Yellows claim point at Gainsborough
2 years ago | 13.12.2021, 10:55
IT was a tale of two second half penalties as Warrington Town were held to a 1-1 draw away at Gainsborough Trinity.
Trailing at the break, a Sean Williams spot-kick nine minutes in to the second half levelled things up.
But goalkeeper Matt Yates saved a would-be winner from Williams nine minutes from the end to deny the Yellows a hard-earned three points.
On another Saturday afternoon of relentless rain, the Yellows trailed to Neal Bishop’s fourth minute opener.
The centre-back struck his first goal for Trinity on the half-volley after a deep corner was headed to him by a defender in the box.
The Yellows almost struck back immediately when Bohan Dixon’s pass released Matt Grivosti down the left and his cutback was clattered against the crossbar by James Baillie.
Those two goalmouth incidents were not a sign of what was to follow, as the first half slumped in to a rather turgid affair.
Gainsborough enjoyed the better territory and while the Yellows may have shaded possession, they simply couldn’t break the press led from the front by Gainsborough forwards Declan Bacon and Brad Grayson.
On the rare occasion the Yellows looked like getting in behind, Gainsborough ‘keeper Yates marshalled his penalty area well.
The only half chance fell for Evan Gumbs late in the first half, his header diverted over by Mark Roberts.
The game did open up after the break and blocks by Roberts and Matt Regan denied Joe Wilson’s shot from inside the box.
Warrington equalised from nothing, Jordan Buckley looked well held up just inside the box but as he checked inside, Wilson couldn’t resist dangling out a leg and Buckley went down and the referee pointed to the spot.
Williams stepped up and sent the ‘keeper the wrong way for his third goal since returning to the club earlier this season.
That rattled the home side and five minutes later, Bishop collapsed to the floor in theatrical style during an argument with Roberts, after taking offence to a challenge on the goalkeeper.
Matt Grivosti, who scored the winner in the reverse fixture earlier this season, then had a golden opportunity to do the same in this one, released through on goal by Jay Harris.
Grivosti opted to take the ball around Yates rather than go for goal, and the goalkeeper did well to recover from being beaten originally and saving from the angle.
Gainsborough eventually steadied the ship and started to force a succession of corners without being able to get a shot in on Dan Atherton.
Josh Amis and Stefan Mols were thrown on for the final quarter to try and win the game for the Yellows and it looked to have paid dividends on 81 minutes.
Amis used his strength and pace to hold off Lewis Carr and enter the box, with Bishop clumsily coming back and knocking Amis off his feet from behind just as he was about to shoot and the referee pointed to the spot for a second time.
Williams stepped up again, went to the keeper’s left again, but this time Yates stretched to push the penalty wide and keep the scores level.
From the corner, a miraculous clearance on the line by Joe Parkin, who picked up an injury for his efforts, denied Mark Roberts from point blank range.
That proved to be the Yellows’ final chance, and while Gainsborough forced a couple of further corners late on, the two sides had to settle for a point.
Warrington have two home games before Christmas, against Radcliffe on Tuesday and Scarborough next Saturday.
Gainsborough Trinity: Yates, Wilson, Hornshaw, Rice, Carr, Bishop, Wollerton, Parkin (Jemson), Bacon, Grayson (Morrison), Gould (Keane). Unused subs: Butroid, Ahui.
Warrington Town: Atherton, Baillie, Regan, Harris, Roberts, Gumbs, Grivosti, Williams, Buckley (Amis), Dixon (Mols), Duffy. Unused subs: K McDonald, Duggan, Hough.
Sponsors
