by Garry Clarke Pictures John Hopkins
MICHAEL Clegg’s wait for his first win as manager goes on as Warrington Rylands paid the price for a horrific start at Northolme.
Gainsborough Trinity, who scored within 15 seconds of the season at Gorsey Lane in August, capitalised on poor defending to score twice in the opening eight minutes as the Holy Blues completed a league double over the Blues, playing in red.
Curtis Durose took advantage of being left unmarked in the centre of the Rylands penalty area to scuff a shot into the net having been found by a cross from Joe West in the 3rd minute. Five minutes later Harry Lewis intercepted a miss placed Rylands pass in mid field, advancing forward he cut inside from the left to curl the ball into the far side of the net.
Rylands started to come more into an open game as play switched from end to end and competed well with opponents pushing for a playoff place creating several half chances without causing too many alarms for one of the tightest defences in the league.
Scott Duxbury had a shot blocked, while Mo Touray was beaten to an Osebi Abadaki cross by Trinity goalkeeper Matt Yates before Rylands ended the first half on top. Duxbury saw another shot deflected onto the roof of the net and drew a good save from Yates with another attempt, Johnny Hunt and James Nield had shots blocked while Abadaki hit the side netting.
The home side had a penalty appeal rejected in the 20th minute when Lewis went down after colliding with Luke Pilling, the Rylands goalkeeper saved well a few minutes later to push a Lewis shot around the post.
Rylands were reduced to ten men in the 54th minute when Ben Hockenhull was red carded after committing a second bookable offence having also been booked in the first half.
The second half had started with Touray being brought down on the edge of Trinity’s area, Yates did well to push Matt Sargent’s free kick round the post.
Gainsborough controlled the remainder of the game without looking like adding a third goal to their tally, the closest they came was when substitute Tyrell Sellers-Flemming’s low drive from outside the area forced Pilling into a good save.
Rylands were restricted to shooting from distance with both Touray and Abadaki firing over the bar, while their appeals for a penalty in the 90th minute were ignored after Abadaki went down when tackled by Isaac Rice
WARRINGTON RYLANDS: Pilling Neild Mustoe Egerton Hockenhull Furman Sargent Duxbury Touray Abadaki Hunt; Subs not used: Leitch-Smith Wright Cooke
GAINSBOROUGH TRINITY: Yates Hornshaw West Conway (Sellers-Flemming) Rice Cogill Durose Wright Donaldson Waldock (Dyche) Lewis (Preston); Subs not used: Glover Cowan
Attendance 804
📽POST MATCH INTERVIEW📽
Here are the thoughts of @clegg_mc after today's defeat#WeAreRylands pic.twitter.com/5dHLCOOg8q
— Warrington Rylands FC (@RylandsFC) March 11, 2023
