DROYLSDEN 2 - 1 GAINSBOROUGH TRINITY

Nationwide North, Saturday 9th December 2006

Report by Gary Owen

Droylsden hit the summit of the Nationwide North with this victory, but were made to fight right to the final whistle by a spirited Gainsborough side.

Steve Daly headed wide and Gareth Morris stung Adam Sollitt's palms in the opening minutes, as the hosts began well, but then Paul Phillips denied Jamie Smith twice in as many minutes with two fine saves.

Kevin Lynch then saw his header cleared off the Gainsborough line by Ross Hannah, before Phillips came but failed to connect for Droylsden, and Morris had to clear off the line with Matt Thorpe about to pounce for Trinity.

The breakthrough finally came on 41 minutes when Steve Jagielka found Terry Fearns, and his cross was nodded home by Daly.

Just before the break, Phillips again saved a deflected shot by Smith, but the Bloods held the half-time lead.

Fearns almost made it two just moments into the second half, but Sollitt superbly tipped his lofted effort over the bar, but then the referee pulled play back as Fearns had his shirt tugged. Morris could only hit the resultant free kick into the wall.

Fearns was again the provider for Daly, but his shot beat both Sollitt and the far post, before Sollitt saved at point blank range from Fearns.

With fifteen minutes remaining, Thorpe teed-up Eric Graves for the visitors, but he mis-hit his shot, and then Lynch fed Daly down the inside left channel, who's low cross was expertly cut-out by Richard Pell, otherwise Fearns would have had a tap in.

The killer punch for Gainsborough came in the 76th minute, when a long range effort by Morris struck Daly, who turned and lashed the ball past the helpless Sollitt to make it 2-0.

Trinity set-up a tense finish, though, when substitute Simon Bird poked home Graves' header back into the box, although in the closing stages Morris struck the Trinity bar with a free kick and home substitute Jody Banim shot wide with Daly well placed.

DROYLSDEN: Phillips 6, Williams 7, Warner 7, BURKE 8, Ruffer 7, Morris 7, Jagielka 8, Lynch 7, Fearns 7, Daly 6, Kelly 7.

SUBS: Banim 6 (for Fearns, 80), Tandy 7(for Lynch, 79), Howard 6 (for Kelly, 79), Rapley (not used), Halford (not used).

GAINSBOROUGH: Sollitt, Purkiss, Wood, Ellis, Pell, Lancaster, Thorpe, Needham, Smith, Hannah, Graves.

SUBS: Bird (for Thorpe, 78), Bett (for Purkiss, 41), Charles (not used).

SCORERS:

DROYLSDEN - Daly (41 + 76)

GAINSBOROUGH TRINITY - Bird (81)

REFEREE: Mr. P. Davies (Lymm, Cheshire)

ATTENDANCE: 316




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