Dicing With Death

By: Rob Sedgwick
Date: 15/04/2018

GRIMSBY survived a rollercoaster afternoon to emerge from the "must-win" game with Barnet with a point. The fact that Chesterfield lost earlier in the day means the situation is still recoverable, but Town will probably need some more points from the final three games.

Depending on other results they may need as many as 5 points to ensure League Two football next season. Given that two of the games are against sides with plenty to play for at the top of the table (Swindon and Notts County), that might be a tall order even if Grimsby manage to win their final game with Forest Green Rovers.

It could be that the match with Forest Green Rovers turns into the inverse of the Play-Off final. Town beat Rovers to gain promotion at Wembley, and they could gain the ultimate revenge by relegating Grimsby at their own ground/

Harry Cardwell replaced Scott Vernon in Grimsby attack as Michael Jolley once against shuffled his forward line. Whatever he does though Grimsby's strikers seem always to fail to score. Otherwise, the new Town boss stuck with the side which beat Chesterfield.

Town took an early lead from a set piece. Luke Summerfield’s corner picked out Danny Collins who powered a shot into the roof of the net to ease the pressure.

Hooper could have doubled Town's lead but Ross made a good save to deny Town's No. 9.

After the break, Barnet came to life and showed they were not going to lie down to die. Cardwell mishit a shot from a breakaway move but former Mariner Akpa Akpro showed how to find the net when he came off the bench and drove the ball low past McKeown to level the match.

Things got worse for Town when Weston put the visitors in front with a scrappy goal.

Town there were not done and for the second week running had the referee to thank for a penalty after Simeon Jackson was brought down in the box. Mitch Rose repeated his successful spot kick.

It could have gone either way in the final stages of the game, but the Mariners emerged with a 5 point lead over the Londoners with three games to go. Town definitely have the harder run-in, and this intriguing season looks like going to the wire. Grimsby would rather be basking in mid-table glory, but every game has an edge that was lacking this time last year, as the Mariners are literally dicing with death.

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