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Fortune flows |
The Wind of Good Fortune
By: Andrew Doherty
Date: 28/01/2025 (Last updated: 29/01/2025)
AFTER Saturday's woeful effort at Barrow, we had the chance to make amends tonight at home to Gillingham. It seems like donkey's years since our fighting win at Gillingham earlier on the season, and resilient performances like that have largely become history.
Our opponents haven't been setting the division alight, but it all seems to depend on whether Town turn up with any backbone or belief. I do get tired of Head Coach Artell feeding us with propaganda about progress and improvement. His suggestion in the pre-match interview for tonight's game that Saturday's reduction in intensity was a one-off just isn't right. At least we are doing ok in the table for now and we do have players who can actually pass the ball, but we're also capable of switching off as a unit at a moment's notice and being outperformed for no obvious reason. That's neither progress nor improvement and promising there's more to work on suggests misleadingly that we're in great shape now.
Town's team against the team in yellow for this evening's game was: Wright - Cass, Rodgers, Tharme, Khouri - McEachren, Thompson - Vernam, Green, Svanthorsson - Rose. The earlier rain had subsided but it was cold and windy at Blundell Park.Town kicked off, heading towards the Osmond end. A lowly 4,239 spectators were here including 137 Gillingham supporters.
The game almost started sensationally when after two minutes Green spooned the ball over from close range following a deft Khouri cross. Town started the stronger but after 8 minutes Cass was dispossessed as Town tried to pass the ball out from the back. Gillingham were patient, and Little's shot was deflected after a good cross from Agbinone. Town had an opportunity when Svanthorsson was fouled on the left after a cross from Vernam but nothing came of it. The game became scrappy. The pitch looked rough. Thompson almost made something happen with a terrible pass which found Agbinone whose shot was equally dreadful. It was a game of poor touches. On 23 minutes a Thompson interception led to a Vernam cross. The cross was good but Green couldn't quite make contact with his head to flick it on. A minute later Svanthorsson had a run and was pulled down 20 yards out. Vernam's shot curled past the wall and just wide, having taken a deflection. A Tharme throw was headed back into the box by a Gillingham player but nothing came of it. No-one could take control and Gillingham’s keeper Morris gathered. On 33 minutes Town's midfield combined to find space and supply Vernam on the right. Again Vernam's cross was good. Green got power on his low header but the ball went just wide. Town had another attack on 34 minutes but this time Vernam's cross was behind Svanthorsson. Gillingham broke out but not quickly, allowing Town's defence to get back. Nolan crossed from the right. Tharme, unchallenged, attempted to clear but sliced the ball past Wright for an own goal. Town 0, Gillingham 1. This took the wind out of Town's already limp sail. Svanthorsson had a chance on 43 minutes after cutting inside but fluffed his lines. Vernam and McEachren got the ball in Gillingham's box as half time approached but no Town player was there to take advantage. Gillingham cleared the ball and Rodgers passed the ball back to Wright to the displeasure of the home fans. So it remained 0 - 1 to Gillingham at half time. Although Town had had more attacks than Gillingham, it hadn't been a fluid performance. Vernam and Green had provided the greatest threat, with contributions from Svanthorsson, but generally the playing quality was poor.
Gillingham started the second half strongly. After working the ball upfield a cross came in from the left and incredibly Green mistimed his header which ricocheted off his own crossbar. Town were lucky not to be 2 down courtesy of a brace of own goals. Gillingham immediately won a corner, and continued to press forward with confidence. Gillingham won another corner on 51 minutes. Town looked all at sea as the rain came down to add to the wind and the cold out there. Gillingham were playing the best that either side had played so far in the game. Town finally got into the Gillingham half on 53 minutes but a poor pass ended it, and Wright finished up having to race out to repel the advancing Gbode. The crowd was reduced to stunned silence as Town offered no resistance. Khumbeni was booked for elbowing Cass in the face on 56 minutes. Spirited work by Green and a foul on Thompson saw Town in Gillingham's half but Vernam wasted the opportunity with poor control. Little was found by Thompson 30 yards out as Gillingham chose to defend their lead the positive way but a rehearsed move proved to be in need of more practice. Luker replaced Vernam on 64 minutes. Town hadn't threatened the Gillingham goal once so far this half. Great work and determination by Ogie saw him shake off the defence and locate Agbinone who was clear on the left and able to put in a cross. The cross found Dieng whose header rebounded off the inside of the post and back to Wright. This was another lucky escape for Town. Little was booked for pulling back McEachren as Town broke away following a Nolan free kick for Gillingham. But Town were unable to put together any meaningful moves as Gillingham looked sharp. Wright fumbled a Dieng shot, and a McKenzie shot was blocked as Town looked inept and ragged. Agbinone won a battle to earn a corner on 74 minutes. Dieng's header was strong but wide. Town were second best and needed to make changes. Luker barked past two defenders to earn a throw and finally see Town in Gillingham's half and in a position where they could get back in the game. Obikwu replaced Thompson with 12 minutes left. Tharme delivered the throw and for the first time this half Town showed some energy but McEachren brought the move to an end by carelessly chipping the ball out of play. Gillingham continued to dominate play. Their interplay was good. Town were reliant on luck or a piece of brilliance but there was no sign of either. Instead, Gbode broke clear on the right, and Town were fortunate that there was no-one to meet the cross. The ball seemed to be permanently located deep in Town's half. Town managed to get the ball upfield but Lujker's cross sailed into the Pontoon stand. Dack had a chance for Gillingham. Wright gathered the ball and made a total hash of his clearance. Moments later Wright was announced as Town's man of the match to widespread amusement. As the seconds ticked down, Town finally had a chance when Khouri crossed to Rose but Rose was slow to react and the ball clipped off his heel and wide of the goal. A move between Obikwu and Luker found Svanthorsson who brought out an excellent save from Morris who to this point had had nothing to do. Town were spurred on, and won a corner. Carson came on to take it, replacing McEachren. The ball returned to Town's half. Rodgers played a pass out to the right. Green picked up the ball, sent in a low cross. Rose had positioned himself well and with 97 minutes gone, flicked the ball from the right across the goal past Morris and into the net. Town 1, Gillingham 1. Town regained possession after the restart and Obikwu used his strength to surge into the box, But his pass was behind Rose who was in a golden position to score. Instead the ball fell to Khouri who fired his shot well over the bar. The game ended: Grimsby Town 1, Gillinggam 1.
The wind blew. It was almost a case of Gone with the Wind as Gillingham embarrassingly dominated the second half. Town were lucky to earn a point, and almost came away with an improbable victory. Although Town were in charge of play for most of the first half, it wasn't a great spectacle. We got away with this one. No team can simply rely on five inspired minutes during added time. Interestingly we had two strikers on when we did it, increasing the threat level, although to that point we couldn't get the ball into Gillingham's half. Gillingham themselves struck the woodwork twice in the second half so the game could well have been settled in normal time. But it wasn't, we kept going to the end, and we scored a nice goal as well as having a large slice of fortune. We have to be content and relieved but talk of progress and promotion would not seem appropriate on this cold, wet and windy evening in Cleethorpes.
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