It was seven heaven Scunthorpe United against Gainsborough Trinity in Lincolnshire FA County Senior Cup, sweeping past the hosts at The Northolme.
In a replay of the 2021/22 Lincolnshire County Senior Cup final, the Holy Blues welcomed neighbouring Scunthorpe United to the KAL Group Stadium.
Trinity lined-up with a youthful side, led by U21s head coach Brad Wright, as former Scunthorpe player and manager Russ Wilcox watched from the stands.
Gainsborough were winless in their last three before the visit of the Irons, but their under-21s sat second in their division off the back of an impressive 4-0 win last week.
First-Half:
The hosts had barely settled when the visitors had their first chance, and with it their first goal. The ball was worked down the left and crossed in for Fin Shrimpton, his shot was saved, but Danny Elliott reacted first to poke home his sixth of the season.
Scunthorpe dominated the opening stages, dombarding Ethan Cowan’s goal, but the youngster was equal to a number of strong efforts.
Trinity settled into the game after a rocky start in their change orange strip, but were struggling to create anything offensively.
Then, in the 28th minute, Fraser Preston pulled off a wonder-strike, curling a shot from outside the box and into the far corner of Maison Campbell’s goal. The former Scotland youth international received the ball after patient build-up play and made the most of the Holy Blues’ first shot on target of the game.
Scunthrope had relaxed after the early goal, but had a sense of urgency since the stunning equaliser. Shrimpton had a volley saved from the edge of the box as a corner was only half cleared, then Cameron Wilson stung the palms of a busy Cowan.
The visitors made their pressure count before the break as Danny Elliott notched his second of the evening. Former Doncaster Rovers man Alfie Beeston threaded a pass to Jason Law, who slotted the ball through the Trinity defender for the on-rushing Elliott.
The physical striker made no mistake as he rolled the ball beyond an outstretched Cowan.
Scunthorpe had time for a third before the break as 40-year-old Andy Butler flicked his head onto a Law free-kick, planting the ball into the far corner.
Defender Max Kouogun always added a fourth in first-half stoppage time, as he wiggled his way through a congested penalty area. However, his shot was deflected agonisingly wide.
The Irons came out of the blocks quickly, before the game slowed down. Gainsborough’s equaliser seemingly woke the visitors back up as they returned to the front foot and scored twice more before the break.
Second-Half:
The second-half started in a similar vein to the first, with Scunthorpe United on the front-foot. Cameron Elliott advanced down the left before cutting the ball back to Elliott. The striker shoots in aim of his hat-trick, but smacks the bar with his effort.
The game had become bitty after the break with neither team maintaining control of the ball. It was the Irons who were creating the chances, but a deflected Wilson shot was as close as they had gotten since Elliott cannoned the ball into the crossbar.
Scunthorpe added a fourth on the hour mark as Wilson wriggled his way through the Gainsborough Trinity defence before Cowan took him down. The Irons winger picked himself back up and coolly slotted the resulting penalty past Cowan.
Elliott almost completed his hat-trick a minute later as the ball somehow found its way to him a couple of yards out. However, a Holy Blues’ defender got across just in time to deny him.
Cowan was called into action again a moment later as Scunthorpe continued to pile on the pressure. Law was one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but the Trinity man stood tall and tipped the ball just over the bar.
In a continued assault on the Gainsborough goal, Elliott completed a deserved hat-trick. In the 69th minute, the Scunthorpe man was found by Law, but with work to do, rounded a Trinity defender before calmly completing the move.
It felt like men against boys at points, with the National League North table-toppers picking apart the Trinity defence and proving too physical for the young side.
However, Kyle Simpson got one back for the hosts as he received the ball on the halfway-line and ran all the way into the Scunthorpe box before slotting it past Campbell.
Less than 30 seconds later, Elliott scored his fourth and the Irons’ sixth of the game, finishing off a fast-paced move.
Substitute Harrison Poulter added a seventh late on to round off a convincing Irons display.
Gainsborough Trinity 2-7 Scunthorpe United:
Scunthorpe United reached the Lincolnshire FA County Senior Cup semi-finals with their convincing win against Gainsborough Trinity.
They went one better than their goal tally from a pre-season friendly between the two sides, knocking seven past the Holy Blues.
Trinity put out a very youthful side, with injury concerns mounting in the first team ahead of a tough test against Maccesfield on Saturday. Russ Wilcox will return to the dugout for that game in hope of ending Gainsborough’s poor run of form.