Gainsborough were founder members of the Conference North and have been since 2004. Before that they were also founder members of the Northern Premier (168) and twice during that time they applied to join the Football League in 1975 and 1976 but only garnered one vote each time. They have actually been in the Football League but that was long, long ago in 1896 but got voted out in 1912 and found themselves replaced by neighbouring Lincoln City. Their highest placing in this current league was fourth in 2012 but lost out to Nuneaton in the final.
At this moment in time they sit in fifteenth place having lost 1-0 at Stockport on Tuesday evening.Their team is made up up of mostly unknowns recruited from the Lincolnshire area teams with the standout player being the veteran Adam Quinn who I vaguely remember being linked with us at one time. He started his career with Halifax and stayed there for six years until joining Crawley Town and I think that was when he was linked with us. They also had another well known veteran with them until recently but the former Scunthorpe midfielder Matt Sparrow left last week after only joining them a few weeks previously.
I have no idea what their injury situation is.
Our thin looking squad became thinner this week with the news that Robert Stambolziev had left the club to trial with clubs in Greece and Cyprus. After playing just six times, from the bench, his contract was cancelled by mutual consent. He had really impressed while on trial with us pre-season but was never really given much of a chance to shine when coming on the pitch with ten minutes of a game remaining.
We'll also be without Tyrone Williams following his two yellows, converted to a red, at Halifax last week. You don't go putting yourself about like he did when already on a booking and a referee who got confused when his wife told him to hand some early Christmas cards out to his mates. Ty is young though and the one game suspension should educate him a bit.
We have two known injuries with Zaine Francis-Angol (left) missing from last Saturdays game with a slight hamstring injury. He may be fit. Our only definite injury is still with Jared Hodgkiss but he should be back in training now following his hernia operation recently. We have had no information regarding that from the club yet.
So we're a bit light defensively with three defenders out and the loaning of Wayne Thomas to Altrincham now looks like a bit of a mistake. Ashley Carter should continue to cover for ZFA if he doesn't play but it's hard to see who will play in place of Williams if Carter is on the right side of the pitch.
I'm expecting a win tomorrow with us long overdue one and the lowly placing of Trinity but league placings can be mis-leading with lower clubs getting more fired up for games against us. Look at FC Utd and what they did to us so we need to be on our toes, defence or no defence.
Photo © KHFC
Teams:
Harriers from:
Hornby, T Palmer, Hodgkiss, Lowe, Carter, M Evans, Tunnicliffe, Francis-Angol, Croasdale, Gnahoua, Truslove, Austin, A Brown, McQuilkin, N'Gwatala, Dieseruvwe, Waite.
Gainsborough Trinity from:
Willis, Lacey, Roma, Picton, Wilson, Quinn, I Evans, Beatson, Hands, Wiles, Rothery, Thornhill, Templeton, Reid, Thewlis, Jarman, Worsfold, Bailey-King.
Talk about the game here
Links to Gainsborough Trinity websites here
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