Jurgen Klopp's Departure: A New Era for Liverpool

He’s more than just a manager, his presence brings love and togetherness. He changed a team from doubters to believers, he got the whole Liverpool fan base to love him within a season of him being there. What a man, what a manager! 

After six successful years at the helm of Liverpool FC, Jurgen Klopp has announced his departure from the club, marking the end of an era for the Reds. Klopp, whose passionate touchline presence and tactical acumen won the hearts of Liverpool fans around the world, leaves behind a legacy that will be remembered for years to come.

The German manager took charge of Liverpool in October 2015 and led the team to unprecedented success, including the historic Premier League title in the 2019-2020 season, ending the club's 30-year wait for the top-flight domestic championship. Under Klopp's guidance, Liverpool also captured the UEFA Champions League title, showcasing their dominance in European football.

Klopp's departure comes at a pivotal moment for Liverpool, as the club looks to navigate through a transitional period. His impact on the team's playing style, player development, and community engagement has been profound, and his departure leaves big shoes to fill for the next manager.

As the football world absorbs the news of Klopp's departure, Liverpool fans and pundits alike are left to ponder the legacy he leaves behind and the future direction of the club. The search for Klopp's successor will undoubtedly be a matter of intense speculation and scrutiny, as the new manager will be tasked with upholding the high standards set by his predecessor.

Moreover, Klopp's departure signals a turning point for Liverpool both on and off the pitch. The club faces the challenge of rebuilding and reshaping its squad while maintaining a competitive edge in domestic and international competitions. The transition to a new managerial era will require strategic decision-making and a clear vision for Liverpool's future.

Despite the emotions surrounding Klopp's departure, there is also an air of optimism and gratitude among Liverpool supporters. Klopp's unwavering passion and commitment to the club have left an indelible mark on the Anfield faithful, and his influence extends beyond the realm of football. His charitable work, charismatic leadership, and genuine connection with the fans have endeared him to Liverpool supporters worldwide.

As Liverpool bids farewell to Jurgen Klopp, the club finds itself at a crossroads, poised to embrace change and embrace the dawn of a new chapter. The impact of Klopp's departure will be felt across the footballing landscape, with Liverpool's next steps garnering significant attention and anticipation.

In the wake of this momentous announcement, the football world stands witness to the departure of a managerial icon and the beginning of a new era for Liverpool FC. Klopp's legacy will forever be intertwined with the history of the club, and his departure marks the closing of one chapter and the opening of another in Liverpool's storied journey.

As the Reds prepare to embark on a new chapter in their illustrious history, the enduring spirit and legacy of Jurgen Klopp will serve as a guiding light, inspiring the club and its supporters to move forward with hope, determination, and an unwavering belief in the future that lies ahead.

Gainsborough v Morpeth Match Report

Gainsborough v Morpeth 

The first defeat of 2024 for Russ Wilcox’s Holy Blues after a 90 minutes of football packed with drama and controversy saw the home side narrowly miss out on any points from the fixture. 

A dominant start to the game by Trinity, they were treated with the first shot on target of the game as Fraser Preston tried to cut it on the right and curl one in with his left, however he couldn’t generate enough power to beat Lowson in the Morpeth goal. 

Morpeth reacted quickly as Bollado was set free down the right hand side, he couldn’t create a goal though, as the captain, Dylan Cogill, got over to divert the shot wide. 

The biggest chance of the first half saw Howe beating the keeper after a well-timed through ball from Preston found him, he shot from a tight angle and the shot was blocked by Chris Reid which injured him, forcing him to be replaced early on. 

Trinity beautifully played the ball around the midfield, creating some great chances and dominating the ball for most of the first half. Howe had a notable chance again after a George Hornshaw cross planted at his feet, his shot Wales’s saved well by Lowson, just before the offside flag was put up against him. 

The main action of the first half was very late. Morpeth’s counter attack was stopped twice as Bobby Johnson made two fouls in the build up, the first was him pulling back Bollado, then the second was a tactical foul on the same player. The referee then pulled out two yellow for both of the challenges and Johnson was dismissed. 

The score at half time, 0-0. 

Morpeth had a dream start to the second half. 2 minutes in, Nic Bollado opens the scoring after he converted a low cross into the area, beating Dylan Wharton, who went 227 minutes without conceding a goal. 

Some more great attacking play by Trinity, moving the ball about quickly and convincingly. More controversy as Daniel Barlow brought down Daniel Devine, play continued and Howe was through on goal, however, the referee then called it back for the foul, denying Trinity an equaliser, stopping a potential goal. 

Morpeth then doubled their lead through Jack Foalle in the 57th minute. He was sent through and beat Ashley Jackson down the left hand side, then beating Wharton as his shot went across the face of goal. 

