Match Report
Grantham Town 3 - 0 Gainsborough Trinity
By John Burgess - john.burgess@granthamjournal.co.uk
Match Report courtesy of The Grantham Journal
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Grantham Town go into tomorrow's home game against Hebburn Town on the back of two much sought after wins this week.
The Gingerbreads defeated Sheffield FC 3-1 away on in the league on Saturday, the team's first win since the middle of October, and followed that up on Tuesday night by knocking NPL Premier Division side Gainsborough Trinity out of the Lincs Senior Cup with a 3-0 scoreline at The Meres on Tuesday night.
With Trinity's first team playing, and embarrassingly losing to, lowly Liversedge in the league on Tuesday night, they fielded a side who were effectively their under-21s plus some trialists.
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Nathan Tyson scored a brace in Grantham Town's win over Gainsborough Trinity on Tuesday night. Photo: Toby Roberts
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A bitterly cold and windy Meres saw home supporters cheered somewhat when the Gingerbreads went a goal up after just five minutes. Dan Cocks put a ball down the centre through to Nathan Tyson who ran in on goal and slotted neatly past Trinity goalkeeper Ethan Cowan.
A fast paced game saw no more goals in the first half, with Grantham having the majority of chances and Gainsborough barely a sniff throughout.
The intensity continued after the break with the Gingerbreads still in the ascendancy. To their credit, Trinity battled on tirelessly, scrapping it out in midfield, but they failed to threaten Town keeper Dan Haystead's goal at all throughout the second period.
Grantham doubled their lead in the 75th minute. Substitute Mitchell Tait's first-time cross curled beautifully to the waiting Tyson whose virtually unstoppable header flew into the back of the net, with Cowan rooted to the spot.
Tyson was not far off claiming his hat trick a minute later but, running in on goal, he put his shot into the side netting whilst fully on the gallop.
However, the Gingerbreads made it 3-0 in the 78th minute when recent re-signing Mason Lee raced down the right and homed in on the Trinity goal, firing in past a helpless Cowan.
Speaking after the match, Grantham Town manager Matt Chatfield said that, despite the scoreline, the game had still been one to test the Gingerbreads.
He said: "We've had to do a proper game plan on them today.
"I think today's been perfect for us because we've managed to rest key players, we've managed to see players we haven't seen playing for a while, change the formation a little bit.
"Everything that we wanted to see from today we've managed to get through. A clean sheet as well, scoring three goals again, things like that are massive going into Saturday."
Chatfield was especially pleased for former Nottingham Forest forward Tyson who looked to have finally got his mojo back on Tuesday night.
Chatfield said: "Delighted for him. For him it's about scoring that first goal. For him it's personal and I'm so delighted he scored the first goal and then he scores that second goal, great header, nearly took his head off. But what a header that is. And he doesn't do that if he doesn't score the first one."
Looking to tomorrow's game against Hebburn Town, Chatfield said he was pleased to have a virtually full squad from which to pick, so much so that it could cause him a bit of a dilemma come selection.
He said: "It's one of the first times we get to pick from a squad of 20 and actually people are going to have to be left out, which is something we've not had all season.
"So it's a different kind of scenario for us to deal with, instead of just having to pick 11 and trying to get through the game as best we can.
"We can pick people on performance now and some and some of the lads out there have given us a real headache for Saturday."
Kick-off at The Meres tomorrow is 3pm.
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