New boys Avro sting Gainsborough Trinity with second half double

The lively Harry Salt was a constant threat for the visitors, puncturing the home defence before James Simms wrapped things up in stoppage time for the Oldham-based outfit.

With the suspension for David Robson’s red card kicking in, young Hull City shot-stopper Archie Howard answered Russ Wilcox’s goalkeeping SOS.

Straight from kick off, Wilcox’s men were looking to gain territory and ask questions of the visitors.

And Avro were rocked by the loss of top scorer, former Bury man Benito Lowe, when, innocuously off the ball, the player went down in agony, quickly replaced by James Holland-Wilkinson.

Trinity were restricting the free-scoring visitors, and looking the more likely to find the breakthrough, Williams ruffling the sidenetting with a crisp low strike, before Avro got themselves in all kinds of bother trying to play out from the back.

But Preston blazed over when well placed, snatching at the chance.

In first half stoppage time, Jackson saw an effort charged down as a half of few chances, but perhaps marginally shaded by the boys in blue, finished goalless.

The wind at their backs, Avro came out fast.

And on 53 minutes it was a moment of improvisation that saw Salt break the deadlock.

Acrobatically, with his back to goal, he sprung to meet Chiekh Thiam’s right wing centre.

The full back pushed his opposite number backwards, retreating back into the area, electing not to make the challenge.

It was a costly sequence, allowing Thiam the opportunity to pick out his man as Howard couldn’t keep the ball out at the foot of his left hand upright.

Following his spectacular opener, Salt had the bit between his teeth, trying an audacious 35 yard effort, out of nothing, Howard helping it onto the crossbar and behind for a corner.

Howard was then down smartly down at his near post to parry Holland-Wilkinson’s effort.

As Trinity chased an equaliser, the gaps started to open up at the back.

Trinity then lost a couple to injury as momentum slowed, Johnson forced off, less than half an hour after entering the fray.

Holland-Wilkinson went close to doubling his side’s lead. Getting on the end of a long straight ball down the middle, the Avro man lifted over the advancing Howard and over the bar.

Then turning, shooting, but leaning back, Brown couldn’t trouble the scorers.

And with that opportunity passed up, James Simms added Avro’s second in the second minute of stoppage time.

Clever forward play from Salt saw him release Simms, who finished smartly past the exposed Howard.

There was no time for a late rally as Workington leapfrogged Trinity into eighth place, thanks to five successive NPL victories.