Trinity then found a way to break the Morpeth offside trap as Dayle Southwell put a great ball over the defence to find Declan Howe, Howe took it past the keeper and tried again from a tight angle, this time his shot went across the face of goal and out for a goal kick. 

Wharton made an incredible save as Donaldson had a chance to triple their lead, he was played into the 6 yard box and his shot wasn’t bad, but a strong right hand from Wharton denied the goal. 

The Blues kept attacking and trying to finish a chance, there was a tremendous ball from Bailey Conway which met Southwell for a volley, the volley comes into Howe but Lowson does enough to get there first and deny Gainsborough a way of coming back. 

A few minutes later, Lewis went so so close to bringing Trinity back into the game, another great ball from Hornshaw found  in the centre but his effort was just sent over the bar, Trinity were putting so much pressure on the Morpeth defence and came close to a goal. 

Tavonga Kuleya came on for the final 10 minutes and showed off a promising cameo, he created a few chances and made some impressive runs with and without the ball down the right hand side. A player to look out for in the coming weeks. 

The final drama in the match came in the 94th minute of the game as Chris Lynn was dismissed for a dangerously late and high challenge on the loanee Kuleya. 

The final whisky blew out minutes later and Gainsborough had fallen short of a point in dramatic fashion. Russ Wilcox had his say on the game after the match where he suggested that if the home side had stayed with 11 players on the pitch, they would have won the game comfortably. Daniel Devine had a positive say on the first half saying that Trinity “played some of the best football he’s seen since he’s been at the club”. 

A dominant first half was overturned due to the unfortunate red card and it completely changed the game. The Blues will look past the loss and take the positives out of it to focus on the next match, Matlock away. 

Interview with Harry Bishop

 Interview with Harry Bishop 

For this weeks programme, we interviewed on of the most important members of staff at Gainsborough, someone who’s efforts and time mean so much to the club and someone who gives the club a good reputation. This is the young groundsman, Harry Bishop, and today he will be speaking more into his role and a little bit about him.

The first question that we asked Harry was a personal one about the length of his support for the Holy Blues, he gave us this answer, ‘I have supported Gainsborough Trinity for as long as I can remember, from when I was coming on with my grandad when I was little’. A lifelong supporter and he gets to be a groundsman for the club, you couldn’t ask for anything better than that. 

Harry is a groundsman at the KAL Group Stadium and he has been volunteering with us since September 2021 where he volunteers alongside Woody. So we wanted to know what he has learnt in his time here, ‘I have learnt everything I know about groundskeeping from Woody, and hopefully, one day, I will win as many awards as Woody has’. Great words from the young lad who is motivated by his colleague, Woody, and it shows how close the Gainsborough Trinity family is. 

Woody, our senior groundsman, has won three Institute of groundsman awards between 2002 and 2015 and Recognition from Vitax line markers for one of the leading ground for the National League North, it’s a pleasure to have him at our club. What a man to have at our club, we couldn’t thank him enough as well for his efforts and his guidance for the young lad Harry. 

Then we asked Harry a bit about volunteering and his opinions on it, ‘The benefits of volunteering for me are that it will help my career progression, and hopefully, one day, I will be a groundsman in the premier league. 

My favourite moment was either the bus ride home from Hyde United last season with all the supporters last season when, even though we lost, it was a good atmosphere, or when we secured a playoff spot at Radcliffe last season. 

Finally, One of my proudest moments volunteering was on the 2nd of December 2023 against FC United of Manchester when we were the only team in our league with a grass pitch to play on that day’. Lots to be proud of by Bishop, he is very passionate about his work which is lovely to see. 

Every job comes with benefits and downsides, so here are some of his best and worst parts of  being a groundsman, ‘The best bit of being a groundsman is seeing the team you support win on the pitch that you have prepared. 

The worst bit about being a groundsman is probably that if it’s a frosty game or rainy game, we have to be there really early, and you get wet through, and you're stuck like that for most of the day unless you bring a change of clothes’.

Then finally, the opportunities that he receives when volunteering with Gainsborough, ‘When Richard Kane was chairman of Gainsborough Trinity Football Club and the Gainsborough Trinity Foundation , he gave me an opportunity to work across both sites on an apprenticeship, and I can’t thank him enough for it, and everything has just followed on from that’. 

Everyone from the Gainsborough family appreciate what Harry is doing, without him, the club would not be where they are today and they definitely would not have as many good results as they have. Everyone from the fans to the kitchen staff to all the players and coaching staff thank Harry for his efforts in volunteering for the club. 

Keep up the good work Harry and keep that pitch up to the best standard so we can keep seeing the Trinity thrive to success. 

