Cod Almighty | Match Report
by Sam Lenthall
3 September 2014
Aldershot Town 2 Grimsby Town 1
When your football team remains undefeated five games into the season and has won its last two matches on the trot – scoring 13 and conceding 1 in the process – there's only one mindset that you're going to have going into the next match. That mindset is: I don't know what is going to happen. I haven't got a clue. This is non-League football and anyone can beat anyone. Our manager is a genius now, but he was clueless after the first three matches, which we drew. Our players, valiant and heroic virtuosos, were inept fools just a few weeks ago.
Football is a funny and bloody brilliant game. I am the king of wishful thinking, but I'm also a Grimsby Town fan. I'm a Grimsby Town fan who's heading to his first game of the season away at Aldershot Town.
We, the famous Black and White Army, travelled on the 12:23 from Waterloo – about seven Town fans in total. Arriving in Aldershot, the home of the British Army, we were immediately greeted by a big cannon as we exited the train station. There were mutterings of ideas to sit on said cannon, but we decided to leave said ideas where they belong: Pets Corner, in 1992.
On to the Recreation Ground we went, the Black and White Army gathering in numbers as we got closer to the pub and then the ground. The Recreation Ground lived up to its name as we walked through a small woodland area to reach the ticket gate, where we were treated to a game of tennis between a father and son as we queued. The Town fans did what people from Grimsby do best and took the piss out of the tennis players, naturally. There were also a few customary remarks about how massive we are because we had to queue to get in, etc, etc too, of course.
We made our way to the open corner terrace, where there was a lovely wooden telegraph pole waiting for us, in the absence of the usual pillar. Town lined up in probably some variation of the lovely 4-4-2, as follows: McKeown, Nsiala, Pearson, Boyce (is it just me or does he look like Richard Bacon?), Magnay, Neilson, Clay, Brown, McLaughlin, John-Lewis (all is forgiven), Pittman.
First half
Neither team seemed to get a grip on the game initially, but Town looked more assured. John-Lewis and Brown in particular were looking bright and both Clay and Nsiala showed confidence on the ball, as well as the ever-confident Neilson. As we passed the first 20 minutes, Town seemed to grow in confidence and began to look the better side, without particularly creating any good chances.
The Aldershot fans chanted: "We're Aldershot, we're Aldershot." The Town fans chanted: "You're Aldershite, you're Aldershite" in response, and the feeling in the away end was good.
The feeling in the away end got better as Town pressed and pushed Aldershot. Bullish yet skilful play by Brown and Neilson created a chance for John-Lewis, who let himself down with a bad first touch. On 30 minutes Pittman unselfishly passed the ball right into the mix for a chance, but it came to nothing. On 33 we had a great chance with the ball cleared off the line. It's getting closer, we're gonna score in a minute.
Surely it's only a matter of time before we score a goal. This isn't wishful thinking: we just look that good
A minute later, Pittman is clean through, one on one with the keeper. Unfortunately, he does not score. He opts to try and take it round the keeper when hitting it looked the better option. There's optimism in the air though. We're a set of fans brimming with confidence, watching our confident players boss a match away from home, and surely it's only a matter of time before we score a goal. This isn't wishful thinking: we just look that good.
I am a Grimsby Town fan. Moments after the last chance came an awful refereeing decision, as John-Lewis (is all still forgiven?) was sent to the stands following his second yellow card. No-one is completely certain why either of the yellows were given, but the first was seemingly for backchat, and the second for a foul, which was barely a foul.
The moment was gutting, and the misery was piled on further not by Town conceding, but by spotting various advertising boards for Chelsea FC dotted around the ground. Grotesque. Leave us alone, Premier League. We are not of your world.
Town were briefly down to nine men as McLaughlin was seen to on the touchline, returning to action in stealth mode sans number and name on the back of his shirt. The last 10 minutes of the half were then played out with Town not having enough options up front and Aldershot keeping hold of the ball, without having the guile to create any decent chances.
The whistle blew for half time with the score still at 0-0, Town by far being the better side, but surely set for a tough second half.
The queues for both the toilets and food van were merged into one behind the away stand. I wanted to use both facilities and it was pot luck which one I would end up at. There was only time for one, and I ended up heading back to the stand with an empty bladder and a glimmer of hope that we could still nick this… making the best of a bad situation on both counts.
Second half
Town unsurprisingly made no changes at half time, and Aldershot unsurprisingly made two changes at half time as they looked to capitalise on our cruel misfortune. Shaun Pearson managed to pick up a yellow card for kicking the ball away after the ref had blown his whistle. Less of that please, Shaun, we know you're a nice, grounded lad.
The always-impressive Scotty Neilson was pulled back by the Aldershot defence, who just couldn't handle him with the ball to his feet. He's a bloody joy to watch, isn't he? The also-impressive Scott Brown had a piledriver of a dig at goal, albeit unsuccessfully, but we were sorely lacking a presence up front.
On 56 minutes the moment that we were hoping might not happen happened. Williams coolly finished for Aldershot and ripped away the thread our hearts were hanging by. It didn't look like they were content at leaving it like that either. They had another effort on target just moments later, which was excellently saved by Jimmy Mac, our former number 13, but always number 1.
Neilson tried to do everything on his own again. Jimmy Mac made a great save again. Aldershot scored a goal again. Aldershot scored a goal… again. An unusual mistake from the usually so reliable Pearson saw him mistime what looked like a routine header and Williams slotted home his second goal in the 64th minute, stamping on our hearts in the process.
With no real width to our game and Pittman all by himself up front, it was hard to see how we'd get back into the game at all. But the Mariners certainly didn't give up and God knows we love triers. Pittman had a bad shot but was offside anyway. Brown had another dig because there wasn't really any other choice. Neilson continued to take everyone on, without really getting any real headway. We were trying our hardest, but had nothing to lose and needed some fresh legs on the pitch.
Magnay pointed to the sky and mouthed "we're going up". I think I actually, maybe, might possibly believe him
The fresh legs came in the shape of Ross Hannah, making his first appearance of the season, and Jack Mackreth, as Paddy and Pittman made way for them on the 76th minute.
One minute later our wonderful lifeline came. Scott Neilson superbly volleyed into the goal with the Aldershot keeper out of position, cool as you like. With the fresh legs on the pitch, the confidence of Neilson and the sheer guts and determination that the players had shown since going down to 10 men, the Town fans dared to dream.
Clay hit one over the bar, Boyce made a superb challenge, Brown shouted and intimidated the Aldershot players when they had the ball and bossed it when he had the ball. Pearson joined Ross Hannah up front in a last-ditch attempt to get something out of the game.
Time was running out though. Mackreth tried, but was repeatedly muscled off the ball. Bignot let a ball run out for a goal kick, only for the referee to give a corner. McKeown was booked for protesting the decision.
As the last few minutes played out, the match was unfortunately slipping towards its natural conclusion. With the scoreline still reading 2-1, the final whistle blew and the players made their way over to the fans, who deservedly clapped them off for their valiant efforts. Magnay pointed to the sky and mouthed the words "we're going up". And you know what? I think I actually, maybe, might possibly believe him.
There were a few mistakes and more than a few bad refereeing decisions, but if a good loss exists, this was it. We were brave, passionate and skilful and it's hard to see how we would have taken any fewer than three points if we'd kept 11 men on the pitch.
Onwards and upwards, Grimsby Town.