Impressive Grimsby Town ease into Lincolnshire Senior Cup final

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Saturday, July 31, 2010
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This is Grimsby

GRIMSBY Town swept into the final of the Lincolnshire Senior Cup with an impressive 4-2 victory over Lincoln City last night.

A remarkable first-half at a wet Blundell Park saw all six goals as the game went from one end to the other to the delight of the 1,561 hardy souls in attendance.

The result gives the Mariners an extra pre-season match, on Tuesday night, as they take on Scunthorpe United for the first piece of silverware of the season.

Town boss Neil Woods was again forced to shuffle his pack with a raft of Mariners' first-teamers unavailable – mainly due to injury.

Kenny Arthur, Nick Colgan, Lee Peacock, Mark Hudson, Charles Ademeno and Lee Ridley all sat this one out.

On a brighter note, last season's Player of the Year Peter Bore returned to the starting 11 having recovered from a hamstring strain.

Youth team stopper Rob Peet deputised in goal, while trialist Dwayne Samuels, previously of West Brom, had a chance to impress at right-back.

The other unfamiliar face was ex-Norwich City winger Robert Eagle, who began on the left of midfield.

Newly-appointed assistant manager Dave Moore took the Town players through their paces in the pre-match warm-up.

But it was the visitors who had the first effort on goal, when Delroy Facey lashed a left-footer well over.

Town responded and two minutes later a smart move between Coulson and Alan Connell gave the former a chance to have a shot, which was blocked by City's Andrew Hutchinson.

Seven minutes in and Facey's strike partner Gavin McCallum forced Peet into a save with a powerful left-foot volley from the edge of the box, before Bore lashed a 25-yarder just wide.

Chances were coming thick and fast and it was Lincoln who broke the deadlock in embarrassing circumstances for Town. A low corner from the right evaded everyone in the box and was side-footed home at the far post by McCallum in acres of space.

It should have been two moments later as a fine cross from the left was met powerfully by the head of Hutchinson – Peet parrying the ball away well at full stretch.

The Mariners had an opportunity to hit back almost immediately as Scott Garner squared the ball in the box for an unmarked Connell. Unfortunately, the former Bournemouth man scuffed his shot and the danger was cleared.

Connell came close again twice in the 20th minute, testing Lincoln keeper Paul Musselwhite with a chip from the edge of the area, before hammering a shot wide from 25 yards.

Building on this pressure, Town were level a minute later as new-boy Eagle fed Michael Coulson, who in turn played a threaded ball for Bore to run onto. The right-midfielder fired the ball past Musselwhite with aplomb.

It was 2-1 to the hosts on 25 minutes when a superb piece of build-up play ended with Samuels clipping in an excellent cross from the right and Connell nodding the ball into the net from six yards.

The Mariners' joy was shortlived however, as they fell for the same trick again – Nathan Adams' corner from the right being met by an unmarked McCallum at the far post to nod home.

The goals kept flowing and on 31 minutes Town were ahead again as Garner bundled home a corner.

Remarkably, a minute later and it was 4-2 to the Mariners. More slick build-up play between Connell and Coulson laid a chance on a plate for the onrushing Micky Cummins to plant home from close range.

Lincoln could have found a way back into the game in the 35th minute when Hutchinson touched the ball past Bradley Wood and had his heels clipped by the Town youngster. But referee Ross waved away City's claims for a spot-kick.

The all-out attacking continued in the run-up to half-time, with Facey forcing Peet into a smart save from a tight angle. And Connell guided a header wide from 15 yards, before the sides trudged off for a well-earned rest after six goals and non-stop goal-mouth action.

The hosts started the second period brightly with Connell and Coulson continuing to offer a constant threat to the Imps' backline.

And Town had the first effort on goal when Eagle drilled a low right-footer on target in the 50th minute – Musselwhite getting down well to his right to push it around the post.

Coulson blasted another decent chance over from 20 yards after more creative play by the highly impressive Connell.

Despite this dominance, the lively McCallum continued to be a threat to Town's defence and found space to drill a left-foot shot just wide in the 56th minute.

Musselwhite was back in action again soon though, tipping over a Kempson piledriver from 15 yards following a Town corner.

Up the other end, Hutchinson prodded wide from eight yards after a Clarke Keltie shot was charged down and fell into his path.

Woods freshened things up in the 66th minute with his first substitution of the night – Nathan Dixon replacing the superb Connell.

Michael Leary saw a left-footer fly over from 25 yards and Musselwhite needed to be on his toes to acrobatically push away a sliced effort from team-mate Kern Miller.

