SATURDAY 15th MARCH 2008

VAUXHALL MOTORS 0 v 3 GAINSBOROUGH TRINITY

BLUE SQUARE NORTH

Vauxhall’s hopes of building upon their fine midweek success over Boston, came to grief in 11 mad minutes prior to half time, when the determined and lively visitors struck all three goals, to complete their first ever league double over the relegation-threatened Motormen.

Trinity gained the initiative following a busy start to the proceedings and it took a superb block by home captain Craig Robinson to deny Matt Austin. Tom Field responded only to drag his shot wide of the target.  Wes Parker also went close with a glancing header from a free kick, before Russell Hitchen headed wide at the other end.

But then the visitors suddenly hit a purple patch, which began in the 34th minute.  Lewis McMahon clearly played the ball out to the unmarked Ryan Mallon on his right and his shot beat home keeper Andrew Murphy on his near post.

Three minutes later, Chris Hall doubled that lead with a drilled effort from just outside the area, having cut back on to his right foot, following a cross-field run. And to add salt to the wound, a clear foul by Trinity defender James Dudgeon on Alan Griffiths from a corner, allowed Mallon to hook home a third just before the break from close in.

Motors began the second half better, with Ged Brannan suddenly pulling the strings in midfield, only to be reduced to ten men shortly after when Russell Hitchen was harshly shown a straight red.  Yet ironically, the hosts continued their improvement and but for Adam Sollitt in the Gainsborough goal pulling off two memorable saves, the final score could have been quite different.

The first came after substitute Dave Roberts was brought down just outside the box and Brannan’s fiercely struck free kick took a deflection off the wall, only to be stopped from going in by the feet of the diving Sollitt, who was in mid-air heading the other way! Next, full credit to the keeper, as denied a right-foot curler from Paul Taylor that looked bound for the top corner.

While towards the end, Roberts was only inches wide from converting a near post cross from Taylor, who held off his marker in a determined run down the left.  It could have been a totally different story, but manager Carl Macauley clearly felt his side had let themselves down in the first half and that was their undoing.

Vauxhall: Murphy, Owens, Egerton (Brannan 46), Griffiths, Holmes, Robinson, Smith (Roberts 53), Field, Heler, Hitchen, Taylor.  Sub not used: Reed, Rooney.