SkyBet EFL League Two
at Blundell Park, Cleethorpes
Grimsby Town (0) 0
Mansfield Town (0) 1
Krystian Pearce 90+6
Krystian Pearce 90+6
Attendance: 5,087 (inc. 681 away fans)
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| Groundhopper/Trainspotter porn. New LED floodlights and a train. |
Grimsby Town:
1) James McKeown (C), 2) Luke Hendrie, 3) Liam Gibson, 6) Luke Waterfall, 4) Harry Davis, 8) Jake Hessenthaler, 11) Jordan Cook (10) Elliott Whitehouse 85), 12) Ethan Robson, 9) James Hanson, 19) Max Wright (7) Matt Green 27), 20) Moses Ogbu (14) Ahkeem Rose 76)
Unused subs - 23) Sam Russell, 22) Elliott Hewitt,
25) Matthew Pollock, 15) Harry Clifton
Mansfield Town:
1) Conrad Logan, 17) Ryan Sweeney, 5) Krystian Pearce (C), 2) Hayden White, 20) Kellan Gordon, 3) Mal Benning, 7) Alex MacDonald, 6) Neal Bishop,
10) Otis Khan (15). Conor Shaughnessy 85), 32) Danny Rose (19) Andy Cook 83), 11) Nicky Maynard (22) CJ Hamilton 63)
Unused subs - 31) Aidan Stone, 30) Ali Smith, 16) Willem Tomlinson, 18) Oladapo Afolayan
In which the seventh placed Mariners, who started the day just four points behind the League Two leaders: Exeter City and Cheltenham Town, entertained nineteenth placed Mansfield Town, whose own early season campaign has been beset by all manner of pitfalls, injuries, misfortune and 'if-only' type scenarios thus far.
Grimsby were on a high going into this game, after picking up an eye-catching 1-3 away win at St James Park against the aforementioned Grecians last weekend, while the Stags had lost three and drawn one of their previous four league games.
A home banker then?
Apparently not... read on.
Michael Jolley didn't exactly rip up any trees in his role as first team manager at Blundell Park last season, when his team finished seventeenth in League Two, but he bought into the ethos of the football club, while the powers that be at the Cleethorpes based side, obviously got on board with his ideas too... and subsequently, they're in a much healthier position right now, than they were at this time last year.
Which goes to show, that in certain cases, patience, longevity and a fixed term planning strategy, rather than chucking everything (including the kitchen sink) at a 'do or die' quick 'solution', actually provides the sort of stability that lays down real foundations and a a sound footing, for forward thinking clubs to build on.
Short term pain, for long term gain, I believe it's called.
It evidently works for some, even if such an approach wouldn't suit everybody... because, when all is said and done, despite several obvious similarities wherever you might traverse on your journey around this footballing globe, every single football club is unique.
Only time will tell if Jolley's term in charge will prove to be a success at Grimsby... but you can't knock 'em for trying something a bit different.
Having had two 'big reputation' type managers manning the bridge in recent times, namely Steve Evans and David Flitcroft, Mansfield have adopted a completely different approach this term, compared to their recent managerial appointments, by promoting their head of academy: John Dempster, up through the ranks, in what is his eighth year of service to the club, including his time as a player.
Football at the top end (and probably at all other ends for that matter too, regardless of what some people might claim) is a results based industry... and today's three point smash and grab raid by the Stags, was only their third win out of their opening twelve league games so far (they've also drawn four and lost five).
Pardon me for stating the bleedin' obvious, but although there have been both internal and extraneous matters, curtailing the Stags progress thus far this season, there is a massive scope for improvement.
And getting some points on board must be the main priority, with immediate effect.
Football is a squad game, as was seen when that nice Mr Dempster had to switch things around following Haydn White's dismissal around the hour mark, but as players return to the fold from injury, the Stags manager has a fuller pack to deal from now... and though he'd never make excuses, that is a luxury that he hasn't been afforded thus far, as his situation began to resemble that of a juggler, who was having to ply his trade with his hands tied behind his back.
Will today's win (beside the seaside, beside the sea) mark a turning point for the Stags, following their less than propitious start to the season?
I guess we'll all know the answer to that conundrum soon enough, when Oldham Athletic, who are currently chugging along two points behind Mansfield in the table, visit Field Mill this coming weekend.
