Reserves Hit Six!

By: Martin Copass
Date: 05/11/2003

GRIMSBY reserves followed up last week's 5-2 thrashing of Scunthorpe with an emphatic 6-0 drubbing of Darlington. I could have been many more but for the young visitor's keeper.

Darren Barnard and Darren Mansaram turned out for the reserves following their injury problems, and as the teams lined up, it was quite obvious that the visitors were fielding a very young side including a goalkeeper that looked as if he had taken a day off school to make the journey.

The first ten minutes saw just a single effort from either side, an eleventh minute incident ended up with Giovanni Carchedi being carried off in obvious agony. Whilst jumping to challenge for the ball, it was clear for all to hear that he his landing was a painful one and he was stretchered off to be replaced by David Soames.

A hard-working visiting side were keeping Town at bay, but this all changed in the final ten minutes of the half. With Darren Mansaram standing in an offside position, Chris Bolder burst through to score with the former being deemed to not be interfering with play.

Phil Jevons scored his seventh for Town’s reserves when he slotted home a penalty after Town had failed to make use of the referee's attempt to play the advantage rule. In the final minute of the half, a short corner led to a perfect cross, and Kirk Wheeler slammed the ball in from close range at the far post. A 3-0 score looked unlikely after half an hour, but with such young opponents it was now surely game over.

Darren Barnard was replaced at the start of the second half by James Davey and the game followed a similar pattern to the last ten minutes of the first. It was almost one way traffic as they pushed forward in the attempt to increase their goal tally.

After 54 minutes they did this as David Soames scored from close range after good work by Mansaram down the visitor's left side. Ten minutes later it was five when Phil Jevons set up David Soames for his second of the game and after 73 minutes, David Soames scored his hat-trick goal and Town’s sixth to ram home the dominance of the second half.

Darlington’s young keeper Jack Norton had a fine game despite the score, and indeed if it had not been for him, the score could have reached double figures. One couldn’t get away from the thought that he must have taken the day off school to play in the game!

Darren Barnard got through his ’half’ ok, but apart from his rasping first half shot and his spat with one of the opposition, at times it looked like he would rather be somewhere else rather than playing for the reserves at Blundell Park. Darren Mansaram played the full game so is on his way to full fitness, and with the reserves finding the scoring habit, it just remains to see if the first team can do likewise. Two high scores from the reserves in a week is a good sign for them, but Paul Groves comment that he expects them to win the league is a little bit hopeful as Hartlepool, the league leaders, already have a big advantage on second placed Town.

Town: Pettinger, Ward, Barnard (Davey 46), Parker. Wheeler, Bolder, Hockless (Nimmo 85), Hildred, Jevons, Mansaram, Carchedi (Soames 11)
Subs not used: Hughes, Newton

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