Wasteful Town

By: Matty Newton
Date: 09/12/2008

TOWN travelled to Port Vale last Saturday hoping to start a run of good results but after working hard to get back into the game, they threw it away minutes later to leave them with just one win all season.

With the surprise news that Tom Newey had picked up an injury on Friday, Richard Hope was thrown in at left back. Bennett and Atkinson continued their partnership in the centre of defence, with Stockdale on the right. Boshell kept his place on the left hand side of midfield, Kalala and Trotter lined up in the middle, with Clarke on the right. Akpa Akpro failed to get international clearance in time, so Jarman and Proudlock continued up front.

Town were immediately under pressure, a cross came in from the left and Stockdale did well to clear the ball out for a corner, but was injured in the process and spent a couple of minutes in the goal, but was ok to continue.

The Mariners were slow getting into the game but gradually became better although strikes from Proudlock and Jarman came to nothing.

In the 28th minutes disaster struck as Vale took the lead through Richards. A shot came in from and Town were unable to clear. The ball fell to RICHARDS who tapped home to the dismay of the travelling fans.

It wasn't all one way traffic though and Town did have chances to level the game: first Trotter had a shot well saved after good work from Proudlock, and Hope headed the ball goalwards from a Clarke free-kick only for the keeper to catch comfortably.

As the Half Time whistle sounded Vale were slightly the better team but Town had failed to take their chances.

Town had to defend two dangerous free kicks early in the second half. The first was on the very edge of the box which Barnes tipped brilliantly over. The second was on the edge of the six yard box after Phil Barnes was adjudged to have picked up a back pass. Town managed to smother the attempted shot down.

Jarman then had another opportunity but it failed to trouble the keeper.

The Referee and his Officials then gave the most bizarre free-kick I have ever seen. Clarke and a Vale player went up for the ball in the air, Clarke then volleyed the ball to Barnes and Barnes caught it with the ball still in the air. The ref then judged the volley to be a passback and a free-kick was awarded just outside the 6 yard box. In the end it came to nothing but the Town fans were beside themselves as to what the ref was thinking.

Barnes was then smashed in the face by a Vale player after the whistle had been blown for offside, Barnes had to chance his top due to blood but the ref gave no booking and let the game carry on.

Mike Newell finally let his frustration get the better of him after a Vale player had dived and won a free-kick he kicked a water bottle and was sent to the stands.

After all that excitement, Vale sent on Glover and he almost added a second for the Valiant, He went past Barnes but couldn't slot the ball home as he had made the angle almost impossible and to the relief of the Mariners fans it went for a goal kick.

Bore came on for Jarman on 79 minutes, and with the game drawing to a close, Grimsby fired up and grabbed an equaliser in the 85th minute. PROUDLOCK went down low and headed home from six yards from a good cross by Stockdale.

Town fans thought that it was well deserved and prayed that we could hold out for 5 minutes, but it was not to be. With 88 minutes on the clock, Dodds flicked a header on for the unmarked RICHMAN who found the net and sent Grimsby packing.

For all Town's hard work, they should have got at least a point from this game, but sloppy marking in the last few minutes cost them dearly yet again.

My Man of the Match is Proudlock , not simply because he scored, but he chased all the lost causes and was tireless throughout.

Next up for the Mariners is the high flying Shrewsbury on Saturday at Blundell Park. Let's hope we can pick up our first home win!

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