Before that vital League Two clash takes place, David Artell will be arriving in Mansfield with his high flying Crewe Alexandra side on Tuesday night, to face his former club in a Leasing.com EFL Trophy, Northern Group E fixture. Grimsby are away against Sunderland on the same night, before resuming their league campaign at Stevenage next Saturday. Suffice to say: if any corner is being turned by the Nottinghamshire side, there is still a heck of a long way to go before the end of it will eventually be in sight.
1) James McKeown (C), 2) Luke Hendrie, 3) Liam Gibson, 6) Luke Waterfall, 4) Harry Davis, 8) Jake Hessenthaler, 11) Jordan Cook (10) Elliott Whitehouse 85), 12) Ethan Robson, 9) James Hanson, 19) Max Wright (7) Matt Green 27), 20) Moses Ogbu (14) Ahkeem Rose 76)
Unused subs - 23) Sam Russell, 22) Elliott Hewitt,
25) Matthew Pollock, 15) Harry Clifton
Mansfield Town:
1) Conrad Logan, 17) Ryan Sweeney, 5) Krystian Pearce (C), 2) Hayden White, 20) Kellan Gordon, 3) Mal Benning, 7) Alex MacDonald, 6) Neal Bishop,
10) Otis Khan (15). Conor Shaughnessy 85), 32) Danny Rose (19) Andy Cook 83), 11) Nicky Maynard (22) CJ Hamilton 63)
Unused subs - 31) Aidan Stone, 30) Ali Smith, 16) Willem Tomlinson, 18) Oladapo Afolayan
Grimsby were on a high going into this game, after picking up an eye-catching 1-3 away win at St James Park against the aforementioned Grecians last weekend, while the Stags had lost three and drawn one of their previous four league games.
Apparently not... read on.
Michael Jolley didn't exactly rip up any trees in his role as first team manager at Blundell Park last season, when his team finished seventeenth in League Two, but he bought into the ethos of the football club, while the powers that be at the Cleethorpes based side, obviously got on board with his ideas too... and subsequently, they're in a much healthier position right now, than they were at this time last year.
Short term pain, for long term gain, I believe it's called.
It evidently works for some, even if such an approach wouldn't suit everybody... because, when all is said and done, despite several obvious similarities wherever you might traverse on your journey around this footballing globe, every single football club is unique.
Only time will tell if Jolley's term in charge will prove to be a success at Grimsby... but you can't knock 'em for trying something a bit different.
Football at the top end (and probably at all other ends for that matter too, regardless of what some people might claim) is a results based industry... and today's three point smash and grab raid by the Stags, was only their third win out of their opening twelve league games so far (they've also drawn four and lost five).
And getting some points on board must be the main priority, with immediate effect.
Football is a squad game, as was seen when that nice Mr Dempster had to switch things around following Haydn White's dismissal around the hour mark, but as players return to the fold from injury, the Stags manager has a fuller pack to deal from now... and though he'd never make excuses, that is a luxury that he hasn't been afforded thus far, as his situation began to resemble that of a juggler, who was having to ply his trade with his hands tied behind his back.
I guess we'll all know the answer to that conundrum soon enough, when Oldham Athletic, who are currently chugging along two points behind Mansfield in the table, visit Field Mill this coming weekend.
Before that vital League Two clash takes place, David Artell will be arriving in Mansfield with his high flying Crewe Alexandra side on Tuesday night, to face his former club in a Leasing.com EFL Trophy, Northern Group E fixture. Grimsby are away against Sunderland on the same night, before resuming their league campaign at Stevenage next Saturday. Suffice to say: if any corner is being turned by the Nottinghamshire side, there is still a heck of a long way to go before the end of it will eventually be in sight.
This afternoon's match referee: Paul Marsden, had a shocking game, though I was nonplussed by the claims of a good number of the home support, in the aftermath of their defeat this afternoon, that the official had made mistakes that had cost them the game and influenced the result.
Michael Jolley criticised the game management of the ref and his assistants in his post match interview too, but to his credit, the Mariners boss also added that incorrect decisions had been made by Mr Marsden that had affected both teams... spot on that man!
For the record, I genuinely believe it's a real shame, that referee's can't be substituted and replaced with the fourth official, when they're having a crap game, before they become a complete liability.
Michael Jolley criticised the game management of the ref and his assistants in his post match interview too, but to his credit, the Mariners boss also added that incorrect decisions had been made by Mr Marsden that had affected both teams... spot on that man!
For the record, I genuinely believe it's a real shame, that referee's can't be substituted and replaced with the fourth official, when they're having a crap game, before they become a complete liability.
