What They All Said About Saturday's Win!

By: Bill Osborne
Date: 13/08/2001

GRIMSBY TOWN manager Lennie Lawrence was, like the fans, delighted with the win over Crewe that gave Town three points from the opening home game of the season - a feat last achieved 17 years ago. It was a game that brought not only victory but hope and confidence to the Mariners fans.

Lawrence said after the game: "It was vitally important for us to get a win. Crewe had three or four of their first choice players missing in fairness, and we just about deserved it."

Talking to the Grimsby Telegraph he said, "We are in the top half, and it would be nice if we can get to West Brom and get something. It will be hard, but there are worse times to play them, so we have to go there and give it a go."

"If we can get something from that then we go into the Preston game and the bank holiday game (Portsmouth, away), really up for it. It was the fifth game before we got three points last year."

He pointed out that the quicker pace of the game was something he had worked on with the players as they looked towards the league opener.

"In pre-season you don't prepare for games you train and the games come along, in the league you prepare for games. That is the subtle difference and all that mattered was the first day. We lasted it, we were strong, Jonny Rowan got tired and we expected that, but other than that we got through it very well."

On Phil Jevons and Rowan, He said: "They linked well and they showed for the ball well. Jonny was unlucky when he hit the post and Phil Jevons worked hard - it was his league debut for us after all - they didn't have 10 games between them."

Of David Beherall, Lawrence said: "He was steady. He looked a bit nervous in the first 15 minutes, but as the game went on he did well and his pace came in really handy towards the end. It was a good day for us."

The GET commented "Those were not the sentiments of Crewe manager Dario Gradi, who refused to speak to the press."

Wayne Burnett

"... We can go to West Brom now, in high hopes and high moods..."

To the Grimsby Telegraph he said "It is a massive win, we have got off to a good start. Since I have been here in the last two or three years, we have not won our first home game, so it was important to get a good start, which we have done, and it will build morale and confidence in the camp."

"We can go to West Brom now, in high hopes and high moods. We seem to do well there, and there is no reason why we can't on Saturday."

Of the goal he said, "It was very good work from Johnny Rowan. He got in and the move broke down, but it fell back down to him, he managed to cross it in, and I couldn't really miss from there."

Danny Coyne

"We are delighted. A win and a clean sheet at home - you cannot ask for any more than that. There were a couple of saves to make, but if you speak to the gaffer, that is what I am there for, so it was just nice to get a clean sheet on the first day of the season, and we are all made up."

"I think it's something like 17 years since we won the first one at home. Records are there to be broken, and we did it today and all delighted.

"We're not getting carried away, it is only one game, but it is a good start for us and we can go to West Brom and hopefully get something there."

Finally, The Grimsby Telegraph in their comments on the game summed it up with the statement:

There were many positives.

The first was the partnership which is developing between Phil Jevons and Jonny Rowan up front. The most productive strikers work in pairs and these two struck up an at times telepathic understanding which, though not delivering immediately, promised much for the future.

The second was the mature performance from Danny Butterfield in central midfield. The progress he made last season has been maintained and his guile was complemented by Menno Willems' bite as the Mariners controlled this vital area.

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