Gainsborough Trinity v Worksop Match Review

 Gainsborough Trinity v Worksop Match Review

A win, a clean sheet and a beautiful performance from Russ Wilcox’s Gainsborough puts an end to their winning drought with a massive 3 points against promotion pushing Worksop Town in the A57 Derby. 

A huge credit to returning goalkeeper, Dylan Wharton, who played a huge part in the win and clean sheet for the Blues. The Sheffield United loanee began the season with the Holy Blues, playing in 11 games before picking up a horrific injury. After being told he may never play football again and being out for over 2 months, Wharton returned to the pitch for the huge match up. A performance to be proud of, showing how important his presence is to the team moving forward. 

Before the opening goal, Worksop were arguably the better team and had chances. Multiple great saves by Wharton and a beautiful display of defending denied an early lead for the away side. Their best chance came from George Taft, his header was cleared off the line wonderfully just 23 minutes into the game by Lewis Butroid. 

The home side opened the scoring in the 38th minute, Lewis Butroid the scorer, as he curled a free kick home in exquisite fashion to finally put Trinity ahead after five games of being the first side to concede in a match. 

Just before half-time, Jay Rollins attempted to square a ball into the area, almost guaranteeing a goal but the man of the match, Bailey Conway, made a wonderful, heroic interception and to stop Deegan Atherton’s ball from materialising with a great header to clear away from goal. 

Half time- GTFC 1 - 0 WTFC 

The second half began and Gainsborough had their backs up against the walls. Some great defensive work and even made a couple of chances themselves showed the intensity that Wilcox’s side came out with. 

Worksop’s number one, Seb Mawolski, also made two great saves in the 50th minute, first a save from Declan Howe’s low driven shot, hit from a tight angle, then an even better save from Lewis Butroid’s chance, as he cut in, with room inside the box, and Mawolski tipped it round the post and out for a corner.

Trinity’s first change came in the 55th minute, as Danny Devine replaced Jack Moore-Billam. Just 5 minutes later, Worksop’s Paul Green had to be substituted due to an injury, being replaced by, ex Scunthorpe United full back, Colin Daniel. 

In the 64th minute, Fraser Preston doubled the Blues’ lead. After a small game of pinball in the box, the ball dropped perfectly for Fraser Preston as he volleyed it past Mawolski, an emotional goal for the ex-Scotland youth as he returns from a long wait on the sidelines. 

In the final 10 minutes, Worksop had many chances but insisted on trying to pass the ball home rather than pulling the trigger, a constant theme throughout making themselves architects of their own downfall.

The final whistle blew, the Gainsborough fans cheered. A brilliant home win against such a great team after such a horrible run of form. 

Wilcox described the game as a “great performance” from his side all round but they need to “keep feet on the ground” and not get too carried away with things. Ecstatic with Preston being back, he highlighted that he “has the quality that we need”, as he scored his first league goal of the season. 

The Blues currently sit 17th, 7 points above the relegation zone and will be looking at building momentum to find some good form and turn around the below par performances from December. A huge 18 games to go, Trinity will be looking for as many points as they can get. 

GTFC vs SUFC Match report

A young Gainsborough side beaten mheavuky at the Kal Group Stadium in the Lincolnshire County Cup but the scoreline does not reflect the performance of the player on the pitch for the home side at all. 

Under 21’s manager, Brad Wright, took charge of this game as most of the squad were players from his side, with the additional help of 5 regular first team players who were needing a bit of game time. Wright mentioned post match that the players “haven’t had a better experience in football so far” which is great for the development of these young players. 

The game began and the goals came pretty much straight away. Danny Elliott grabbed the first of the night after tapping the ball in from a few years out after Ethan Cowan made a good save to deny Cameron Wilson. 

Ethan Cowan then had a rally of brilliant saves, the came from a powerful Elliott shot where he parried the ball away, the second was at his near post where he acrobatically forced the ball out for a corner and then the next was the save of the night. Danny Elliott, again, was one on one with Cowan and he attempted to hit it past him, but the young goalkeeper got down well to deny the Scunthorpe man. 

The away side dominated the opening 25 minutes of the game, but then the young Trinity side started to find a rhythm. Nat Wallace made a determined run with the ball down the right hand side and found Fraser Preston on the corner of the box, he opened up his body and let fly on a beautiful curling shot which was graced by the sound of the back of the net to put Trinity level. 

Scunthorpe then dominated the ball in the Tribity half for the next 12 minutes, forcing Ethan Cowan into some more brilliant saves to keep his side level in the tie. Making arguably the save of the game, Cowan firmly put his left hand up into the top right to stop a curling shot that was finding the goal. 

