Gainsborough Trinity return to winning ways at Ashton United

A goal in each half, in Tameside, was enough for Gainsborough to return to Lincolnshire with all three points in the bag. A sterling rearguard action completing the performance, with a tenth clean sheet of the season secured.

The Holy Blues mirrored the weather. Starting brightly. Fraser Preston’s weighted ball over the top on six minutes, was controlled by Declan Howe. Trinity’s talisman racing in on goal, but his effort narrowly cleared the frame of Jordan Eastham’s goal.

The promotion chasing hosts won a couple of corners. But the visitors set their stall out early. They were not in the mood for conceding. And it was the Blues that looked to have more cutting edge. On nineteen minutes, some neat approach play saw Lewis Butroid slide the ball into Howe. Inside the ‘D’ Dec opened up his body and looked to bend one into the bottom right hand corner, Eastham initially fumbling, before recovering to hold at the second attempt. That was a second warning, that the Robins were sent.

And three minutes later, Ashton were finally made to pay, when Bobby Johnson and Javelle Clarke combined to press the hosts. Johnson splitting the Ashton defence. and Howe nipping in, lifting the ball, calmly, over the advancing ‘keeper, to give Trinity the lead their early play had warranted.

The hosts immediately chased an equaliser. Though David Robson remained relatively untroubled. A scramble just past the half hour mark, was eventually smuggled away by Aaron Simpson, but the Blues really remained in relative control. Seeing the game through to the break. Calmly and confidently. Able to go in at the break, with a lead to defend.

Unhappy with his sides’ first half showing, Ashton boss, Steve Cunningham made a double change. Callum Rowe and James Hardy being thrown into the action, replacing Mitch Rose and Remi Efunnuga, but the substitutes did little to alter the course of the game.

Pressing high. Russ Wilcox’s men, encouraged from the sideline by Kevin Pressman, Jordan Helliwell won the ball back high, finding Howe inside the box. And Howe turned provider. Teeing up Lewis Butroid on the edge of the box. Taking a touch before stroking home his eleventh of the season. A crisp strike into Eastham’s bottom left hand corner. And a cushion for the Blues.

On the hour, Alex Byrne went close from a freekick, just to the left of centre, 25 yards out – Byrne stepped up, looking to haunt his former employees. His freekick, the closest the hosts would come

When the defence was breached, on one occasion – Byrne’s cross was headed down by Marcus Carver to Darius Osei. His acrobatic effort landing on the roof of David Robson’s goal. The flag was up for offside.

Carvers’ frustration finally boiled over, when both he, and Will Lancaster saw yellow from the man in the middle, Mr Morris-Sanders. With Trinity awarded a free-kick, the two players took a dislike to each other, with Carver substituted shortly afterwards.

Even when the board for seven minutes went up, Gainsborough were calm and assured. Soaking up the home pressure. And playing some neat football through the thirds.