Straight in for his debut came Ronnie Kokkinos, he replaced the injured Jordan Helliwell in the centre of midfield, in an otherwise unchanged starting line up from the side that won convincingly at home to Leamington in the FA Cup.

Both sides traded corners in the opening stages, as the cup tie ebbed and flowed. Kokkinos was immediately involved, on debut, instantly looking at home, at the higher level. Harrison Beeden was in the right place, at the right time. Twelve minutes in, falling back into a deep defensive position on the line, he cleared the danger, after Luca Navarro cut in from the Bury left, with David Robson beaten.

Trinity looked a threat themselves going forwards, with Javelle Clarke & Fraser Preston continuing to play with confidence. Backed up by George Hornshaw – Kokkinos was presented with a half decent chance on the edge of the box, but he dragged his effort wide of the right hand up right. Navarro did well defensively, when Harvey Sutcliffe & Connor Brown combined to tee up Preston, but as he primed to shoot, the Bury number eleven got enough of a block on the ball to take all of the sting out of Fraser’s effort.

At the other end, Navarro again had Trinity in trouble. His low ball across the face of goal turned home from close range by Anthony Dudley. Dudley was involved a couple of times in the aftermath of his goal. Showing a neat turn of feet in the middle of the park, before picking up a caution for an aerial challenge of Robson, where he wasn’t looking at the flight of the ball – but letting the ‘keeper know he was around.

And capping of a busy six minutes for the Bury #10 he could only find the side netting from James Melhardo’s centre. With too much time and space out on the right, the former Warrington Town full back flashed a ball into a dangerous area, but Dudley couldn’t wrap his foot around the ball.

Ben Blythe and Kokkinos battled for the ball on the edge of the box. A typical example of Trinity’s never say die attitude. The ball falling for Blythe – but his effort lacked enough power to trouble Allen. A Blythe long throw caused panic in the Bury ranks, and as Lewis Butroid looked to line up a volley, he was seemingly nudged in the back. Enough to prevent him catching his effort fully. Connor Brown continued to work tirelessly up top, supported by the industry of Preston and Clarke – but there wasn’t quite enough up in support, as Wilcox’s men found themselves behind at the break.

Half Time: Bury 1 Gainsborough Trinity 0

Less than five minutes into the second half, Bury centre back, Louis Isherwood found himself in the Referee’s notebook for delaying the restart as Brown looked to get on with things quickly. That pair would go on to have a right old battle, with Isherwood lucky to see the game through. Really struggling to get to grips with the Trinity centre forward.

Dropping deep, Mo Touray looked to thread a ball through for Dudley, but his strike partner had gone too early. And the flag rescued Trinity. Again, Kokkinos was involved. Doing well to hold the ball. Yellow shirts arriving in support, Clarke tried to bring the ball under his spell. Working the Bury ‘keeper, before Navarro doubled the Bury lead. Again afforded too much time and space, the tricky winger, who has long been a tormentor of the Holy Blues was allowed to ghost off his spot on the left hand side, and travel too far before firing past Robson.

Three minutes later, Clarke found Preston, as Trinity countered well. Allen tipping over the bar to deny Fraser a goal. Preston was starting to exert an element of control on proceedings. Excellent vision saw Brown in space. His lifted pass, into Connor was really well taken down – but Bury slammed shut the door. The visitors starting to knock on the door. Trinity introduced Theo Williams from the bench, with just under half an hour to play. Twisting in the box. And he looked to add something different to the Gainsborough attack.

Brown looked to squeeze the ball across the face of goal, but Mitch Allen was out smartly at the new signings’ feet. Kokkinos continued to get around the park, and tenacious play saw him disposes his man, who was looking to shepherd the ball harmlessly out of play, getting the better of his man, the former Sherwood Colliery’s man, was sent tumbling. Lewis Butroid making it 2-1 with just under twenty minutes left to play. Emphatically smashing home his penalty, at the Trinity end of the ground.

Bury responded through Rustam Stephans. He twisted and turned, before grazing the top of the crossbar, from the right hand edge of the box.

Eleven minutes from time, Brown had a glorious chance to draw the game level, when his clever movement found him in acres of space, with just the goalkeeper to beat… sticking out an instinctive foot – Allen diverted the effort away from danger. Would Gainsborough be made to rue the missed opportunity?

Owen Robinson tested Robson at his near post, before substitute Kai Evans seemingly put the game beyond doubt with a minute of normal time remaining. Restoring the Shakers’ two goal cushion, direct from a corner.

Nobody had shared that script with Russ Wilcox’s men however. Two minutes into stoppage time, Theo Williams got in behind. Playing the ball across the face of goal, to combine with fellow substitute Aaron Simpson. Azza, making only his second appearance of the season, arriving late in the box, steered home an expert finish. Opening his account for the Holy Blues – and again reducing the deficit to one.

Would the unthinkable be back on? The game ticking into the final minute of added on time, Trinity won a freekick on halfway. Skipper Lewis Butroid’s ball into the box caused panic. And when the clearance dropped on the edge of the box – Kokkinos underlined his excellent debut with a crisp twenty yard finish, that whistled beyond Allen, to the delight of the travelling Trinity contingent.

Virtually the last play of the game – the visitors took the tie to penalties. Successful conversions from Butroid, Jackson, Offler, Whitehouse & Simpson were not enough to see the Holy Blues through. Despite Robson sticking to his guns, and making the save from Kai Evans. The Shakers were otherwise foot perfect from twelve yards.

Full Time: Bury 3 Gainsborough Trinity 3 |
6-5 Bury win the shootout.

The Teams

Bury: Mitch Allen, James Melhado, Connor Pye, George Glendon, Louis Isherwood, Bailey Sloane, Rustam Stepans, Daniel Adshead, Mo Touray, Anthony Dudley, Luca Navarro
Subs not used: Owen Robinson, Oscar Threlkeld, Kai Evans, Liam Gould, Murat Aydogan

Gainsborough Trinity: David Robson, Harvey Sutcliffe (Aaron Simpson ) Ben Blythe (Ash Jackson ) George Hornshaw (Elliott Whitehouse ) Jack Leckie, Harrison Beeden, Lewis Butroid, Ronnie Kokkinos, Javelle Clarke (Theo Williams) Connor Brown, Fraser Preston (Ashton Offler 87)
Gainsborough goals: Lewis Butroid 72’ (pen), Aaron Simpson 90+3’ and Ronnie Kokkinos 90+5

Attendance: 1,933
Referee: Declan O’Regan

Report written by Rob Hughes (@AATM_Media)
Images by Tommy Cox