Scunthorpe, however, got ahead in the 41st minute as Danny Elliot made a great run behind the Trinity defence, made one touch then the finish into the bottom corner, Cowan couldn’t do anything about it. Then only 3 minutes later, Andy Butler ended the first half with a goal for the away side to put them 3-1 up. 

Half time: GTFC 1 - 3 SUFC. 

The second half began and the experienced Scunthorpe side reacted almost immediately, a cross into the area found Elliott but he was denied his hat trick by the crossbar and Archie Oliver-Townrow was able to clear the ball away from danger. 

Again, Scunthorpe dominated in the second half. Holding the ball up well and creating chances, the away side looked the better side. Only 15 minutes into the second half, they won a penalty after Cameron Wilson was brought down in the penalty area after Ethan Cowan, arguably MOTM, attempted to collect the ball. Wilson won the penalty, then converted it past Cowan to make it 4-1. 

Not long after, Danny Elliot found his hat trick after an easy tap in to make it 5-1. Cowan then made another amazing save, even after conceding five, he was still one of the star players on the pitch. 

The Blues then had a spell of chances, Kyle Simpson was denied by Maison Campbell first, then he was denied a goal after a block from Max Kouogun. Simpson was finally rewarded with a goal just 3 minutes later as he made his run through the Scunthorpe defence to slot it past Campbell and bring the margin back to 3. 

Nevertheless, the courageous efforts of Trinity was unfortunately underwhelmed after Scunthorpe got their sixth of the night. Danny Elliott was blessed with his fourth of the night, you can’t say he didn’t deserve it as his class up front paid off in goals. 

The Young Blues did not give up their, they had performed so well all game against such an experienced side and the scoreline does not show the true performance on the pitch for the home side. Multiple blocks later on reduced the potential scoreline and some great defending by the young captain, Reuben Brewin-Hawkins. 

Scunthorpe got their 7th and final goal of the night through ex-trinity man, Harrison Poulter, who hit it past Cowan in the closing minutes of the game. 

Then, of course, one final beautiful save from Cowan with his feet came before the final whistle was blown by the referee. 

The Blues exit the cup in the quarter final and they got nothing but praise as they went up against such an experienced side in the league above them. A scoreline that did not tell the full story of the game and a young team that should only be proud of their performances on the pitch. 

Brad Wright led a team that definitely have a bright future ahead of them. A performance from Ethan Cowan that will definitely move him closer to that first team start, it’s almost never heard that the keeper is the stand out performer in a 7-2 loss but he played so well and showed so much resilience all game. 

Howe to score goals

Howe to score goals 

This week, we interviewed the Trinity bagsman, Declan Howe, to get to know him off of the pitch as much as we do on the pitch. Since joining the club in September, Dec has scored a staggering 9 goals in 14 games, so we had to get his views of his goals so far for Gainsborough this season: 

Goal 1 – ‘Matlock- where it all started.. I remember being handed a golden ticket and me taking it haha. Although I’d like to say it was hard work that made that goal.’

 It only took Dec 3 games to find his scoring boots at the club, coming in a brilliant 5-3 home win over Matlock town back in October.

Goal 2 –‘ Warrington - the dink over the keeper in the first half to take the lead, that one felt good.’ The second came in a 1-1 draw at the Kal Group Stadium to put the Blues 1-0 up against a side second in the table, Trinity narrowly missed out on the win after conceding in the dying minutes of the game, but the start of a 4 game scoring streak for Howe!

Goals 3 & 4 – ‘Workington away, our first away win of the season and in style. The first of the game being the one that resulted in me winning goal of the month! The second being a penalty to secure all 3 points and a great journey home.’

His first brace for the club came in a 3-2 away trip against Workington, it started by dancing past defenders and curling one top right to win goal of the month, then winning the game through a penalty. 

Goal 5 – ‘Ashton- another dink over the keeper after a through ball from George, I think the knee slide summed up the energy for this goal haha.’ 

His 5th came against another top side in Ashton United. Howe’s goal put the Blues ahead in the home tie for 10 minutes, before conceding late on in the game. 

Goal 6 – ‘Lancaster- was a bit of frustration here as I won the pen and didn’t take it but seconds later it fell to my feet on the edge of the box and I managed to find the top corner. 1-0 win at home to top it off.’ 

Another home goal for the bagsman, reacting well and scoring a beauty of a goal to help the Blues to a 1-0 win over Lancaster City. 

Goal 7 & 8 – ‘Marske away- first goal was great and I thought we’d kick on from there but the playing field and unfortunate events in the game decided it wasn’t to be - tough one to take that.’ 

After a surprising two games with no goals, Dec bagged his second brace of the season, unfortunately it wasn’t enough as the Blues lost 3-2 in a game to forget. 

