Grimsby 2 Luton 2

By: Matty Newton
Date: 23/10/2008

THE Mariners are still looking for their first win after they took on Mike Newell's old club Luton Town on Tuesday, but another late strike denied the Mariners.

Town started with the same starting 11 as Saturday, with Bore and Jarman again preferred up front. The only change came on the bench where Danny North was in for Grant Normington. North was looking to get back to full fitness after not really getting going this season.

The whistle sounded for the game to begin and before you could blink Peter Bore had tapped the ball in the net. Great work and running from Till had allowed Bore the space to collect the pass and take on the defender and slot pass the Hatters' goalkeeper.

After good chances to further the lead from Jarman and again from Bore, it was Luton who grabbed the equaliser from the spot after a very dubious penalty decision. Confusion in the defence left Bennett and Barnes both stranded and the only thing Barnes could do was to bring the Luton player down. Barnes did his best to save the spot kick from Craddock, diving the right way and managing to get fingertips on it, but it was to powerful and slipped into the net.

At half time Grimsby looked slightly the better side and should have been ahead by at least two, but Luton did have another penalty decision rightly turned down.

The second half kicked off with no changes and Town began the stronger, with Hunt going close before what looked like a cast iron penalty was given as a free-kick, but that didn't matter as the resulting free kick gave Town the advantage. Till chipped the ball into the box and Ryan Bennett was there to head home past Logan from eight yards.

McVeigh and Parkin came on for Luton, as they tried to level the score. Town made a change of their own bringing Northy on in place of the workhorse Jarman to a generous ovation.

Bore was next to test the keeper but couldn't manage to get his shot off properly and Logan gathered comfortably.

Both sides made changes towards the end of the game with Hall making way for Patrick and Llewellyn replacing Hegarty for the Mariners.

With the atmosphere heating up the fourth official showed the added time at 4 minutes which seem to baffle most, but you knew what was coming. It came in the 93rd minute with Town under heavy pressure. Mariners' fans were left feeling gutted as Craddock rescued the visitors a point as he picked the ball up 30 yards from goal before beating Barnes with a shot from the edge of the area.

Town will now look to Bradford at home on Friday night, with Mike Newell taking a lot of positives at the end of the game. The players did genuinely looked gutted at the result, which shows to me how much passion they have now.

Onwards and Upwards!

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