by Peter Scherer
On Tuesday evening we welcome Gainsborough Trinity to the Don Amott Arena, in a re-arranged match due to our visitors run of success in both the FA Cup and FA Trophy.
Currently down in 20th place n the NPL, Gainsborough have seven games in hand over Mickleover and are three points behind, having played just two league games since the end of September, winning 3-0 at home to Workington and 2-0 at Whitby.
They hosted Rushall Olympic last Saturday in the FA Trophy, winning 2-1 and recently went out of the FA Cup to Harrogate in the third round proper.
Sports form has shown improvement over the recent weeks too, being unlucky to come away from FC United of Manchester pointless, before beating Stapenhill 4-0 in last Tuesdays Derbyshire Senior Cup game.
Jamie Soule and Andy Dales both took knocks at Manchester, but should hopefully be fit and both Cieron Keane and Gabby Adebambo are on the comeback trail too.
Russ Wilcox has been in charge at Gainsborough since September last year, having previously been at Farsley Celtic, Scunthorpe and York City.
As a player he made over 700 league appearances, with Doncaster, Northampton, Hull City, Preston North End and Scunthorpe.
Goalkeeper Dylan Wharton was a pre-season arrival, having come straight from Sheffield Utd, after being on loan for most of last season. He started out at Chesterfield and after a loan at Heanor Town, making the move to Sheffield Utd in September 2022.
Kian Johnson and Ollie Sykes are Wharton’s understudies. Johnson spent 10 years with Doncaster Rovers, before moving on to Worksop and Rossington Main. After training with Derby and Notts County, he made the move to Dubai City in the UAE League, before joining our visitors on his UK return last month.
Sykes came into the first team squad last season having come through the clubs own youth scheme.
Right back Sisa Tuntulwana came Grantham Town’s youth scheme and joined our visitors in pre-season. Fellow right back Jacob McLoughlin came in pre-season too from Ossett, where he spent last season after being released by York City.
Aaron Simpson s another right back that arrived pre-season. He was at Whitstable Town and Maidstone Utd at the start of his career before joining Wolves. He had loans at Portsmouth, Telford, Kilmarnock and FC Jumilla in Spain, before going to the League of Ireland with Waterford on his release. He soon returned to England with Dover Athletic and also played for Sutton Utd, Hemel and Chippenham and spent last season at Salisbury.
George Hornshaw is a right back too and former Scunthorpe Junior. His first loan spell was at Farsley, before joining Gainsborough for a month in 2019. He came back again in July 2021 on a permanent basis, but after a year moved back to Farsley, only to return to our visitors again after just two months.
Left back Ashley Jackson started out at Ossett Town, before moving on to Boston Utd, where he spent two years before joining Scarborough. He came to our visitors on loan last September, before his move was made permanent two months later.
Lewis Butroid is another left back and another ex Scunthorpe Junior. He was loaned to Spennymoor and Hereford before coming to Gainsborough on his release in August 2021. Six months later he joined Farsley and made the return trip 17 months later.
Will Lancaster is a centre back signed from Bradford Park Avenue in pre-season. Having started out with Barnsley, he was loaned to Bradford initially, before making it permanent at the start of last season.
Captain Dylan Coghill is a centre back too. He was a junior at Huddersfield, after they picked him up from Gildersome Sports. He had a spell in Scotland with Clyde after an initial loan, before returning to England with Farsley Celtic. He came to Gainsborough in August 2022, after two seasons at Scarborough.
Jordan Helliwell was another pre-season signing. A central midfielder, he started out at Barnsley too, and was loaned to Stalybridge Celtic and Esbjerg in Denmark. He also played for AFC Totton and Brighouse, before ending last season with Wakefield AFC.
Striker Javelle Clarke is in his second season with the club, having arrived from Brighouse in July 2023. He started his career at Sheffield Utd’s Academy.
Fellow striker Dec Howe has become Gainsborough’s lead scorer since coming from Ilkeston in September last year. He started with Staveley MW before a move to Cleethorpes. After a loan at Darlington he joined Alfreton at the start of last season, but moved to Ilkeston after a couple of months. He scored both goals in last Saturday’s FA Trophy win.
Right sided midfielder Frazer Preston played his junior football at Sheffield Wednesday. He spent two years with Boston Utd after his release, followed by a short stay at Alfreton before coming to Gainsborough in November 2022.
Bobby Johnson plays in central midfield and came from Farsley Celtic at the start of last season. He started at Goole and then North Ferriby, before a four-year spell at Alfreton, which preceded his move to Farsley.
Left- sided midfielder Joe Stacey started with Belper Town, before moving on via Ossett Utd, Grantham and Guiseley. He then joined Alfreton November 2023, who loaned him to Gainsborough for three months at the end of last season, before the stay was made permanent.
Fellow midfielder Bailey Conway was a Sheffield Utd Junior, moving to Rossington Main and Alfreton before his first spell at Gainsborough in December 2022. After seven months he moved to Guiseley, only to return seven weeks later.
Danny Devine is a midfielder too, who began his career at Bradford City. After a loan at Harrogate he joined Carlisle Utd, moving on to Chester two years later. After a loan spell at Farsley, he left Chester and began last season at Guiseley, moving to our visitors after three months.
Young striker Kyle Simpson has come through our visitors own youth scheme
Curtis Durose is the newest signing, a right-sided midfielder he came from Matlock just two weeks ago. A product of Rotherham Utd’s Academy, he spent most of the 22/23 season on loan at Gainsborough. He was then loaned to Scarborough and Matlock before the latter became permanent at the start of this season.
Striker Jack McMenemy is another new signing on a dual registration with Lincoln Utd. He has also played for Grantham and Cleethorpes.
Be there on Tuesday for the 7.45 kick off and help Mickleover take three points!!