Goal 9 – ‘Hyde away, again a tough one as I think we did enough to take all 3 home but in the end it was a valued point. I had another ruled out for offside that game too but after watching it back I wasn’t offside and that would’ve brought it to 3-1 and my 10th of the season. Different game from there.’

The latest goal came in a 2-2 away draw in Hyde, it should have been 2 but one goal was somehow ruled out for offside. It should have been an extra goal for Howe and 3 points for Gainsborough but that’s football for you. 

Howe joined the club in September after a short spell with Ilkeston Town, he previously played for Alfreton Town, Darlington and Cleethorpes Town. Goals have been coming out of his ears throughout his career, shown through his start at Gainsborough. 

The danger man has not missed a game since joining the Holy Blues in September and he has proved to be the main, starting striker in the developing Gainsborough side. This led to me wondering, what his motivation could be…

“Winning and scoring goals, as cheesy as it sounds. There’s no better feeling than winning a game and personally there’s no better feeling than scoring to help us achieve that!” An answer you would expect from a striker and the type of mentality you want from a player on your side, fuelled by goals and they don’t come short for him. 

When asking for the advice that Dec would give to a young striker, he mentioned that it is best to ‘give yourself an opportunity’ and to do this there would be ‘no shame in dropping a league or two to play week in, week out just to put yourself in the shop window’. then he added that ‘game time is valuable’ and that it ‘fuels the passion for the game’. Professional advice coming from our striker, people often try to start at the top and give up when they're not there, but a true professional never gives up and accepts that starting from the bottom is the way to go. 

Achievements are a big motivator in football, they come in all shapes and sizes, Howe’s biggest achievement comes in a much more meaningful shape, “ aside from trophies and grounds played at - I’d say the climb since my return to football. Ultimately I fell out of love with football, hence why I moved to America, upon returning I found my love for the game again and have been doing well ever since, I’d like to think”. In itself, this achievement is much bigger than any trophy could be. to bring yourself back up and work all the way back up shows such a tough mentality, one that makes an amazing player. 

Edging close to starting the New Year with the club, this is how Dec has found life in Gainsborough so far, “to be perfectly honest, I’m loving it. After a rough start to the season I needed to find somewhere to call a home and I have done that now. The club is special to me and have welcomed me with open arms. It’s a great group of lads and Russ is a great manager whom I’m fortunate enough to have the opportunity to play under him”. Here’s to many more games with the club. 

This season has been full of ups and downs, i wanted to know how Dec thinks we will end up at the end of the season, “playoffs are the ambition and I know we’re a good enough side to be in the mix. We’ve had a few setbacks with injuries but a good run of games takes us up the table”. It’s not impossible for the Blues to end up in the play-off places, however, they would need to dig themselves out of the low form they’re in, 14 points from the top 5 with over half the season to go, with the mentality, the Blues can make it. 

When asking Howe about the best player he’s ever played with, he mentioned “Kyle Wootton” as his answer, he says that he was ‘a joy to watch in training’. Wootton has been a star striker in the football league and within non-league clubs for around 10 years and is full of goals, it’s clear to see why he would be the answer to this question for Dec. 

Pressure is a huge thing in football, it effects players massively and I wanted to know how players cope with it on the pitch, this is what Dec had to say, “ just need to be confident enough in your ability and knowing you can perform. Look at the bigger picture”. Mentality is also a very strong thing in football, the way you think is how you will react on the pitch, so to see Howe with such a strong mentality is a very good thing for the club and it gives fans and players confidence in their ability. 

Now to the final question, a question with a surprising answer but one that makes sense for all the right reasons. I wanted to know his inspiration, the player in the footballing world that made him the best he could be, Dec’s answer, “Ashley Jackson. What a happy man he is. Never shy of a laugh around that kid“. Who needs Messi or Ronaldo when you’ve got Ash Jackson. 

And that’s a wrap for the interview with our danger man, Declan Howe. We’ve learnt about his motivation, his inspiration and a little bit about his story back into the footballing world when he fell out of love with the game. 9 goals so far this season and he will definitely be looking at extending his goal tally for the season in the remaining games. A slight goal drought, 3 games without a goal for the striker, coming into the huge game against the high flying Macclesfield, Dec will be looking at finding his shooting boots again to help the team through the tough stages full of injury and get the team back on track. 

WTFC v GTFC Preview

Two losses in a row for the Holy Blues and more injury troubles worry Russ Wilcox’s side after a lovely run of form. Trinity will be hoping to get this form back as they travel to the east coast where they will be facing Whitby Town in the Pitching In Northern Premier League. 

