Cod Almighty | Match Stats

Sunday 8 May 2016

Conference Premier (PO2)

Braintree Town 0

Grimsby Town 2 Amond (75 pen), Bogle (110)

Attendance: 3102 (733 away fans)

The glimmer twins at centre-back dealt with the receding ripples perfectly adequately, while Omar was a persistent pest, but our own little tickerman made the difference.

"Once I'd picked myself up off the floor following the play-off final last season – which was the hardest feeling in football that I've ever encountered – I said to myself that we needed to get back to Wembley and put it right – if we couldn't win it automatically.

"The opportunity to do that is there for us now. We've given ourselves that chance after yesterday and it's incredible.

"We have got an amazing core of fans and I thank them for not giving up yesterday. It took time, but we finally gave them that reward and now we've got next weekend to look forward to."

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"Grimsby are a fantastic team, they've got some fantastic players and credit to them and credit to Paul Hurst. I watched them play Bristol Rovers in the final last year and they showed an incredible amount of dignity when they lost on penalties.

"He [Hurst] was a credit to his club and probably to football that day. I'm disappointed for us but pleased for him and them and I hope they go a step further this year."

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Finally, finally Town overcame the Braintree battlers. Professionals are fitter, and Town have more of them to choose from. What little energy the Orangemen had was used up fending off the gruesome threesome and, when they had nothing left, on came Marshall for the coup de grâce.

We can forget how we got there and simply savour the scenes and take the momentum into the momentous middle of May and the Mariners mojo returned.

Tired, emotional and simply ran out of puff. And luck. You have to attack now and again.

Well done for getting to the bridge, but it was a game too far for the Arkansas Chuggabugs.

Laughing on the inside, crying on the outside. Hot but not bothered.

Mr S Bennett (Staffs)

What a perfect peeper. Who could ask for anything more: 9.993.

Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tumble, fumble and humbling home.

In a word: melting