22nd October 2022
Gainsborough Trinity vs Bamber Bridge @ The Northolme - Gainsborough
Northern Premier League - Premier Division (Step 3)
15:00 KO
£12 entry
Attendance - 572
Half-time score: Gainsborough Trinity 0-2 Bamber Bridge
Goals:
Bamber Bridge: Stanley - 11'
Bamber Bridge: Pond - 44'
Gainsborough Trinity: Waldock - 51'
Finding myself in Lincolnshire to drop off my eldest with the in-laws for half-term, I was faced with the prospect of a weekend with no football. Luckily, my father-in-law is always up for a game, and even better there was one on just a short train ride up the line at Gainsborough Trinity. Having driven past the ground a few times, it is a place I've wanted to go for a while, for a non-league team, Northolme is an impressive ground, with a large main stand, and they play at a good level at Step 3. Gainsborough Trinity are also an historic club, The Holy Blues were founded in 1873, and were elected into the football league in 1893, into Division Two, remaining until 1912, making them one of the smallest towns in the country to have had a league team, as well as having the distinguished record of Northolme being the oldest single team ground in the world, an impressive accolade!
The opponents today, Bamber Bridge, are also an interesting team, based just outside of Preston, they play at the Sir Tom Finney Stadium. Both teams were close in the league, with Gainsborough in 9th and Bamber Bridge in 6th, but only 1-point ahead, so it was certain to be a competitive game. The plan was to do a few pubs in Gainsborough before heading to the ground, and we were both certainly up for this Northern Premier League tie, especially having spent some time moving heavy furniture in the morning!
We got the train to Gainsborough and headed towards the ground, and decided to skip the pub crawl to go into the Blues Club, adjoined to the ground, and it was a nice set-up and surprisingly large, with a good buzz about it. After a drink we made our way into the ground itself, through a metallic grated tunnel and once in I was impressed with the set-up, a large main stand, two sheltered full length terraces, a club shop, a food stall, two loos and a back entrance into a separate wing of the Blues Club, plenty of facilities. I went to get a programme but they were already sold out, which was great to see that the printed match day programme is very much alive and well in this part of the world. The pitch was immaculate and it was great to see so many locals decked out in Gainsborough replica kits, scarfs and hats, it had the feel of a real community club, and even more pleasing was seeing a lot of youngsters getting involved and taking pride in their local club. I didn't get any scran before the game, but queued up at half-time where I intended to get a burger, but having seen the chips, and being basically up north, I decided to go for a staple dish in chips and gravy - was a proper hearty bit of nosh.
We headed over to one of the side terraces, amongst the more hardcore element of the fanbase, and before long the teams came out, Gainsborough Trinity in their home colour of blue, and Bamber Bridge in yellow, which I think is their away strip. In amongst the players were some ex-pros, Clayton Donaldson turning out for Gainsborough Trinity and Nathan Pond for Bamber Bridge.
KEY MOMENTS
GT = Gainsborough Trinity
BB = Bamber Bridge
12' - BB - GOAL (0-1) - A lightning quick direct attack down the congested middle of the parks sees Connor Stanley play a neat one-two, he strikes the ball from the edge of the area and the ball nestles into the bottom right-hand corner of the goal.
26' - GT - A Durose free-kick is fired into the box, there is a goalmouth scramble and the ball falls to Shrimpton, his strike is blocked and the ricochet is blasted over from outside of the box.
31' - GT - Donaldson goes on the run down the left, cuts into the box and evades a couple of tackles eventually shooting towards the goal, but his cross goal effort is deflected wide.
44' - BB - GOAL (0-2) - Pond picks up the ball at the edge of the area, turns and hits a precise strike, again flying into the bottom right corner of the goal, beyond the hand of the diving Yates, to put Bamber Bridge two goals up just before the break.
51' - GT - GOAL (1-2) - Joe West attacks down the left flank and whips the ball into the box, it evades Donaldson at the near post but falls to Waldock, he takes a touch and blasts the ball into the net, game on!
72' - GT - A long ball is fired up to Donaldson, he does some great work down the left and lays the ball back to Shrimpton arriving at the edge of the box, he powers in a decent strike, forcing a diving save from keeper Goddard to prevent Gainsborough from equalising.
That was a really enjoyable afternoon of football, Gainsborough Trinity had by far the best atmosphere I have experienced at a non-league club, there was chanting, great banter and a large crowd, it was brilliant fun, and the Bamber Bridge players were interacting with the crowd, Nathan Pond in particular enjoying the craic. The game itself was also a good watch, a highly competitive game with both teams largely cancelling each other out, but on the day Bamber Bridge had the more clinical finishing to secure the 3 points, and they closed out the game well, frustrating Gainsborough and breaking their momentum at key points. I will certainly be back, Gainsborough Trinity is a fine historic club, and crammed full of character and atmosphere, a real non-league gem. I wish them all the best for the rest of the season, in the competitive Northern Premier League.
Line-Ups:
GAINSBOROUGH TRINITY: Matt Yates, Curtis Durose, Joe West, Callum Minkley, Hayden Cann, Dyland Cogill, Finlay Shrimpton, Andrew Wright (C), Clayton Donaldson, Liam Waldock, Tom Cursons. SUBS: Prosper Keto, Harry Lewis, Muhamet Gashi, George Hornshaw, Jack Dyche.
BAMBER BRIDGE: Felix Goddard, Aaron Skinner, Max Fisher, Matthew Thomson, Macauley Wilson (C), Nathan Pond, Harry Scarborough, David Perkins, Fin Sinclair-Smith, Paul Dawson, Connor Stanley. SUBS: Danny Forbes, Oli Patrick, William Riding, Noah Alabi, Sheldon Green.
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