Ex-Stag Neal Bishop named joint boss of Gainsborough Trinity

Gainsborough Trinity have appointed a new joint management team, with former Mansfield Town midfielder Neal Bishop taking his first top job.

Experienced midfielder Bishop, 40, who was a key part of Trinity’s midfield last season and who has nearly 800 professional appearances to his name, has been named as boss alongside 34-year-old Damon Parkinson, who was assistant to outgoing manager Tom Shaw last season having also worked in a similar role at Frickley Athletic and as a joint-manager at Newark Town.

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Bishop added: “It is a huge honour and a privilege to be asked to be manager of Gainsborough Trinity alongside Damon. We share many core beliefs of how the game should be played and are committed to continuing with the brand of football that Tom instilled in the group last season.

“We are determined to give our supporters a team this town can be proud of and work is going on behind the scenes to ensure this is the case.”

PLAY-OFF FINAL LIVE BLOG: Mansfield Town v Port Vale

Key Events

  • LATEST: Mansfield 0-2 Port Vale - Stags down to ten men after 35 minutes.
  • Stags team: Bishop, McLaughlin, Hewitt, Murphy, Bowery, Hawkins, Perch (c), Quinn, Oates, O’Toole, Longstaff. Subs: Clarke, Maris, Wallace, Stirk, Lapslie, Akins, Stech (GK)
  • Port Vale: Stone, Gibbons, Smith, Hall, Benning, Worrall, Garrity, Pett (c), Taylor, Harratt, Wilson. Subs: Covolan, Martin, Charsley, Proctor, Robinson, Amoo, Edmondson.
  • Kick-off at Wembley is 4pm
  • Thousands of Stags fans have made the journey south
  • Match is also live on Sky Sports

Vale change sees former Stag Harry Charsley replace Jake Taylor.

Vale have the ball in the net through Harratt but it’s ruled out for offside following a corner.

Stags replace Matty Longstaff with George Maris.

A good spell from Stags which ends with a corner, the ball cleared to McLaughlin whose low shot is wide from the edge of the box.

Stags substitution sees George Lapslie replace Jamie Murphy.

Vale close to a third as Jake Taylor’s shot from outside the box is past the post. Stags yet to show this half.

Second-half under way

Huge half for Stags who really need to get into Vale here if they’re to have any chance of pulling this back.

HALF-TIME: Mansfield Town 0-2 Port Vale

Well, it couldn’t have gone much worse for Stags, to be honest.

Two poor goals conceded, a red card for Ollie Hawkins and two other defenders now on yellows with Perch and Hewitt also cautioned.

Very close to pulling one back through Oates but Vale equally not far away from a third.

Vale free-kick just outside the box, Perch having been booked for a foul on Garrity - Wilson curls his effort just past the post. Wilson then cuts inside and shoots low at Bishop.

Benning’s deep free-kick finds Nathan Smith at the back post but his looping header is too high.

Five minutes added on at the end of the first-half.

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