Cummins went close shortly after as Town forced a succession of corners, before Josh Fuller came on for Bore 16 minutes from time.

Wood was required to head a Hutchinson shot off the Town line as City reminded the hosts of their attacking threat.

Young Tom Corner was brought on up top for Coulson as the game entered its final ten minutes, and Samuels was next to have a try from distance, lashing over from 25 yards.

Despite that, the second-half was always going to struggle to match the first, and the match gradually petered out, with Town comfortably holding onto their two-goal advantage, and proceeding to the final.

Much of Town's attacking play throughout the 90 minutes was superb, with Connell and Coulson linking up well, well supported by a hard-working midfield marshalled by Cummins.

Elsewhere, trialists Eagle and Samuels were impressive and have given Woods much to ponder over the next few days. Both could be snapped up given their fine performances.

Town's inability to defend corners will be the one main concern for the Mariners' boss, with both of the visitors' goals coming from simple set-pieces from the right-hand side.

But that shouldn't overshadow a fine all-round performance against Chris Sutton's League Two side and Town's fans can be encouraged by the progress made from the Mariners' last outing at Gainsborough Trinity.

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14 Comments

  • Profile image for This is Grimsby

    by Granty, Cleethorpes

    Monday, August 02 2010, 1:52AM

    “2 Goals in 2 games even, oh man I shouldn't really even need to correct that but these boards are so petty lately, people who write comments then back themselves up using a couple of different aliases. People like Will clearly know their stuff and talk football but you guys who moan about my posts or others or just come on to bring the club down really are sad.
    I have been told plenty of times that I write a good post, though not for the past year while I been going on about Bore (surprise) I have even Bored myself with it but now he seems to be geting his chance hopefully we'll see if I'm right or not though in the two games he has played so far I gotta admit I wasn't surprised but I did feel satisfaction that some of my relentless posting had been justified, what I can't understand is how a potent attacking force has been missed particularly last season when we were crying out for one!”

  • Profile image for This is Grimsby

    by Granty, Cleethorpes

    Monday, August 02 2010, 1:43AM

    “Well you guys thats the point in having an Alias, I often see a doom and gloomer has posted and skip straight past, you are free to do the same, though whoever CCellis is I have never seen you post on here before and as your from Sheffield I'll take it as bad feeling cos we outplayed you :D, I admit I have gone on about Bore a lot but at the time not many fans backed my oppinion, some said he was a poor player yet he then went on to get player of the season and is now proving that he is of much more value up the pitch.
    I have never been so adamant about a player before but because I think he would make a huge difference to our attack then until he's been given a chance then I'll keep on bringing it up, it's the fans like you that clearly recognise (Peter Bore's dad) that I have mentioned it so much yet can't admit that maybe I have been right all this time, two goals in two goals for a winger is far beyond what even Man U would expect from theirs!”

  • Profile image for This is Grimsby

    by daz, Town

    Sunday, August 01 2010, 11:43PM

    “Well done town now to take Scunny down.

    Fenty Out.”

  • Profile image for This is Grimsby

    by ccellis, Sheffield

    Sunday, August 01 2010, 1:00PM

    “Totally agree tynemariner, granty (peter bore's dad) can go on a bit. That's 5 minutes of my life I'll never get back...”

  • Profile image for This is Grimsby

    by Impsfan, Lincoln

    Sunday, August 01 2010, 10:39AM

    “Will. gy first 4 you mentioned are reserve players other 2 are first team. Good luck for the season hope to see you back in the league soon”

  • Profile image for This is Grimsby

    by will, gy

    Saturday, July 31 2010, 9:40PM

    “connell was awesome last night. his link up play was brilliant but the most pleasing thing for me was that he never looked like missing his goal. we might actually have a goalscorer!

    thought both trialists looked really good. samuels was pretty much bore mark 2 at right back, maybe not the best defensively but exciting going forward.

    really liked eagle too, didnt look like going past players often, but really composed on the ball.

    the only real worry for me is central midfield. individually they were both impressive (including leary!), but we did keep leaving wide open spaces in midfield which we really need to work on.

    i think we will either love or hate kempson next season, looks really well suited to the aerial bombardment we will face, but you can see the panic in his eyes whenever he gets passed to.

    and lincoln reserves?

    musselwhite, clapham, pearce, facey, keltie and new signing maccalum, doesnt sound like a reserve side to me. and if that is their reserve side, lincoln must have 1 hell of a first team.”

