Gainsborough Trinity 3 Vauxhall Motors 0
HAVING sunk to second from bottom and facing the prospect of meeting two of their relegation rivals next week, Vauxhall Motors could have done without a comprehensive loss at Gainsborough on Saturday.
But, missing three of their regular back four, they slid to a fourth successive defeat on a heavy Northolme pitch.
The first half had remained both even and goalless. After a very scrappy start, Motors keeper Lloyd Rigby tipped over a well driven free kick from Trinity’s Lewis McMahon.
The hosts were then twice opened up by the trickery of Paul Taylor, but both his excellent cross-field passes ended up with Tom Field being denied at the near post.
The deadlock was broken just two minutes after the restart when Richard Pell headed a corner back across goal and Alex Rodman was able to apply the telling touch.
Russell Hitchen felt he had stopped the ball crossing the line but the assistant referee gave it.
The goal opened things up for Trinity and three minutes later they doubled their advantage when Rodman was released into space with a perfect pass through the inside-right channel before drilling his right-footed shot beyond Rigby.
Midfielder Keith Smith then brought the very best out of home keeper Adam Sollitt, storming through the middle and striking from 20 yards out.But within minutes, any notion of a Motors comeback disappeared when Jonathan Egerton was shown a straight red card for a reckless challenge in the middle of the field.
Trinity wrapped up the three points 11 minutes from time when McMahon scored a fine diving header from a right wing cross.
Andy Mutch’s Motormen now face two of their most crucial league games of the season with away trips to fellow strugglers Leigh RMI on Saturday and Hinckley United on Monday.
The matches will be Motors’ second and third games in a sequence of five consecutive away fixtures.
Vauxhall: Rigby, Williams, Holmes, Field (Roberts 44), Griffiths (Gresty 55), Hitchen, Heler, Smith, Wignall (Rapley 62), Egerton, Taylor. Subs: Reed, Carney.
