Cod Almighty | Match Stats

Tuesday 11 October 2011

Conference Premier

Grimsby Town 5 Hearn (5, 45+1, 76), Elding (83, 85)

Barrow 2 Smith (19), Mackreth (54)

Attendance: 2675 (25 away fans)

With the hat-tricks coming thick and fast, the friends and families of double-glazing salesmen are barely earning their Chardonnay these days..

Not to recognise Hearn's centre-forwarding prowess would be too perverse even for us. But if it's hard not to fantasise about a Hearn/Connell partnership, it's equally tempting to wonder what Neil Woods' Grimsby side might have achieved with a midfield including a player of Disley's calibre.

"Defensively, we were poor. We were delighted to win and we wanted a result rather than a performance but we can't hide behind the fact that we were at sixes and sevens defensively."

"If Grimsby had our back four, we'd have won by nine or 10... we've come away being thumped 5-2 by not a very good side."

Yes, a lion of a centre-forward with a dog's breakfast of a defence. Even allowing for that, Town were too slow to act on the discovery that Hearn could run amok if the ball was played behind the Barrow backline for him to run on to. A shadow of the side that performed well for an hour or so here against Wrexham and Alfreton. If the players are not as embarrassed by the scoreline as we are, they will not improve; but improve they must.

Not a million miles from the 'good with the ball, hopeless without it' model currently favoured by our own black and white heroes. Barrow were easily undone at the back but enterprising in attack, with Mackreth in particular standing out. They will end this season within three or four league places of us, in that eternal netherworld of 10th to 16th.

The drum got a ruddy good thump, and the rump of support that remains got readily behind the Town.

Mr R Joyce (N Yorks)
Joyce gave a masterclass in stream-of-consciousness refereeing, with cards shown almost at random, and decisions taken to alternate and make a pretty pattern on the page. Never gave the impression of a man in control. Inadequate, but less spectacularly so than some, so 4.5 out of 10.

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