The referee certainly hadn't been favouring the visitors when he issued a straight red card to Haydn White, for a studs up challenge on Jake Hessenthaler, in the middle of the park with half a hour still left to play (though having seen a slow motion re-run of the incident, that was one of the things that the 'man in crimson' actually did get right), nor was he handing any kind of advantage to Mansfield, when he only showed Luke Hendrie a yellow card in stoppage time, for a blatant trip from behind on CJ Hamilton, who had left his marker for dead on the left flank, just outside the penalty area, to give himself a clear run in on goal.
Justice was done however, when Andy Cook headed Mal Benning's free kick down six yards out from McKeown's goal and Krystian Pearce was on hand, to slash the ball into the back of the hosts net.
Justice was done however, when Andy Cook headed Mal Benning's free kick down six yards out from McKeown's goal and Krystian Pearce was on hand, to slash the ball into the back of the hosts net.
Chaos ensued behind the goal that Pearce had just scored into and I think at one point I possibly ended up three rows further forward than I'd started, before gliding effortlessly to the seat behind where I'd been stood in front of, just moments before the Stags topped off a gritty away performance with a perfectly timed goal... and I wouldn't be at all surprised if I'm actually pregnant now too.
But hey! Football days out, it comes with the territory... it's a risk you have to take, innit!?
Grimsby had started the game well, but when Jordan Cook delivered a dipping ball towards the bag post from out on the left flank, James Hanson had timed his run all wrong... and the linesman's flag was aloft, well before the hosts number nine headed the ball just inside the post.
But hey! Football days out, it comes with the territory... it's a risk you have to take, innit!?
Grimsby had started the game well, but when Jordan Cook delivered a dipping ball towards the bag post from out on the left flank, James Hanson had timed his run all wrong... and the linesman's flag was aloft, well before the hosts number nine headed the ball just inside the post.
The Mariners lively start fizzled out, after Max Wright was substituted in the twenty seventh minute, and after reshuffling their pack, they appeared to loose a lot of their impetus getting forward.
A disgruntled local was 'discussing' the finer points of the art of the beautiful game with me as I was walking back to my car, and said that his side should have won, because they had the ball more.
Percentages however, don't win games... and if the opposition keep on clearing their lines every time the ball is pumped hopefully into their area, and the majority of your time in possession sees you shifting play sideways, across the pitch, it might be worth remembering that the goals are at either end of the pitch, not on either touchline, so fannying about in a crab like fashion, might make for good stats, but it isn't causing any problems in the key areas of the pitch. Just saying.
The Radio Humberside post match phone in, was heavily congested with Mariners fans, bemoaning the fact (cough) that the Stags win was unfair... apparently, that was even blatantly obvious to see, for those who hadn't even been to Blundell Park, but had listened to the 'impartial' local radio coverage instead..
But, however some of those callers needed to dress it up, ultimately, Grimsby didn't win, because Mansfield didn't let them.
Did the home support really expect a team who were desperately in need of a win, to leave gaps all over the place, and allow themselves to be over-run, by a side who were enjoying a rich vein of form?
Have they never themselves, put in an 'away performance' where they've absorbed and snuffed out anything that their hosts can muster, before trying to floor them with a sucker punch?
Because that is, in a nutshell, the exact game plan that the Stags executed today, just about to perfection.
All the best teams have to resort to such a horses for courses strategy at times (so why shouldn't Mansfield too?)... and movement off the ball, is an underrated science all of it's own.
What the Stags did to Grimsby wasn't pretty at times, but they congested the key areas that Lolley's side would usually be far more creative in, showed a hell of a lot of grit and determination, and... for want of a better expression, won ugly!
All told it was a frantic and scrappy game, punctuated by the stop/start bizarre antics of a baffling referee.
But at the end of the day, three points is three points... and Mansfield had slugged it out to the bitter end, while their hosts huffed and puffed a lot, but couldn't blow those damn determined Stags down no matter how hard they tried.
It's horrible for the home supporters, when a visiting side turns up and grabs a late win, after hatching a master plan to stifle a team whose followers seemed to be overly complacent and confident about them winning comfortably, but that's how football works sometimes... and I'm sure we've all been in that same boat before; **it happens!
Learn from it, get over it, move on... and don't be a misery guts. It's only a game (or so I'm told)
FT: Grimsby Town 0 v Mansfield Town 1
A scrappy game all told, but an enjoyable afternoon in good company nevertheless... so then, fess up! How many of you Stags fans groaned when it was announced that the referee was adding six minutes on at the end and expected a late onslaught from the home side?
