Droylsden F.C.-The bloods on the net!

GAINSBOROUGH TRINITY 3 - 2 DROYLSDEN

Nationwide North, Saturday 24th February 2007

Report by Gary Owen

Droylsden tossed away a two goal lead and with it the chance to go six points clear at the top of the table following an end of match collapse that the England cricket team would have had difficulty in surpassing.

Dave Pace elected for a 4-3-3 formation with tough tackling midfielders on a sticky pitch, and his plan was working well until around the hour mark.

By that time Droylsden had secured a two goal lead, but the hosts always looked like they were capable of scoring in their fight to stave off relegation.

Jody Banim went close in the 20th minute, but was denied by a fine save from Adam Sollitt, but after that Ryan Mallon headed wide for the Blues and Simon Bird saw his shot charged down superbly by Craig Robinson.

However, leading marksman Terry Fearns latched on to Steve Daly's flick on, but Sollitt seemed favourite. The Trinity custodian spilled the ball, though, and Fearns gratefully tapped home to open the scoring on 35 minutes.

Moments later, Matthew Caudwell managed to side-step Paul Phillips and curl a shot towards the top corner, but up popped Robinson to head clear off the line.

Daly was then denied by a point blank stop by Sollitt and Banim was thwarted by a well-timed tackle from Danny Wood as he bore down on goal following a great solo run.

In the dying moments of the half, Phillips was out quickly to prevent Mallon from equalising.

Just five minutes after the break, Banim took a pass from Gareth Morris on his chest and with his back to goal somehow knew where Sollitt was and lobbed the keeper from 14 yards.

It was a goal worthy of winning any game, but Trinity had other ideas.

Jimmy Williams gifted possession to Bird, who rounded Phillips, but Steve Halford was able to clear off the line.

Dave Pace seemed to heed the warnings, and made a double substitution to revert to a 4-4-2 formation in an attempt to protect the two goal lead with 34 minutes remaining.

However, on 69 minutes, Trinity made an inspired substitution, as Ross Hannah had drawn the hosts level and into the lead within ten minutes of coming on to the pitch.

Firstly, he won and converted a penatly when he was needlessly tripped by Jimmy Kelly in the box when facing away from goal.

Three minutes later, he threaded a pass through to Danny Anson, who slotted past the advancing Phillips to level matters.

Eric Graves saw yet another effort cleared off the line by Robinson, but the Blues took the lead on 79 minutes when Hannah benefitted from a mis-placed pass from Steve Jagielka to make inroads down the inside-left channel, before rounding Phillips and shooting into the unguarded net.

The Bloods threw on Garry Burke up front for the injured Jamie Tandy, but he failed to make an impact, just as this result did for Droylsden's title hopes.

With other results being kind, the Bloods still hold a three point lead at the top, but how long will that continue. Better performances are clearly required if that lead is to be mainatined, starting on Monday at home to fellow promotion hopefuls Hinckley United.

GAINSBOROUGH: Sollitt, Purkiss, Wood, Ellis, Lowe, Anson, Trout, Needham, Bird, Mallon, Caudwell.

SUBS: Parker (not used), Graves (for Caudwell, 70), Austin (not used), Hannah (for Bird, 69).

DROYLSDEN: Phillips 7, Williams 6, Warner 7, Halford 8, ROBINSON 9, Morris 7, Lynch 6, Kelly 8, Fearns 6, Daly 6, Banim 7.

SUBS: Burke 4 (for Tandy 80), Vaughan (not used), Tandy 5 (for Fearns, 56), Jagielka 5 (for Lynch, 56), Fowler (not used).

SCORERS:

GAINSBOROUGH TR. - Hannah (Pen 70 and 79), Anson (73)

DROYLSDEN - Fearns (35), Banim (50)

REFEREE: Mr. Phil A. Caswell (Leicester)

ATTENDANCE: 370