On a distinctly autumnal evening at the CNG Stadium, Town and Gainsborough battled out a sterile goalless draw in front of Town’s lowest crowd of the season.
James Walshaw and Dominic Rowe made the starting line up,while Callum Hassan was recalled to the subs bench.
Town made the quicker start and soon threatened through a smart turn and shot from Jake Speight.
Trinity,fielding four ex Town players, began to make their presence felt with Ciaran Toner finding Paul Beesley who fired wide of the upright.
Beesley, who was working hard against his ex colleagues,made a strong run down the right flank and his centre eventually reached Liam Davis who tested Phil Barnes with a low drive.
Walshaw shot wide for Town before Nicky Featherstone dispatched Rowe down the wing and his centre was met by Adam Nowakowski who nodded down for Rhys Meynell to fire wide.
Another Town exile, Trinity captain Dom Roma,broke forward to play in Curtis Bateson but Matt Heath stepped in to clear his searching cross.
Beesley squandered a chance after being set up by Russell Watson by shooting straight at Barnes and then Trinity suffered a blow when Josh Lacey had to leave the field with a facial injury after a lengthy spell of treatment.
Harrogate could have gone in with a half time lead when Featherstone’s clever turn wrong footed the visiting defence,but there was no one following up to turn in his inviting cross.
In an even second half both sides had chances to break the deadlock.
For Trinity, Davis shot wide from twentyfive yards and Bateson shot straight at Barnes when well placed.
A powerful run by Lewis Coyle created a chance for Rowe but he was off target and next a well struck shot from Lloyd Kerry was deflected for a corner.
Heath was proving a rock at the heart of the Town defence as he headed away a series of crosses,but with five minutes left Beesley almost gave Trinity the lead when his cross shot was cleared off the line by Shane Killock.
Unfortunately, Killock collided with the post in the process and had to be stretchered off,adding to Simon Weaver’s injury worries.
Town
1 Barnes, 2 Coyle, 3 Meynell, 4 Featherstone, 5 Killock(c) (Bloomer 85), 6 Heath,7 Kerry,
8 Nowakowski (Nelthorpe 64), 9 Speight (Kendall 74),10 Walshaw, 11 Rowe.
Unused subs,
16 Metcalfe,17 Hassan. Bookings nil Att.291
By John Harrison
