Cod Almighty | Match Preview

25 August 2012

Conference Premier

In a nutshell

Like us, an ex-League team loitering where they'd rather not be. They had a decent season last year (relative to recent seasons), finishing comfortably in the play-offs albeit a long way from the automatic spots. They lost narrowly to York in the play-off semi-final and so join us for another year at least. Poor them.

On t'internet

Stagsnet continues to be an excellent source of Mansfield facts old and new, and we particularly like the archive stuff. Being an ex-League club their official site is – unfortunately – under the control of PTV. Venture there at your peril.

Overall record: P46 W16 D11 L18 F65 A65
At Blundell Park: P22 W12 D5 L5 F42 A22
At their place: P24 W4 D6 L13 F23 A43

Previous encounter: 6 December 2011

Mansfield turned up and provided a much better test for Town than in the heavy 7-2 defeat they suffered the previous season. Town had just stuck seven past Stockport and were in the early stages of their unbeaten (league) run, but despite good chances by Coulson, Elding and Duffy they couldn't find a goal. In typical Town fashion they nearly threw the match away in the closing minutes, but held on for the 0-0 draw.
Stagnet's match report

Last five meetings, home and away
d Grimsby 0-0 Mansfield Town (Conference Premier, 06/12/2011)
L Mansfield Town 2-1 Grimsby (Conference Premier, 08/10/2011)
W Mansfield Town 0-2 Grimsby (Conference Premier, 19/04/2011)
W Grimsby 7-2 Mansfield Town (Conference Premier, 01/01/2011)
W Mansfield Town 1-2 Grimsby (fourth division, 22/03/2008)

Last five meetings at our place
d Grimsby 0-0 Mansfield Town (Conference Premier, 06/12/2011)
W Grimsby 7-2 Mansfield Town (Conference Premier, 01/01/2011)
W Grimsby 1-0 Mansfield Town (fourth division, 15/12/2007)
D Grimsby 1-1 Mansfield Town (fourth division, 18/08/2006)
W Grimsby 2-1 Mansfield Town (fourth division, 14/01/2006)

How you doin'?

12th in the Conference Premier: P4 W2 D0 L2 F8 A10 (GD-2) 6pts

In league with...
11th Woking 6pts
12th Mansfield 6pts
13th Wrexham 5pts

Recent form
6 points from 12
W Mansfield 1-0 Hyde (Conference Premier, 25/08/2012)
W Kidderminster 2-3 Mansfield (Conference Premier, 18/08/2012)
L Gateshead 4-1 Mansfield (Conference Premier, 14/08/2012)
L Mansfield 3-4 Newport (Conference Premier, 11/08/2012)
L Mansfield 2-3 Rotherham (friendly, 04/08/2012)
W Boston Utd 1-2 Mansfield (friendly, 03/08/2012)

Goalscoring superstar heroes
three players (2 goals)

Dirty, dirty boys
Beevers (2 yellows, 1 red; 4 points)
Roberts (2 yellows; 2 points)

How we doin'?

17th in the Conference Premier: P4 W0 D3 L1 F2 A3 (GD-1) 3pts
...the second best team in Lincolnshire

In league with...
16th Braintree 4pts
17th Grimsby 3pts
18th Lincoln 3pts

Recent form
3 points from 12
d Wrexham 0-0 Grimsby (Conference Premier, 25/08/2012)
d Grimsby 0-0 Nuneaton (Conference Premier, 18/08/2012)
L Grimsby 1-2 Stockport (Conference Premier, 14/08/2012)
D Southport 1-1 Grimsby (Conference Premier, 11/08/2012)
L Stalybridge 2-1 Grimsby (friendly, 03/08/2012)
D North Ferriby 1-1 Grimsby (friendly, 01/08/2012)

Goalscoring superstar heroes
two players (1 goals)

Dirty, dirty boys
seven players (1 yellow; 1 point)

The referee for the match against Mansfield will be Mr Karl Evans of Greater Manchester. Karl is a fairly experienced referee having spent a handful of years as a Football League official before being demoted back down to the Conference the other year for, er, being a bit rubbish.

Last season he handed out 57 yellow and seven red cards in 19 games – that's exactly three yellows per match and a red every two or three games.

One of those red cards came in Town's match away at Barrow last season. Although in typical Town fashion they then threw away a lead in the last minute against a 10-man Barrow team.

Given his League history you'd probably expect that Town had crossed paths with Mr Evans before, and you'd be right. Oh yes, you'd be right. Aldershot away (2010), Port Vale away, Barnet home, Chester away (all 2008).

Woah there. Barnet at home – 2008? The official worst game in the entire history of Grimsby Town football club? Now, that wasn't Mr Evans fault, but did he contribute in any way? Well, our match reported Tony Butcher described him as a "timorous toad" who "indulged the collapsing Barneteers", before awarding him a score of 0.0. Oh.

And the Port Vale game? A "pompous prig". Right. I think we're starting to see why he was demoted.

Mr Evans is the only registered full-time referee in Britain today. At lunch every day he blows his whistle for half-time and, when warranted, he gives his children and neighbours red cards for foul and abusive language. His wife has demoted him to the garden shed.

In summary, then: aaarrrrggghhhhh!

Oooh, Sammy the Stag look at me with my bloody custom designed mascot costume by the bloody "mascot doctor". Ooh, la-de-bloody-dah. Flash bugger. They're all hoity-toity since they got a bit of new money aren't they?

This middle-class show-boater will be shown how to have a proper stag party by our own Mighty Mariner. Down in one, down in one, down in one.

The odds
Town 8/5 (Boyle Sports)
draw 5/2 (Various)
Mansfield 9/5 (Various)

We say: With Town still struggling to get going and the home crowd getting tetchy we reckon another draw is on the cards.

Our record this season
Number of bets placed: 4
Number of bets spot on: 1
Precision factor: 25%

The ground: Football Ground Guide
Getting there: Google Maps
Gaining entrance: the usual
Nearest station: Cleethorpes
The weather: Current forecast

The Hartsdale pet cemetery in New York has over 12,000 pets buried in it.

Mark
Dark Star ale
A bit of a hangover