  • Profile image for This is Grimsby

    by tynemariner, newcastle

    Saturday, July 31 2010, 6:05PM

    “good performance last night,looking ok,pleased the doom mongers have stayed away,its a shame granty cant get his point across without being anal and boring.utm”

  • Profile image for This is Grimsby

    by Tom, Grimsby

    Saturday, July 31 2010, 5:16PM

    “You'd expect a paid journalist to get the goalscorer's right wouldn't you. Kempson didn't score, it was Garner who headed in the goal from the corner. Sums up the standard of reporting in the Telegraph these days.”

  • Profile image for This is Grimsby

    by Granty, Cleethorpes

    Saturday, July 31 2010, 4:27PM

    “(Part 2)
    The start of the season is fast approaching now and our players need to be ready for that first game against crawley, no doubt their squad will have been motivated to prove that they don't need Charlie and made a better signing in Tubbs, first games are always much tougher no matter who your playing because both teams are almost always up for it and give maximum effort, the weak teams end up being those who cannot keep that effort up, trust me, I play in a league (pool) and we are unbeaten in 41 drawing only 4 in that time, one of which was the first game of this season, in fact we almost threw that run away because we underestimated them but when we played them again it was a totally different game but that first one is almost always much tougher than playing the same team further into the season.
    It's not a bad thing playing some of the better teams early doors because they are likely the ones who can keep the work rate up all season anyhow but the only danger is if we let ourselves down and take a confidence dive because of it, so lets do the business against Crawley, Maximum effort and start how we mean to go on, Bore on the wing and all :) seriously unless we can find another direct and composed player that makes things happen (which I doubt) then we must use his pace in our attacks as pacey players have the ability to turn a two man attack into a smash & grab, making it easier to find a pass due to more options.

    Goals = Promotion = :D”

  • Profile image for This is Grimsby

    by Granty, cleethorpes

    Saturday, July 31 2010, 4:27PM

    “(Part 1)
    I gotta say it.... Bore on the wing again and he scores again, maybe when I have said numerous times that I feel if he'd been used on the wing last season we wouldn't have gone down I'm right, It's not just his goal scoring ability and lets face it two goals in two right wing games is more than anybody would expect but ever since his hat trick against Boston he has always looked a massive threat but the key reason to keep him on the wing is his ability to start a lightning fast attack, last season we were lazy in midfield and that just makes it 5 times as hard to break down a defence but if you catch them on the break and your whole midfield is willing to race forward then your gonna often find a lot of space and often one simple ball across the park will create a one on one situation, rather that than getting through two banks of four because the midfield are two lazy. I thought Woods was a little stubborn last season in his team selection because we all saw very little creativity for a long time yet I felt strongly all along and posted many times regarding the difference I felt Pete Bore would make in an advanced role, surely Woods has finally smelt the coffee and with Bradley Wood as impressive as ever I'd rather not think about what may have been had these two been used in those positions last season and look forward knowing full well that Woodsy is now showing us he does have an eye for creative play, he's proven that so far with Connell but even more so in the pace and quick thinking he's instilled into attacking areas.
    Maybe an Akpro type player with better finishing would serve us well, someone with pace and stature but then maybe Adameno has part of that? I always worry with Town regarding a goal scorer though perhaps Woods has done the harder part of the job first which is finding a player such as Connell, he's proven he can score but more importantly he brings others into play and links the attack, he seems to have great vision and it maybe early days but he said himself he wants to prove that he's better than the conference, he's starting to show he's a player who the team can rely upon and with Peacock (Warrior, born winner) Bore (Fast, Direct & Composed), Wood (Fighter/Winner) Coulson (Good work ethic & glimpses of creative play with Connell) then we are forming a spine to the team, We already know that Atkinson is solid when his confidence is there, I think maybe he became a little demoralised towards the end of last season but then thats understandable, Kempson looks tough and so long as that back line start communicating a little better then the organisation will come, they gotta understand that it's OK to shout at each other or give instructions, if they fall out on the pitch it's nothing personal off it but good teams drive each other and should also expect better of each other.
    Finally I think Cummins has a good work ethic too, maybe peacock will be free to play up front (I doubted) though I would always be prepared to drop him into midfield if the team is struggling to get hold of the ball or not creating, I doubt there will be a more committed player in the Blue square this season.
    Hopefully Woods will have seen enough in one or both of the trialists, I really think options in attacking areas which allow us to change our style will be important this year, last season our options from the bench were pretty much like for like or maybe they were just all as bothered as each other, we need to be able to spark a game into life when we're failing.”

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