Gainsborough Trinity secured FA Cup progress while Boston Town and Lincoln United produced dramatic late comebacks on a busy evening of Lincolnshire non-league football, writes David Ward.
Gainsborough Trinity 3-0 Leamington
Gainsborough Trinity booked their place in the FA Cup third qualifying round with an emphatic replay victory over Leamington at the KAL Group Stadium. Having drawn away on Saturday, Trinity made the most of home advantage to join Spalding United in the next round.
Leamington started brightly, although their early pressure gave the home defence little cause for concern. A goalmouth scramble in the 19th minute briefly threatened to change that, but Trinity cleared safely before beginning to take control around the half-hour mark.
The breakthrough arrived in the 37th minute, when Connor Brown delivered a pinpoint ball for Javelle Clarke to finish. Gainsborough grew in confidence after taking the lead and dominated the remainder of the half, deservedly doubling their advantage shortly before the interval through a Lewis Butroid penalty.
There was a setback within ten minutes of the restart when Jordon Helliwell was forced off following a nasty challenge, with Elliot Whitehouse taking his place. Leamington tried to build some momentum, but Trinity remained the stronger side and completed the scoring in added time.
Brown was involved again, finding Fraser Preston in space to curl the ball around the goalkeeper and into the net. Alongside a home tie against Anstey Nomads, the victory brought in £3,375 in prize money, with a share of the gate receipts from both matches adding further value to a profitable cup tie.
Boston Town 3-2 Barwell
Boston Town came from two goals down to beat nine-man Barwell in a match packed with controversy, bookings and late drama. New signing Will Van Lier, who arrived on dual registration from Kettering Town, scored on his debut before Harry Limb settled the contest from the penalty spot in added time.
Barwell took the lead in the 13th minute, although Boston felt Bayless had been fouled in the build-up. The referee allowed play to continue and the visitors scored, setting the tone for an evening in which several decisions left the home side frustrated.
Limb was subsequently booked in an incident in which Boston felt he had been pulled back by a Barwell player. The visitors then doubled their lead in the 21st minute and retained their two-goal advantage until half-time.
The game began to turn in the 57th minute when Barwell had a player dismissed for a second yellow card. Within five minutes, Van Lier marked his first appearance with a goal to bring Town back into contention.
Another Boston booking followed before Jordon Tate equalised from distance in the 69th minute. Town nearly completed the turnaround eight minutes later, but Zak Munton headed wide with the goal open.
Barwell were reduced to nine men in the 80th minute, leaving Boston to push for a winner. Chances came and went, but just as a draw looked likely, Town were awarded a stoppage-time penalty which Limb converted to complete the comeback and secure all three points.
Garforth Town 2-2 Lincoln United
Lincoln United rescued a point at Garforth Town thanks to a Tom Ward equaliser with virtually the final touch of the match. The Whites had trailed by two goals inside 25 minutes, but fought back to deny a home side who had taken four points from their previous two outings.
United named an unchanged starting eleven, although it was Garforth who made the stronger start and established a commanding early lead. Lincoln gradually worked their way back into the contest and were rewarded in the 41st minute when Rio Molyneaux headed home following some excellent build-up play.
Both sides had opportunities after the break, with Harvey Lawson producing an impressive performance in the United goal to keep Garforth at bay. Nevertheless, as the match reached the end of normal time, the hosts looked to have done enough to claim all three points.
United kept going, and their persistence paid off in the fifth minute of added time when Ward found the net. It secured a hard-earned point and completed a comeback that had looked some way off during the opening stages.
Nuneaton Town 4-0 Grantham Town
Grantham Town endured an evening to forget at Nuneaton Town, where three first-half goals left them with a mountain to climb. An improved second-half showing could not repair the damage, and the hosts added a fourth to complete a comprehensive victory.
The result followed a more encouraging update from Grantham’s chairman earlier in the day, outlining his ambitions for the club. After praising the management team, he set out a vision in which local players would eventually form the heart of both senior sides.
“Our vision at Grantham Town remains clear; to have 1,000 people playing football under the Grantham Town banner. That means creating pathways and opportunities for everyone, boys and girls, men and women, from our youngest age groups right through to senior football. Ultimately we want the heart of our men’s and women’s first team to be made up of local players.”
Part of that ambition involves owning a 3G community pitch, providing greater opportunities to play and develop footballers. Discussions with SKDC over the lease are continuing, although progress has been slower than hoped.
“We do not want to rush into an agreement that could unintentionally restrict future investment in facilities and equipment. Taking a little more time now should give the club a much stronger platform for the years ahead.”
The chairman also pointed to Japanese club Albirex Niigata as an inspiration for broadening local investment. He described how local businesses had become involved with contributions equivalent to as little as £100, helping the club grow, and suggested a similar approach could benefit Grantham on a smaller scale.
“I’m not suggesting we need a 25,000 stadium at the Meres just yet but you get the point!”
There is encouragement in those ambitions, provided the club can turn them into practical progress. On the pitch, however, Grantham will be keen to reach their next fixture and put a difficult night at Nuneaton behind them.
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