A narrow loss helped by the weather hit the Blues on Saturday. Ilkeston’s Jamie Walker hit a halfway line goal to help his side beat Gainsborough at the Kal Group Stadium. It was a fairly positive showing from Trinity as they created lots of chances despite the absence of Dayle Southwell up top. It just wasn’t their day unfortunately but things will come together soon for the Holy Blues. 

A 2 hour journey to the north east cost awaits Wilcox’s side. In search of a win to get them back on track, Trinity will be facing a tough side who have played in the first round of the FA cup this season. 

The Blues have only picked up 4 points in their last 5 games winning only one of the games. It’s not been an easy last few games though, they’ve lost in form goalkeeper, Luke Jackson, to a hamstring injury, Javelle Clarke has been ruled out for the foreseeable future as he picked up a horror injury against Ilkeston, Dayle Southwell is another on the injury list. Gainsborough now sit 16th but with over half the season left, they won’t be worrying too much. 

Whitby however have won 2 of their last 5 games and losing just one. They sit 5 places and 5 points above the Blues and have the advantage of 3 games in hand. 

The next home game for the Blues will be against high flying Macclesfield on Saturday 23rd December at 3pm. Macclesfield currently sit 5th and are being helped massively by ex Everton and Hull City striker, Oumar Niasse. It will definitely be a great game and it will be even better with a great turnout, so get yourselves down for that one! 

Gainsborough Trinity 0 Ilkeston Town 1

 Gainsborough Trinity 0 Ilkeston Town 1

An inspired goalkeeping performance from returning shot-stopper Matt Yates ensured all three points headed to Derbyshire, as Ilkeston resolutely defended the only goal of the game scored midway through the first half. Despite an improved second half showing from Russ Wilcox's men, there would be nothing to show the Holy Blues' toils.

 

There were immediate returns for George Hornshaw & Bailey Conway, having served their one game bans. Justin Iwobi.was selected up top, in place of injured striker, Dayle Southwell. Ash Jackson again partnered Dylan Cogill at centre back, meaning Hamish Douglas again had to settle for a place on the bench, alongside Nat Wallace.

A cold, wet and windy day at the Kal Group Stadium was overshadowed by a dull performance on the pitch. Slow starts for both sides led to frustration, Bailey Conway was booked for a retaliatory challenge on Dixon, then just two minutes later, Daniel Devine was caught on his achilles, so he avenged this through a harsh challenge on his abuser.

Then after the dull opening period was lit up when Jamie Walker spotted Ben Bottomley off his line, and lifted over the on loan 'keeper, from halfway, to put Ilkeston in front, helped massively by the wind.

Half Time: Gainsborough Trinity 0 Ilkeston Town 1

Trinity came back out of the traps looking to get back into the game, but found their former custodian in top form. Justin Iwobi, making his first start, split the defence. Sending Dec Howe through on goal, Yates stood up well and blocked Howe's dinked finish, getting to the rebound first, and diverting the ball away from danger.

At the other end, Ren Starkie then brought the best out of Bottomley as he was denied the visitors' second. Bottomley back-pedalling to gather Declan Erratt-Thompson's return effort.

Howe, also facing his former side, was less fortunate. Ash Jackson's long throw causing problems, Howe spun to shoot, but Yates was quickly at his feed.

Substitute Wallace slipped in Howe, but again, Yates was an imperious barrier - 

When Yates was beaten - nine minutes into stoppage time - Bailey Conway could only shake his head in disbelief. With the goal at his mercy, Ilkeston right back, Llarell King got back onto the line to make an unbelievable, last-ditch clearance.

As Trinity recycled the ball once more time, Lewis Butroid teed up Javelle Clarke who appeared to be taken out with a last ditch sliding block... penalty appeals were waved away by the Referee Joseph Goodwin and that was virtually the last of the action as the Robins cleared their lines. Unmoved, the Gainsborough attacker was helped from the field on a stretcher, with a suspected broken ankle, long after the full time whistle.

A three hour wait for an ambulance, further dampening the home side spirits as the Robins completed the double over the Blues.

The Teams

Gainsborough Trinity 

Ben Bottomley, George Hornshaw (Nat Wallace) Ashley Jackson, Bailey Conway, Daniel Devine (Hamish Douglas)  Dylan Cogill, Lewis Butroid, Bobby Johnson, Justin Iwobi (Fraser Preston) Declan Howe, Javelle Clarke

Subs not used:

Jack Moore-Billam & Joel Holvey

Ilkeston Town

Ilkeston goal: Jamie Walker 24

Man of the Match: Matt Yates (Ilkeston)

Match Rating 3/5

GTFC V FCUM Preview

The Holy Blues return to the Kal Group Stadium this Saturday after collecting 1 point in the 2 away games they have played in. The first of the two was a tough trip to Marske where Sheffield Wednesday loanee, Luke Jackson, injured himself, leading to Lewis Butroid stepping up in goal. 

