Scunthorpe United v Grimsby Town

Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Football League Trophy

Scunthorpe United :
Lillis, Byrne, Crosby, Mirfin, Williams, Sparrow, Togwell, Morris, Woolford (Forte 81), Hayes, Hooper
Subs not used:
Slocombe, Picton, Wright

Grimsby Town :
Barnes, Bennett, Heywood, Newey, Clarke, Hegarty, Hunt (Llewellyn 79), Trotter, Boshell, Till (Taylor 76), Jarman (Ameobi 76)
Subs not used:
Montgomery, Stockdale

OPPOSITION VIEW

FROM THE GRIMSBY TELEGRAPH

IF anyone wondered what effect Mike Newell would have on Grimsby Town then it was there for all to see against the old enemy Scunthorpe United last night.

Just 24 hours after the new boss' appointment, and with the man himself watching on from the stands, the team rediscovered the sort of scintillating form that has been missing for far too long.

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they were simply superb despite not getting the result they thoroughly deserved on the night.

Had it not been for a mad four minutes slipping back into their bad old ways just before half-time, they may well have seen off high-flying Scunthorpe to progress in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy. Even after that sloppy spell, they could feel hard done by not to at least take the game to penalties - hitting the woodwork twice in the second half after Nick Hegarty had smashed home a stunning effort to give them hope early after the interval.

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It was not to be but in front of almost 1,000 travelling Mariners fans, the team regained pride and outshone their League One opponents. If any United fan tells you different, they would just being kidding themselves.

To a man, the team made a mockery of their lowly league position and if this is a sign of things to come then the only way is up for Newell and the black and white population.

Letting his new number two Stuart Watkiss pick the side, Newell took his place in the Glanford Park stands and must have been impressed with the way his new charges went about their task.

With Scunthorpe-born Nathan Jarman in for Tomi Ameobi, it was virtually the same side that capitulated in the second half at Rotherham. But whereas Town melted in the Steel City, they showed their mettle against the Iron.

It started edgily, however, and Danny Boshell came to the rescue twice in the space of a minute after kick-off.

First, he cleared off the line after an early corner found the sweet left foot of Martin Woolford and then, still manning the post, he headed a David Mirfin effort away with Phil Barnes beaten.

After a torrential downpour during the warm-up, both defences had to come to terms with a greasy surface and there was nearly a comical goal for Town when returning Iron veteran Andy Crosby headed just wide of his own post with keeper Josh Lillis stranded behind him.

Town settled after their early scare and grew in confidence. As ever, that man Peter Till was at the heart of things but this time he was ably supported by the rest of his team-mates who started to ooze belief as if it had somehow been unlocked inside them.

Boshell started a fine move by spreading the ball wide to Jamie Clarke whose low cross was flicked goalwards by Till only for Cliff Byrne to deflect it just wide.

Another great move from midfield, involving some neat one-touch passing between Boshell, Liam Trotter, Till and Hegarty ended with an intelligent cross from the wide man onto the head of Jarman, who was unlucky to see his header ahead of Lillis come back off the bar.

United were on the back foot but did have sighters themselves - Gary Hooper lashing a drive over after a one-two with impressive left-back Marcus Williams.

Then Matt Sparrow spurned a golden opportunity from a matter of yards when he dragged a right-footer wide after a knock-back from Hooper.

The game ebbed and flowed like a typical derby, but unlike a local rumble the tackles were not as fierce as referee Kevin Friend would have everyone believe.

The finicky official blew up at the slightest touch to penalise Boshell after he won the ball and then, for the second game running, Till's pace beat the offside trap only for the official to pull the game back for an offside against the static Jarman.

It was about the only time the gritty frontman stopped moving all night.

It was no surprise then that Mr Friend made an enemy of the Town hordes in the away end when he blew up and carded James Hunt after he won the ball from Sam Togwell 25 yards out - albeit from behind.

From the set-piece, Town went to sleep and Ian Morris floated an inch-perfect cross onto Togwell's head and he beat an otherwise flawless Ryan Bennett to head home low.

As on their last competitive visit to their rivals, in the Russell Slade era, Town felt hard done to by the official and Jarman went into the book as it threatened to boil over.

More woe for the Mariners followed as Morris picked the ball up 20 yards out and sidestepped James Hunt to fire home low past Barnes with a wicked drive.

Somehow, after a decent display, Town were two down and it was, incredibly, almost three when Togwell latched onto a long punt to stretch and try to lob Barnes.

The big stopper got back to save the effort and Town were left to come to terms with how they were behind at the break.

New boss Newell had his say in the dressing room at half-time and it clearly paid dividends as three minutes after the break, Town were back in it.

Bombing on further forward, wing backs Clarke and Hegarty combined in the box and the latter put his laces through a drive from an angle on his favoured left foot to score his first of the campaign.

The Town fans behind the goal went wild and sensed some justice for once. That would be asking too much for one night, however.

After already hitting the woodwork in the first half, Jamie Clarke sent a curling free-kick from the edge of the box back off the bar with Lillis well-beaten.

The rebound fell too quickly for Trotter to react and he couldn't divert it under the bar.

Then Hegarty, clearly boosted by his goal, almost had another screamer nestling in the net but for a deflection that sent it agonisingly wide.

It was all Town now, both on and off the pitch, as the away support pumped up the volume to back their boys.

As time ticked on, the Mariners pushed further forward in search of a well-deserved equaliser and while that left gaps at the back, the much-maligned defence stood firm to throw bodies in the way.

Matt Heywood showed the sort of form that tempted former boss Alan Buckley to bring him in from Brentford, while Tom Newey - in his 150th start for the club - also stood out producing a last gasp block late on to thwart Hooper when the frontman was expecting a simple tap in from a few yards.

And Barnes was on hand to pull off a fine save from the same United striker one-on-one having to adjust to keep out the drive.

But it was Bennett - in his 50th Town start at only 18 years of age - who shone brightest with a performance to remind everyone of his undoubted potential.

And he could have capped his display with a goal had his header inside the box not made it a hat-trick of rebounds off the bar

Andy Taylor, Ameobi and Chris Llewellyn all came off the bench to try and inject some freshness in a Town attack that had worked its socks off.

But it just wasn't to be and the Iron bar proved the home side's best defence.

So no trip to Wembley in the Trophy this year for Town and its fantastic away support.

But if this is what's on the menu more often under Newell, then a tenner for a ticket on Saturday could prove to be a snip.