Match report: Worcester City 2 Gainsborough Trinity 2

A bright opening period saw chances for both sides, the first falling for Jacob Hazel after he was played in brilliantly by Gavin Rothery. The Worcester goalkeeper, out quickly to thwart the Trinity number ten.

Cieran Keane started the game promisingly for the hosts and his dangerous cross was only just missed by Steele. If that didn’t serve as a warning sign, then Richard Batchelor’s low effort from a short corner that wasn’t cleared should have.

Josh Lacey had to be alert defensively on a couple of occasions, before Hazel again went close for the visitors, combining well with Thornhill before ruffling the roof of the net with a clever shot on the spin.

It wasn’t to be long before the deadlock was broken, but was to be Hazel’s strike partner Ashley Worsfold, who opened the scoring, latching onto a miss-placed pass in centre midfield, to race through unopposed and slot past the City ‘keeper.

Minutes later and Trinity could have been in dreamland when a sublime piece of skill by Rotherham United loan man, Darnelle Bailey-King saw him pull off an audacious piece of skill to deceive his marker before smashing an effort off the upright. Cannoning back to the flying winger before he had time to adjust his feet

Things did get better for Trinity though, when Ioan Evans opened his account for the club, rising highest in the box to head home Matt Thornhill’s flag kick, unopposed; punishing City for some slack marking.

A minute after doubling the lead, Trinity almost found the deficit halved, when tormentor in chief, Lee Hughes saw a shot loop up into the air, before a scramble in the box eventually saw the ball cleared through Bailey-King.

Jacob Hazel tested Ethan Ross with an effort from twenty yards, Gavin Rothery picking up the loose ball and centring for Worsfold, only to see the chance snuffed out, with Trinity’s leading scorer ready to pounce.

Despite Lee Hughes having another sniff of goal shortly before the break, Gainsborough went in at the break two goals to the good.

Two minutes into the second half, however, skipper Matty Wilson was caught in possession and in his attempt to win the ball back only proceeded to gift Lee Hughes a clear run on goal as his pass back to Jonathan Hedge was well under-weighted and the former West Bromwich Albion man needed no second invitation.

With that goal, momentum swung and Worcester’s tails were up, but ten minutes later the hosts found themselves down to ten men, when a clumsy challenge from City right back, Junior English on Jacob Hazel saw the home full back dismissed.

In the immediate aftermath of the red card, Trinity looked to make the man count, Hazel forcing a save from Ross, before Bailey-King struck the post for the second time of the afternoon.

Hedge had to be on form to deny substitute Stephen Craig. The City substitute being brilliantly played in by Worcester captain Danny Jackman found Hedge in his path, to keep Trinity with their noses in front, but the lead wouldn’t last long as Trinity failed to clear their lines and Lee Hughes was the man to punish the hesitance in the Gainsborough backline once again, turning and firing low past Hedge in a crowded penalty area.

With Worcester still threatening on the break, Trinity had chances to snatch the lead again, Hazel shooting straight at Ross, Davis curling narrowly over after good wing play by Bailey-King, but it was Worcester who could have taken all three points when another lapse in concentration threatened to completely undo the good work of the first half.

As it was the game ended 2-2 and Gainsborough turn their attentions to another tough away game at Stalybridge Celtic on Tuesday evening.

Worcester City: Ross, English, Weir, Chambers (Gallinagh) Sharpe, Jackman, Steele, Keane, Hughes, Bishop (Craig) Batchelor (Nelson-Addy). Subs not used: Draper, Murphy.

Red: Junior English 55’

Goals: Hughes 47’ & 72’

Gainsborough Trinity: Hedge, Scott, Lacey, Wilson, Evans, Quinn, Bailey-King, Thornhill, Worsfold, Hazel (Morrison), Rothery (Davis). Subs not used: Thewlis, Wiles, Beatson.

Goals: Worsfold 26’ Evans 38’