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

Gainsborough Trinity 1 – 0 Droylsden

Blue Square North – Tuesday 27 January 2009

Report by William Patterson

This was a very disappointing night for the Bloods, who must have had expectations of taking at least a point from a Gainsborough side which had failed to score in their previous two games while conceding seven goals. Instead, Dave Pace’s men came away empty handed from the Northolme, having lost by a single goal which everyone in the ground but the officials agreed should have been ruled offside.

Droylsden started without Tony Gray, injured last weekend at Redditch, but his replacement by Lee Hunt was the only change from that successful line-up. The game began at a brisk pace on a heavily sanded pitch, and The Bloods appeared to be making the running when Gainsborough broke and a ball was played over the top of the defence to Luke Beckett, who appeared to be so obviously offside that the defence did not even bother to pursue him. However, no flag was raised and no whistle was forthcoming, so Beckett advanced into the box and rounded Mawson on the left hand side of the six yard box. Mawson did his best to narrow the angle, but a player of Beckett’s experience does not miss such chances, and he finished with a low shot between the keeper and the near post. Spectators who I spoke to later (mainly home fans) who had been in line with the play estimated that Beckett had been at least ten yards offside, but the goal was given and that was that.

Droylsden had eighty three minutes to overcome this setback, and they set about it positively enough with some excellent approach work. McGuire was well placed to connect with a cross from Pickford on the right, but his header lacked power and flew straight into the arms of home keeper Adam Sollitt. The visitors then maintained a solid spell of pressure during which McGuire shot wide following a throw in on the left, and a perfectly placed free kick from Newton flew across the box with none of the Bloods’ front men able to make contact.

Gainsborough created a chance when Lukic played wide to Hall on the left, then advanced to head the return cross just wide of the right hand post. Before the break, a mis-hit crossfield pass gave possession to the home side, and Halford was required to make a crucial tackle as Beckett threatened from the right.

Early in the second period, an angled cross from Ashley Burbeary caused a frantic melee on the edge of the six yard box, but Droylsden survived and began to mount another spell of persistant pressure on the home side. Dave Pace made a triple substitution ten minutes after the break, replacing Sorvel, Pickford and Hunt with Brown, Beck and Prince. Prince was quickly influential in the Bloods’ mission to equalize, and he was unlucky to see a hard low shot hit the left hand upright. Shortly after, he was denied a penalty after having his legs taken on the byline to the left of the Trinity goal, upon which he had the presence of mind to quickly get up, regain possession and fire a rising shot just over the bar. Gainsborough later survived another penalty appeal when Townson appeared to be simply pushed over as he prepared to shoot inside the box.

Meanwhile, Alex Brown had spotted Sollitt off his line and attempted an audacious lob from thirty plus yards out which bounced agonisingly wide of the right hand post. Roche and Prince later combined to create an opportunity for Townson, who blasted just over the left hand angle, and a further move involving Prince and Roche saw Halford fire narrowly wide on the left. The last action of the game saw the ball fall to Townson fifteen yards out, but he could not get a shot away. On a night such as this, half- chances for the Bloods were just never going to go in.

Gainsborough Trinity:

Sollitt, Gareth Davies, Drury, Spafford, Lukic, Anson(Capt.), Burbeary, Joshua Davies(Mallon 53), Beckett, McMahon(Marrison 45), Hall.

Subs not used: Bird, Wilson, Cullingworth.

Droylsden:

Mawson, Roche, Newton, Halford, Ruffer, Sorvel(Capt.)(Brown 55), McGuire, Pickford(Beck 55), Hunt(Prince 55), Lamb, Townson.

Subs not used: Cryan, Brownhill.

Referee: Mr. David Plowright (Clipstone)

Attendance: 244