After narrowly missing out on the play-offs last season Gainsborough Trinity look well set for another push into the top five this season following victory against Stocksbridge Park Steels.
A Jonny Margetts brace was enough to earn a 2-0 victory for the Holy Blues against a Stocksbridge Park Steels side still rooted to the foot of the Northern Premier League table.
That leaves Russ Wilcox’s side in third in the Premier Division on 16 points following a further four victories along with a single draw against early title challengers Lancaster City.
A difficult start:
Despite that, it was a slightly slow start for Trinity when they were beaten 3-0 at home to last season’s play-off semi-finalists Ashton United.
A late first half header from Darius Osei sent the visitors in 1-0 up at the break before a second half brace from Luca Navarro put the game to bed.
Wilcox’s side bounced back quickly as Javelle Clarke found the only goal of the game in a 1-0 away victory over Ilkeston Town.
However, that wasn’t enough to turn around a tough start to the season yet, as Wilcox’s men were well beaten 4-2 in a trip to current eighth placed Warrington Rylands.
Early goals from Jake Burton and George Waring put the hosts two goals to the good inside 15 minutes before Margetts pulled one back on the half hour mark.
Burton then restored the two-goal lead on the stroke of half time before the hosts were reduced to ten men shortly after the break, with Waring being shown a straight red card.
However, that did little to change the momentum of the game when Dean Furman put the game to bed with ten minutes remaining before Harrison Beeden scored a late consolation.
Turning the tide:
It was at this point that things started to turn around for the Holy Blues as they are now on a five-game unbeaten run including last night’s win.
It started with a rather comfortable 2-0 victory at home to now fifth placed Stockton Town; in which Lewis Butroid opened the scoring in the first half.
That then left Margetts to put the game to bed in the second as he finished off a fine team move to score his second goal of the season.
He was unable to add to that tally in a cagey affair against Lancaster City at the KAL Group Stadium that ended in a 0-0 draw against the current second placed side.
That was the second of a run of four consecutive clean sheets that carried on as Margetts bagged his third of the season against Cleethorpes Town.
He scored the only goal of the game on the August Bank holiday Monday, firing home from close range on the stroke of half time.
In the most recent fixture at the Northolme goals either side of the break from Margetts and utility man Sisa Tuntulwana gave the Holy Blues a 2-0 victory over Warrington Town.
The 31-year-old Margetts then added two more to his tally against Stocksbridge, netting two goals in two minutes.
Last nights win also marked a fifth clean sheet in a row for the Holy Blues.