A much-changed Boro side came up short in a narrow 3-2 defeat on the road, despite Lewis Rawsthorn’s late equaliser which looked to have added a point to our final tally.  

Radcliffe made seven changes to the team that drew 1-1 with Basford United at the Neuven Stadium last Saturday, as Bernard and Jonno handed league debuts to striker Lewis Rawsthorn and defender Alex Francis, along with goalkeeper Brad Sullivan who later entered the fray off the bench.

The visiting side almost took the lead in the 6th minute after Jude Oyibo’s cross took a wicked deflection, but the defender’s blushes were spared as Dylan Wharton was able to dive to his right and tip the ball behind for a corner.

With Radcliffe’s first corner of the game, the deadlock was broken. Having failed to defend the properly corner, Anthony Dudley’s ball fell back into his path, swinging another cross into the far post which was flicked on by Sean Tse for Jordan Hulme in the centre, heading home for his 25th goal of the campaign.

As the 30th minute approached, the Boro’s lead was almost doubled. Oyibo delivered a teasing low cross from the left along the face of goal, but no white shirts were in range to poke the ball into the open net.

Two minutes after Radcliffe’s missed opportunity, the home side went within a couple of inches of equalising. Fraser Preston’s effort from the edge of the area cannoned off the crossbar and rebounded into the air above Declan Howe. The league’s top scorer attempted the spectacular, though his shot flew over the intended target.

Russ Willcox’s side started the second half well and saw their efforts rewarded with an equaliser, just three minutes after the restart. Brad Rose managed to tip Howe’s initial low shot into a pocket of space which was quickly gathered by Dayle Southwell who tapped home the rebound.

Radcliffe had a chance to retake the lead ten minutes into the second half with a free kick that was won by Oyibo, and Hulme’s delivery to the back post landed kindly for Jake Thompson but the winger couldn’t keep his effort on target.

Moments after Ewan Bange and George Mercer were brought onto the field, the hosts took the lead with 20 minutes left in the match. Howe’s delivery from the right flank was deflected by Harry Brockbank, and Joe Stacey was first to react by pouncing on the loose ball and thumping into the net from ten yards out.

Radcliffe burst forwards in the 83rd minute in search of a parity restorer as Jamie Morgan went one-on-one with Josh Render, the substitute ‘keeper did well to deny the defender his 11th goal of the campaign with a smart stop.

On his league debut for Radcliffe, Rawsthorn levelled the scoreline in the 85th minute. Thompson’s cross from the right wing found the feet of the former Atherton LR striker, who swivelled on the spot before firing into the roof of the net, quickly ushering his teammates back to the half-way line with time running out.

However, Gainsborough weren’t finished in the final third and managed to grab a go-ahead goal on the cusp of added time. George Hornshaw’s delivery picked out Southwell in space, who got his second of the game with a tidy finish into the bottom left corner, sealing victory for his side.

Radcliffe couldn’t make the most of the four additional minutes at the end of the 90, conceding agonisingly late to suffer defeat in the final game of the 2023/24 campaign.

Radcliffe XI: Rose (Sullivan 81’), Oyibo, Thompson, Smith (Mercer 66’), Brockbank, Francis, Dudley, Tse, Hulme (Bange 59’), Rawsthorn, Morgan

Unused subs: Duxbury, Jackson

Gainsborough XI: Wharton (Render 56’), Hornshaw, Jackson, Conway, Douglas, Wallace (Collins 86’), Stacey, Johnson, Southwell, Howe, Preston

Unused subs: Moore-Billam, Simpson, Parkinson