Match Report by Jake Wood

Another frustrating day for the Pewits on home soil as Gainsborough Trinity visited the Fantastic Media Welfare Ground.

It was a slow start from both teams, neither team able to prise a defining opportunity in the opening 15 minutes, Alex Kiwomya’s marauding run was the closest either team came but he missed his opportunity to find any end product after running into two Trinity defenders.

Gainsborough began to find their feet in the game and looked to test the resistance on the Emley goal, firstly a sighter would narrowly fly over the outstretched Bottomley’s bar from outside the box, but their best chance came from a cross which was met at the front post only for Bottomley to deny him with an excellent diving stop.

With 15 minutes left of the half, Emley really began to pile on the pressure and is probably the period in which the Pewits will look back on in anguish. A long ball over the top caused some uncertainty in the Gainsborough defence with neither defender or goalkeeper taking control of the situation, both players collided and the ball fell just behind Kiwomya, however, his acrobatic attempt bounced past the unprotected goal, another mix up in the defence and somehow Emley didn't capitalise, a stray ball straight to Kiwomya left the goalkeeper in no man's land, the ball was fed across the box for De Girolamo to tap into an open goal only for his shot to be scuffed completely wide.

That wouldn't be the end of the big opportunities for Emley though, another long ball over the top would find De Girolamo, with the keeper out of his goal, Diego looked favourite, however at the vital moment he got caught in two minds and lost his footing allowing the defenders to recover.

Half Time| Emley 0-0 Gainsborough

Emley dusted themselves down at half time and seemed to have forgotten about those missed opportunities. The Pewits soon found joy with a ball over the top, a swinging ball over from the wide right would find a scurrying Rinor Ejupi who lobbed the oncoming Trinity goalkeeper into the empty net.

Emley had continued where they left off and looked to build on that goal, from the wide right, Joe Stacey whipped in a teasing ball met by the head of Charlie Barks only to be thwarted by a tipping save from Robson, and again the Pewits would come close, this time the ball bouncing down from the crossbar onto the line before being cleared away with plenty of the home fans thinking it was a second goal.

Here’s where the tide would turn for Gainsborough, a mix up in the Emley defence allowed the Gainsborough striker to nick in and he went down under the slightest of touches from Charlie Barks and the referee pointed to the spot, Mulhern stepped up and smashed the ball down the middle of the goal with Bottomley getting a hand on it, but not enough to keep the ball out.

With the momentum totally shifted now and Emley seemingly shocked, Gainsborough turned up the pressure, more mistakes in the Emley defence and Trinity found themselves bearing down on goal, however they could only smash the ball wide from a narrow angle.

Tracey would now look to his substitutes and brought Kiyani Clayton on for Diego De Girolamo as he looked to shift the momentum.

Gainsborough continued to build and would find some joy down the right before their attacker was hacked down by Joe Stacey who was booked for his foul, from the resulting free kick, the ball missed the head of an Emley defender and fell at the feet of a Gainsborough player in a crowded box, he found room on the turn to release a low shot which was met by the hand of Bottomley, however could only parry the ball out to Beeden to tap into the goal.

Another substitution for Emley saw Joe Clegg make his way onto the field for Hayden Lindley in an attempt to draw level. However, it was once again Emley causing themselves problems, more miscommunication between the defence almost ended with Cowgill putting the ball past Bottomley and into an empty net, but luckily for The Pewits, the ball snuck past the outside of the post.

Again, the Emley management looked to the bench, Coban Bird coming on for Alex Kiwomya, but right on cue, another mix-up in the Emley defence allowed the ball to fall to the Trinity attacker, but Bottomley managed to recover back into his box with the Gainsborough attacker not able to get enough lift on the ball.

It wouldn't be the last big opportunity for Gainsborough, good work down the left found Williams one on one with Bottomley on the angle however Bottomley spread himself well enough to make a good stop, this was the last opportunity of the game bringing the match to a close.

Unfortunately for the Pewits, once again, they rued missing some big chances and weren't able to recover from the setbacks.

Our next game is away to FC United of Manchester on Tuesday, 13th October.

Full Time| Emley 1-2 Gainsborough Trinity.

Attendance- 424

Emley- Bottomley, Ejupi, Stacey, Lindley, Cowgill [c], Barks, Haswell, O'Connor, Johnson, De Girolamo, Kiwomya;
Subs used- Clayton, Clegg, Bird;
Unused- Porritt, Hanson.

Goal- Ejupi (47')

WM Sykes Man of the Match- Rinor Ejupi.