Round of this season’s Emirates FA Cup as the Holy Blues won 2-1 at Corby Town on Saturday.
Trinty were made to work all the way through against a hard-working, well organised side, currently sitting top of the division below, with an impressive two points per game tally across the last 45 games.
David Robson was called into action as early as the ninth minute, getting strong hands up at his near post to repel the first real sighter of goal for the hosts.
At the other end, Corby had funnelled men back behind the ball, and with four defenders – and the goalkeeper between him and the goal, despite beating the goalkeeper, Frank Mulhern couldn’t also beat the man on the line.
Five minutes later, the Corby rearguard again performed heroics, hacking Sisa Tuntulwana’s effort off the line after the two wing backs had combined.
Trinity perhaps should have been two to the good, but a minute later, found themselves trailing to Rory McAuley’s bullet header from a debated corner.
Will Lancaster powered the ball back out of play, but the second ball in from Harrison Jones, saw Robson boxed in and McAuley unmarked to put the hosts ahead.
On 25 minutes, Trinity produced the best move of the half. Tuntulwana linked well with the energetic Helliwell, who flashed a dangerous ball across the face of goal, with Margetts arriving a fraction too late, and getting his studs stuck in the turf.
Four minutes before half-time, a super move down the right saw Margetts square across the face of goal, with Butroid steaming in from the left.
Arriving right on cue, he finished smartly to level things for Gainsborough.
Margetts and Butroid combined nine minutes into the second half, with Butroid turning supplier, his little set seeing Margett's snapshot sail over the ball from eight yards.
Margetts then looked set to profit from a terribly misplaced Corby pass.
With Margetts in acres of space 30 yards from goal, he took his effort early. Keeping the ball down, he looked for Laban’s bottom left hand corner, but his wicked effort crashed off the base of the post and behind for a goal-kick.
A quarter of an hour from time it was Connor Tomlinson’s turn to crack the woodwork, this time for the hosts.
The tricky winger managed to wriggle himself free, his dangerous ball missing everyone in a crowded centre, zipping through on the greasy surface and thumping the foot of the post.
Butroid’s fairytale afternoon ended prematurely as he suffered a hamstring strain.
But right at the death there was still time for a crucial moment of quality as Tuntulwana made himself half a yard, got to the by-line, saw Margetts peeling off into space – and found him with a precise ball on a plate for Margetts to nod home from a yard out, sending the visiting Blue Army into a frenzy.
Corby to their credit, rallied again and threw the kitchen sink at Trinity.
But Wilcox’s side held firm, heading and kicking everything away for the win, though certainly knew they had been in a battle.