Then Trinity traveled down to Manchester to face fifth place Hyde on a wintery Tuesday evening. The Blues impressed early on as they went ahead twice in the first 20 minutes of the game, but they couldn’t hold there lead and it ended all square. 

Gainsborough will now welcome FC Inited of Manchester to the Northolme in a highly anticipated match. The Holy Blues currently sit 15th in the table with FC United of Manchester just one point behind in 16th. 

In the two consecutive away matches, Declan Howe was able to pick up three goals. His scoring form doesn’t seem to end as he now has 9 goals for the season. 

Fc United of Manchester have scored 8 goals in the past 3 games and have brought in Warrington Town striker, Jordan Buckley to try and add to that tally. 

The Trinity defence will be hard at work, but so will the attackers. Justin Iwobi will have another chance to show his talent at the Northolme. The Halifax loanee only played one of the two away games due to a failed fitness test in Marske. 

The away side have only picked up 1 win in the past 5 games, drawing 2 and losing 2. Gainsborough have won 2 drawn 1 and lost 2 in the past 5. 

The 3pm kick off will be the first for The Blues in December as they look to climb up the table just before the New Year, ready to kick on in the second half of the season. 

Elsewhere- 

Marine host Ilkeston in a big match up, as both sides look to climb up into the play-off places. 

At the bottom of the table, Stafford host Marske as they look to try and climb out of the bottom 4, they currently sit 4 points from safety. 

Worksop travel to Ashton United. Ashton will be hoping for a win as it would put them into the play off places. 

Getting to know our new signing, Justin Iwobi

Getting to know our new signing, Justin Iwobi

The arrival of Justin Iwobi on loan from Halifax has caught the eye of many Blues fans in the past couple of weeks. So, we had a little chat with him to get to know our new arrival and to see what he can bring to The Northolme in his brief spell at the club. 

Justin started off by explaining his football journey, " I started off when I was about 7, I played grass roots football and played with my friends from school,  I loved it and had loads of fun. Then I had a few trials and ended up at Bury FC, I spent a good four years there but they ended up getting liquidated so I had to find a new club. This led to me going to Stoke City at the start of U15's, I did my scholarship there. However, I had a big injury throughout my scholarship so I didn't really get to play a lot of football, it led to me getting side lined for a long time which was tough mentally but I did well to get through it and coming out better. After that, I didn't get offered a pro contract at Stoke, so I went on more trials and then I ended up at Halifax, love it there, love the people there, love training there."

"Now I'm 19 years old and I'm looking at breaking into the first team at Halifax. I tool the opportunity to go on loan to Gainsborough, I think its a great club with lots of experienced players and I hope I can get a lot of game time with them and get a lot of goals and improve as a striker whilst helping the club get into a better position in the table".  

Russ Wilcox explains that 'Justin is going to come in and add competition for places' which just shows how highly he is rated by the Trinity boss and how much of a difference his presence will make on the team. 

When asking the teenager for his footballing idol, he mentioned that he is a 'huge fan' of Cristiano Ronaldo and he has always looked up to him because he 'loves the way he scores goals'. I think its fair to say that the youngster definitely has an eye for goal which will bring so many positives to the side. 

The striker explained his time at Stoke in more detail, including the lessons he learnt on the way, 

"Coming through Stoke's academy was amazing, I met really good coaches, teammates, I learnt loads there and it helped me develop on the pitch as a player and off the pitch as a person, I really enjoyed it. They helped me get through my injury, they were there the whole time, full thanks to them, I wouldn't be where I am today, if it wasn't for them. I appreciate Stoke City so much and the good experience with them." 

When being asked about the teams good form and whether it puts pressure on the talented forward, he replied, " I don't think it puts any pressure on me, I'm just think of how I can do better and how I can improve and I think everything will come into place when I improve, coming here on loan will really help".the fact that the youngster doesn’t feel pressured when coming g into such an un form side, shows the maturity and experience that the lad already has, even at 19 years old.  

As a young player, the main thing is development, so to see Justin focusing so much on this shows that the Blues have a strong talent on their hands. 

Having such an eye for goal, Iwobi is just wanting to get into the games now, “I’m really excited to just get on with the club and kick on, start playing games, hopefully scoring goals and I’m just waiting for the next game, itching to get on and score”, the Stoke City scholar is ready to make a great impression on the fans.

When asked what his loan could help with, Justin responded with some personal qualities that he thinks will improve over the next month, “I think I can really add that match sharpness to my game, I can be sharper, fitter and I can have more of that eye for goal which comes from playing games rather than just training. I’m here, I’m happy to learn and ready to win games with the lads”. 

