‘Got away with it’

The Blues were beaten at Worcester last Monday despite taking a first half lead, and it was a similar case scenario at Vauxhall’s Rivacre Park on Saturday.

Three second half goals from the Motormen cancelled out Darryn Stamp’s early opener as the hosts ran out comfortable 3-1 winners.

It means Trinity slip out of the play-off places in Blue Square Bet North on goal difference, and Housham believes his side were fortunate that more teams around them failed to pick up points.

Only Nuneaton managed to win of the teams in the play-off places, while Guiseley and Halifax were held to frustrating home draws.

Housham said: “I’ve seen the results and I think we’ve got away with it a little bit.”

“There’s going to be one week where we can’t rely on these other teams, we’ve got to come and get three points against these sorts of teams.”

“But in two games Vauxhall have deservedly got four points from us and maybe should have had six points and that is hard to say.”

“I’ve said to the players give me ammo to come out and defend you but they haven’t because today’s performance was just not good enough.”

Trinity started brightly and Darryn Stamp’s glancing header from a Ryan Williams corner gave them the perfect start in Ellesmere Port on the quarter hour mark.

But the Blues could not build on their early advantage and four minutes after the break, Luke Waterfall pulled down Josh Wilson in the penalty area and he picked himself up to fire past Jason White to level the scores.

Substitute Ryan Kendall had the ball in the net on 62 minutes but his joy was short-lived as the linesman ruled for offside.

And Trinity’s woes were increased when Vauxhall’s Kevin Holsgrove rounded off a fine attacking move to slot the ball beyond White on 70 minutes.

Housham brought on Paul Connor as the visitor’s searched for an equaliser but it was at the other end where Trinity needed reinforcements.

Wilson grabbed his second of the game moments later to put the game beyond any doubt after White could only parry Holsgrove’s shot.

“If a neutral spectator was here today they would be asking who is in the top half and who is in the bottom half,” said Housham.

“We got outclassed again by a team that are just fighting for their lives and got no response from the players whatsoever today and that is very disappointing.”

“We’ve been locked in the dressing room for some while asking questions and they were saying they don’t think we are working hard enough on the pitch.”

“And that comes with leaders and characters and we don’t seem to have one there to grab the game by the horns and give it a right go.”

“They have a laugh and they are loud in training but on the pitch we don’t seem to have a leader.”

With club captain Gavin Cowan out with injury Michael Leary was given the captain’s armband on Saturday after Ryan Williams had previously worn it in against Nuneaton.

“He’s (Leary) our voice, he’s our commander and has been for the last two games and did okay today,” added Housham.

“The captain’s armband is just there to toss a coin and you should have 11 captains out there and at the minute it’s hard to choose if we have got any.”

The Blues entertain basement boys Eastwood Town this Saturday on the Northolme (3pm).

Vauxhall Motors: Tynan, Fearnehough, Dames, Hannigan, Jones, Burke, Mahon, Mannix, Parkinson (Wynn 75), Wilson, Holsgrove (Ogden 78). Not used: Horne; Egerton, Spotswood.

Gainsborough Trinity: White, Roma, Watts, Waterfall, Boyce, Leary, D’Laryea, R. Williams (Clarke 65), Godden (Kendall 58), Stamp, Yates (Connor 80). Not used: J. Williams, Paczkowski.

Referee: Ben Toner.

Attendance: 171.