Cod Almighty | Match Report
by ExiledMariner
10 November 2015
Barrow 1 Grimsby Town 3
Barrow away on a cold Tuesday night – oft said about Grimsby as a challenge for opposing teams. The appeal for me was to visit an isolated town by the sea (!) combined with a day off and an ageing desire to see more away matches. For my companions, being self-employed and hardcore Mariners their reason.
The weather threatened, with an update from the BBC announcing the Grimsby v Bromley game was cancelled having us in a panic in Hattersley. But after a quick call to the Town ticket office (Barrow didn't pick up the phone or indeed respond to Twitter during the day) we ventured north-west.
When we got there it was windy but dry and the pitch looked lush.
Town kicked into the wind wearing the red kit and made a decent fist of it, working the ball with Conor Townsend looking assured and always willing. He worked well to switch the ball left to right to Clay, whose 20-yard effort was tipped over. Arnold had a similar effort which cleared the bar, and at the other end Barrow were limited to long shots which Macca dealt well with.
Barrow had a corner, with the taker Khan being subjected to a barrage of 'banter' in front of the Town fans. He promptly scored straight from it, the wind causing the ball to swirl and no-one at the front post to clear it. A consensus seemed to blame McKeown for this, but it passed bodies before beating him, so I'll await the replay on that – and there was talk of a handball.If you work hard at school in Barrow, you get to walk the board with the raffle result round the ground at half time
Within 10 minutes, Amond chased the centre-half down, robbed him and blasted home from inside the box to level and take Town into half time level and on top of the game. His tireless running and eye for goal will no doubt be catching the attention of other clubs. A new deal hopefully offered to secure him for next season.
The half-time music delighted my companion, coffee was 80p, and the Town fans were in more positive mood...
If you work hard at school in Barrow, you get to walk the board with the raffle result round the ground at half time, it seems too.
Town came out shooting toward their own fans and soon worked out how to use the wind better, working short balls and trying to find width. Podge was tireless, Monkhouse intelligent, and the Mariners took the lead from a set piece where the ball was nodded back across the goal for Gowling to dive in on the six-yard line to score and gleefully celebrate in front of the Town fans. He should have had another soon after, from another set piece, heading into the side netting from close range, and a smart free kick cut back across the box saw Monkhouse shoot wide from 12 yards.
Town were dominant; Barrow had no real strategy into the wind and were overpowered by counterattack. Townsend really is a class above, and the defence were solid with Clay and Dis breaking play up well and releasing the attackers.
Loanee Alex Jones was introduced with East, which confused the announcer no end. Jones settled in quickly and looked sharp, with good feet, combining well with those around him.
Old boy Andy Cook never had a sniff, and Amond's second, sliding home from a cross from the right (and captured by me on Periscope), saw Town see out the game as convincing 3-1 winners.