Blues boss says players aren’t good enough

Gainsborough Trinity manager Steve Housham admitted his players ‘aren’t good enough’ after suffering another 3-1 defeat, this time to fellow strugglers Stockport County.

“The quality wasn’t good enough, but there’s not much we can do about it at the moment because of the finances,” he said.

“The players aren’t good enough.”

“Hopefully they’ll go home thinking, ‘he can’t say that about us’ and they’ll come out next week showing they are good enough.”

“Hopefully we’ll sit down this week and get something sorted. We need to try and look for some new players.”

Trinity started the game brightly with the pace of loanees Conner Robinson and Rhys Oates worrying the Stockport backline.

And it was the pace of Oates that saw Trinity nearly open the scoring, as he chased down a lost cause before deflecting goalkeeper Ian Ormson’s clearance just wide of the post.

Both defences looked fragile, and Trinity’s backline nearly cracked first, as County front man Phil Jevons poked onto the post.

The hosts did take the lead on the stroke of half-time.

A long ball troubled Greg Young whose loose touch gave striker Kristian Dennis the opportunity to fire home from the edge of the area.

Housham would have hoped for a spirited turn around in the second-half, but the hosts had soon doubled their lead.

Rhys Turner ran at the Blues’ defence before his cross from the right found an unmarked Jevons whose header crept under Barnes .

Iain Howard and Dennis had chances to add a third for County, but Gainsborough soon made Stockport rue their wastefulness as substitute Mark Jones dragged his side back into the game.

A Simon Russell corner kick saw a Young header cleared off the County line, only for Jones to fire in the rebound.

The goal gave Trinity confidence as they looked to begin a late assault on the Stockport goal, Williams coming close to levelling with a low right-footed strike from long range.

Despite a flurry of late balls i to the box Trinity were unable to carve out any real goal-scoring opportunities, and the inevitable breakaway saw Stockport seal victory in stoppage time.

Tom Ward brought down Jevons in the box who was then able to pick himself up and slot his penalty past Barnes, condemning Trinity to a sixth straight defeat.

Stockport: Ormson, Jacobs, O’Halloran, Gosset, Fagbola, Charnock, Turner (Moke 74’), Verma, Dennis (Lofthouse 85’), Jevons, Howard (Duxberry 87’). Subs not used: Tunnicliffe, Jones.

Trinity: Barnes, Roma, Wilde, J.Williams (Jones 64’), Ward, Young, Russell, Davis, Oates, Robinson (Barraclough 74’), Clayton (R. Williams 50’) Subs not used: Lacey, Stamp.

Referee: Iain Hussin.

Attendance: 2803 (84 away)