Town Go Back to Top

By: Rob Sedgwick
Date: 09/12/2012

GRIMSBY returned to the summit of non-league football's top table with a comfortable 2-0 win over Tamworth at Blundell Park. A goal at the start of each half set the Mariners on their way. Tamworth were given hope midway through the second half when the ref awarded a penalty to them, but it was saved by McKeown.

Apart from that Town's goalkeeper was rarely troubled and Grimsby were relatively comfortable for most of the game, having scored so early in it.

Grimsby made just one change from the side which drew 1-1 with Ebbsfleet last weekend. Neilson replaced Dayle Southwell in midfield, with Marcus Marshall switching to the right allowing Neilson to play on the other wing.

Town got off to a great start when Disley put Town in with a near post flick from a corner into the bottom corner of the net.

Grimsby so nearly went 2-0 up when Cook picked up the ball on edge of the box, shrugged off a defender and fired past the 'keeper. It looked goalbound but bounced off the base of the post to deny Town's big striker.

In the second half a long ball from Niven through to Cook seemed to set Town's frontman away. However he was dragged down on the edge of box by a defender, but the ref gave nothing. Cook managed to get up and had half a half shot but the 'keeper cleared it straight to Hannah who was hacked down, and this time the ref did give a foul. However Hatton's free kick went straight into the wall.

Town won the ball back almost straight away and Marshall layed it into the path of Hannah who drilled it past the 'keeper to double Town's lead. It was no more than the Mariners deserved after a bright start to the second half.

Town were coasting but the ref gave Tamworth a lifeline when he gave a penalty for an infringement that nobody else in the ground saw or even appealed for. McKeown ensured justice was done when he saved the spot kick low to his left and it was headed behind for a corner.

Town were not greatly troubled for the remainder of the game and there were few worries that anything other than three points would be Town's haul for the weekend. With news that Newport were losing it meant that Grimsby would go top if results stayed that way, which they did.

Town have had a string of fixtures against the least fancied sides in the division. After next week's break for the FA Trophy the Mariners were face a tough series of games over the Christmas period. Wrexham, Lincoln, Mansfield and Lincoln again await the Mariners over the festive spell. All three of those sides are in the top ten and expected to challenge for a play-off place. If Town can pick up points from all of those games then they'll be in a good position as the second half of the season commences.

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