Gainsborough Trinity 0 v Grimsby Town 4 - PSF

Saturday 28th July 2018

Pre Season Friendly

at the Martin Co. Arena, the Northolme

Gainsborough Trinity (0) 0

Grimsby Town (2) 4
JJ Hooper 27, Harry Clifton 38,
Jake Hessenthaler 68, Louis Robles 83

Admission £8
Programme £2.50 (covers four games)
Attendance 711

THE66POW Point and hope photo gallery:
Page 1 Click HERE
Page 2 Click HERE
John Rudkin's Professional photo gallery:
Page 1 click HERE
Page 2 click HERE

Whilst accidentally eavesdropping a nearby conversation while queuing for a cup of coffee, I overheard a regular Trinity supporter of time served vintage, bemoaning the number of players over the age of thirty that there are in the current 'Holy Blues' squad, and their apparent lack of pace.

Having been relegated at the end of last season, for the first ever time in their long history, Gainsborough will play in the EvoStik Northern Premier League, Premier Division next season.

It is a league where seasoned old pros and journeymen rule the roost, a dangerous place where and up and coming nippy youngsters are prone to get duffed up a bit, by wily older players who've done the rounds and take no prisoners... and don't shy out of tackles or give any quarter, especially against aspiring youngsters who they can't beat for pace, but can slow down with a few time honoured tricks and a sprinkling of skulduggery and industrial strength challenges.

Lee Sinnott, currently plying his trade as the first team manager at the Northolme, arrived at the club with a pedigree of having won four promotions while he was in charge at Farsley Celtic and Altrincham, so the former  Walsall, Watford, Bradford City, Crystal Palace, Huddersfield Town, Oldham Athletic and Scarborough defender, will be fully aware of what his squad requirements will be, once the 2018-19 season starts for real, on August 18th, with a trip to Nantwich Town, for the opening day fixture, in what promises to be a very competitive division.

The going got tough for Trinity against very strong Football League opposition Grimsby Town today, but this was precisely the sort of game that Sinnott's side needed as they get up to speed in readiness for the campaign ahead.
They aren't going to look especially fast against a very well organised League Two side who are peaking at exactly the time for when they face Forest Green Rovers in their opening league game next Saturday.

The home side had their moments, and James McKeown, the visitors keep had a few routine saves to make; but it was the Mariners who were doing most of the attacking and they broke the deadlock on 27 minutes, when the livewire Charlie Vernam was tripped five yards outside the Trinity area and when Martin Woolford's resulting dipping free kick bounced back into open play off of the crossbar, JJ Hooper had moved forward in anticipation of a rebound, like good strikers are supposed to... and he netted from close range.

And Grimsby got a second goal seven minutes before half time, when Vernam's knock into the right channel found Harry Clifton, who didn't make the cleanest of strikes, but his effort found its way across the line via the underside of Jon Stewart's outstretched left hand.

HT: Gainsborough Trinity 0 v Grimsby Town 2
Rod Orlando-Young was making a nuisance of himself out on the left for Gainsborough, always running into space and making himself available, but in spite of

Trinity's efforts and the introduction of Alex Simmons, Ross Hannah and Simon Russell into the mix from the subs bench to good effect, there was only ever likely to be one team claiming the result today and they were wearing their change colours of red and black, as was Stewart in the Trinity goal, not that anybody seemed unduly perturbed.

Another free kick from Grimsby's dead ball specialist dropped narrowly over the bar, but Michael Jolley's charges grabbed a third goal shortly afterwards, as Jake Hessenthaler's sixty eighth minute shot, took a deflection and wrong footed Stewart.

Ash Worlford went close to pulling a goal back, but he was denied by McKeown, who'd got his angles all right and was heading towards keeping a clean sheet.

Quick! Look the other way. It's that bloody pest with his camera

With a few of the bumper crowd starting to sneak out early to head home/into the adjacent Blues Club* (I know a few people who spend just as much time in the latter as the former), Louis Robles connected with the ball and stabbed it home amidst a goalmouth scramble to claim the fourth and final goal of this early afternoon encounter.

FT: Gainsborough Trinity 0 v Grimsby Town 4