Advice is an important part of football, it helps you develop so much by learning new ways, it’s also a very important quality of the pitch as well, I wanted to know what the best advice the new arrival had received, 

“The best advice I would say I’ve been given would be from my mum and my dad, which would be to always keep going even when it gets bad, God always has something in store for you and that everything always happens for a reason” 

Following from the best advice given to him, I wanted to know what his advice would be to young players trying to achieve their own dreams in football, 

“I would tell them to keep going even when they have setbacks, never stop, stay resilient and always stay self disciplined because discipline is important to get to where you want to get to”. 

Preparation for a game is always different for every player, Justin let us know his pre-match routine, “I wouldn’t really say u have an actual routine, I eat my pre-match food which could be pasta or rice and chicken and I just take it as it goes, I wouldn’t really say I do actually have a routine though”. 

Now, after two substitute appearances, Iwobi has impressed for the minutes that he has been on, but hasn’t been lucky enough to score a goal in the few minutes that he has played. He will be looking on to the weekend as Trinity face FC United of Manchester at the Kal Group Stadium in the PitchingIn Northern Premier League. 

Marske United 3 - 2 Gainsborough Trinity

Marske United 3 - 2 Gainsborough Trinity 

A tough trip up north ending in defeat would definitely be one to forget for Russ Wilcox and his side. After naming an another unchanged 11, Trinity couldn’t do enough to win away from home 

A spirited display, in difficult conditions ultimately led to defeat in the North East for the Holy Blues who led at half time, but were rocked by the loss of 'keeper Luke Jackson midway through the second half. And despite a double from Dec Howe - Trinity were unable to add to the away point tally.

Loan signing Justin Iwobi failed a fitness test.pre-game, opening the door for Fraser Preston to take his place in the match day squad as once again Russ Wilcox kept faith in the starting eleven that has served him well of late.

The hosts started brightly, exerting a lot of pressure, as they adapted to the difficult under foot conditions the quickest

Perhaps against the run of play. Howe turned home a smart finish after the Marske 'keeper failed to deal with Dylan Cogil's hoisted centre, spilling the ball as he back pedalled, at the feet of Trinity's inform striker.

The goal boosted the visitors, 

Half Time: Marske United 0 Gainsborough Trinity 1

The Holy Blues started the second half fairly well. Bobby Johnson had a shot saved 2 minutes into the half, then Ash Jackson’s cross 9 minutes later almost found the back of the net but Yaqub reacted quickly to tip it over the bar. 

But it didn’t take long for the home side to equalise. Donald Chimalilo, who had a great first half, hit first for Marske. Leading to more work for the Blues for the rest of the game. 

10 minutes after the equaliser, disaster struck for Trinty. Sheffield Wednesday loanee, Luke Jackson, went down injured after coming out for the ball. Without a sub goalkeeper, Lewis Butroud stepped up to go in goal for the remaining 20 minutes. 

The Blues still fought hard for the remaining 20 minutes, pushing forward and trying to break through the tough Marske defence, Javelle Clarke notably dribbled through 4 Marske players only to be fouled midway through the home side’s half. 

The home side eventually got the better of the outfield goalkeeper. A potential foul in the build up on Devine was waved away then Marske went on to score from a header after a nice bit of play from the attackers. 

It only took 3 minutes for the Seasiders to get a third. Dylan Cogill’s clearance was only met by a Marske midfielder who fed through a ball to Adam Boyes then his one touch and finish beat Butroid for the second time. 

The four minutes of stoppage time was full of chances for Trinity. Howe had a volley bounce off the top of the crossbar and then just 2 minutes later, in the last minute of the game, he was brought down and given a penalty. Howe stepped up and rifled his chance past Yaqub, who had had a brilliant game in the home goal. 

It was a trip to the North East to forget for Trinity but they move on to the next away trip to Greater Manchester where they will face Hyde United who sit 5th in the table. A tough trip but one that the Blues will work very hard to win and get their away form back on track.   

The Teams

Gainsborough Trinity 

Luke Jackson (Joel Holvey 70), George Hornshaw, Ashley Jackson, Bailey Conway, Hamish Douglas, Dylan Cogill, Lewis Butroid, Bobby Johnson (Daniel Devine 66) Dayle Southwell, Declan Howe, Javelle Clarke 

Subs not used: Nat Wallace, Jack Moore-Billam & Fraser Preston

Gainsborough goals: Declan Howe 22 & 90+4 (pen)

Gainsborough bookings: Ashley Jackson, Bailey Conway, Bobby Johnson, Javelle Clarke & Daniel Devine.

Referee: Glen Hart

Attendance: 405