Town 1 Gainsborough Trinity 0
Town :Jayson Leutwiler, Dom Smith, Anthony Gerrard, Zak Whitbread, Mat Sadler, Larnell Cole (Liam, McAlinden 73), Ian Black, Abu Ogogo, Jordan Clark (Scott Vernon 61), James Collins (c), Junior Brown ( Shaun Whalley 46)
Subs: Shaun Rowley, Tyrone Barnett, Sam Patterson, Liam Lawrence
Gainsborough Trinity: Jan Budtz, Dom Roma, Josh Lacey, Charlie Binns (Nicholas Bignall 75), Jonathan D'Laryea, Jake Picton, Simon Russell, Stephen Brogan, Marc Newsham (Darryn Stamp 81), Nathan Jarman, Adam Drury ( Jamie Yates 81)
Subs: Liam Davis, Cameron Rigby, Lewis Bemrose, Jonathan Hedge
Ref: Darren Bond
Assistants: Steven Copeland and Stephen Wade
Fourth Official: James Bell
Micky Mellon changes his defence around with Antony Gerrard making his debut for Town coming in to partner Zak Whitbread in the heart of the defence. Dom Smith moves the right-back position while Mat Sadler comes back in to replace the suspended Nat Knight-Percival. Upfront James Collins starts and wears the captains armband.
Town were out of the blocks quickly and were taking the game to the home side right from the first whistle. Sadler was offering a good outlet down the left and him and Brown were combining well to create some good openings.
Brown combined with Clark well to set-up an effort from Brown on the edge of the box, he connected nicely and his shot dipped just over. Then moments later more pressure won a corner for Town, Clark curled in over and Whitbread and Ogogo climbed well and Abu connected well but his header was just over the bar.
Gainsborough were defending well but not offering much early on in an attacking sense but they did look dangerous when they counter attacked. They did this and managed to get a free-kick about 35 yards from the Town goal, it was a decent delivery but Town had the numbers back and when the ball dropped Brown hooked the ball away.
Gainsborough's first good chance to the game came after Ian Black was disposed in the middle of the field, Russell was the one to come away with the ball and he then threaded a ball for Newsham to run onto, he burst into the Town box and fired in a shot which flew over the near post.
Then moments later the home side had another good sight of the Town goal and Whitbread tried to see the ball out but ended up conceding a corner. The ball was whipped into the near post and Gainsborough's top scorer Jarman found the space to glance in a header that was just over the bar.
On 24 minutes there was a big shoot for a Town penalty, the ball was looped up into the Gainsborough box and Collins watched in come down while standing his ground, keeper Budtz shoved Collins in the back to send him flying but ref Bond was close by and saw nothing a miss.
Town were looking the better side and were playing some near build up play when they could, some quick passes ended with Cole flicking the ball into the run of Ogogo who struck a decent shot in but Budtz was in the right place to collect.
Town were finishing the half strongly and were creating some good openings but they were going about things patiently and building well. Jordan Clark picked the ball up and found the space to drive forward, he played a one two with Collins and burst into the box, he hit a decent right footed shot in but it was just over the Gainsborough bar.
Gainsborough nearly nicked the lead with the last quick of the game, a break down their right saw the home side find space and Town trying to get bodies back, the ball was flicked across and Newsham flicked a header across goal that beat Leutwiler but the post was there to save Town who then cleared their lines.
Half-time: 0-0
The second half started with a change for Town with Shaun Whalley on to replace Junior Brown, Whalley went to the right of the front three with Clark moving to the left.
Town had a good chance straight after the restart when good build up play saw Clark cut the ball back to Collins who had found space in the Gainsborough box, he hit a low shot across the goal that beat Budtz but was wide of the far post.
The home side were creating chances and pushing to get their noses in front, sustained pressure saw Town holding their lines well and Gerrard headed clear but only as far as Jarman, he found the space to get into the box and hit a shot in which was deflected and looped up with Leutwiler back peddling but the Town keeper was alert to tip the ball away.
With just under 15 minutes of the game Micky Mellon made a second change with Scott Vernon coming on to replace Jordan Clark, it looks like Collins and Vernon up front with a change to four in the midfield. It was nearly an instant impact for Vernon after a Town throw was put into the Gainsborough penalty box, he connected well a looped a header in on goal but Budtz was there to collect.
Town were continuing to push and look to build, there was frustration at times when things didn't come of but they kept going. Then on 70 minutes it was the Town subs who helped to create the opening for Collins. The ball was played around well after Whalley had nicked the ball away, he played it to Vernon who chested the ball down to put Collins in space and he drove his low shot in with the power to beat Budtz to make it 1-0 to Town.
Minutes after taking the lead Micky Mellon made his final change of the afternoon with an attacking change, Liam McAlinden came on to replace Larnell Cole with McAlinden going to the left of the front three.
Town were attacking well and Whalley was starting to cause a lot of problems down the right hand side. He played a near one-two with Smith and Whalley was in behind Brogan, he delivered an inviting cross to find Vernon who put a lovely header in that Budtz did well to claw back, McAlinden was following up but the assistant was quickly flagging for offside.
Town were seeing the game out well but a second goal would have calmed the nerves, and Shaun Whalley nearly did that. Good pressing saw the ball come to Whalley just outside the Gainsborough box, he hit in a lovely shot that had Budtz rooted to the spot but the bar was there to deny Town a second.
The second half finished like the first half did, with a good chance for Gainsborough to grab a goal. A long clearance down field dropped in behind the Town defence to find Brogan, he found the space to get in drive in a low shot but luckily for Town it was wide of the target.
Full-time: 1-0