Gainsborough Trinity 4 - Workington Reds 2

IT was a case of leaving themselves too much to do for Danny Grainger’s Workington as Gainsborough Trinity completed a league double over the Cumbrians after scoring three first half goals which had errors at the heart of the opportunities.

Reds were two goals down in the opening quarter of an hour with centre forward Declan Howe the beneficiary of both. 

The first goal came luckily for the home side as the opportunity seemed to have gone begging with Howe slipping in the box. But the Trinity man didn’t give up and swung his right foot at the ball making the perfect connection to allow the ball to nestle in the bottom right hand corner. 

The second goal saw Reds sloppily lose the ball from a throw in and ten seconds later the ball was in the back of their net, Howe outpacing the defence and lobbing Jim Atkinson in goal. 

Reds had grown into the contest throughout that opening fifteen minutes and started to create chances to get back into the game, with Ste Rigg missing the ball with his head from a cross field free kick and having a penalty shout turned down. 

An early substitute saw a change in formation as striker Lewis Reilly replace centre back Jordan Little. 

It didn’t help as Reds conceded another before half time as Fraser Preston extended the advantage as Cieran Casson unable to control the ball allowed Preston through one on one with Atkinson and beat the keeper. 

The second half saw a much more efficient Workington side and were much more in the contest and got their first goal of the game through Scott Allison. The ball landed in the box and was brought down by Greg McCaragher following by a fantastic first time finish from Allison just before the hour mark. 

Reds continued to control more and more of the game and had opportunities galore saved and put wide. That was until 10 minutes before the full time whistle as Dav Symington shot while in the box and beat Dylan Wharton at his near post which will have been disappointed the keeper and gave Reds hope of a dramatic comeback. 

That hope was dashed only minutes later however as Bailey Conway struck home the winner following the visitors being caught in behind.

Speaking post match manager Danny Grainger said he felt embarrassed to coach his side for the first time in his career after “what they showed in the first half where it was men vs boys" and challenged his side to have a bit of self pride.

TRINITY 

1 Dylan Wharton
2 George Hornshaw
3 Ashley Jackson
4 Bailey Conway
5 Hamish Douglas
6 Dylan Cogill (C)
7 Lewis Butroid
8 Bobby Johnson
9 Fraser Preston
10 Declan Howe
11 Joe Stacey

SUBS

12 Nat Wallace
13 Josh Render
14 Jack Moore-Billam
15 Dylan Southwell
16 Connor Shanks 

Goals 

Howe 2 (6,13), Preston (41), Conway (82)

REDS

1 Jim Atkinson
2 Greg McCaragher 
3 Finn Walbank 
4 Jordan Little
5 Sam Smith
6 Cieran Casson
7 Dav Symington
8 Sam Hetherington
9 Ste Rigg
10 Scott Allison
11 Connor Tinnion

SUBS

12 Aidy Roxburgh
14 Brad Hubbold
15 Kitt Nelson
16 Lewis Reilly
21 Danny Eccles 

Goals

Allison (57), Symington (80)