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Grimsby Town home preview for Wednesday

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Grimsby Town home preview for Wednesday

Postby Sweden Stag » Mon Mar 20, 2023 7:09 pm

Following the dramatic equalizer in added time at Stockport last Saturday, the Stags now face this season’s FA Cup giant-killers Grimsby Town on Wednesday night at headquarters. A Grimsby side which on their way to their first FA Cup quarter-final since 1939 kayoed five higher-ranked sides, among them Southampton at their place in the fifth round.

A Grimsby side which last season created playoff history as the Mariners became the first side ever to gain a League return twice by winning the Conf National final twice, also the only side relegated twice from the EFL to win a playoff final twice.

First time out, it took Grimsby six seasons to return (and a previous final defeat on penalties to Bristol Rovers in their only season outside the EFL). In 2016, Grimsby beat Forest Green in the final.

But last season, Grimsby returned to the EFL in the hardest possible way. Very late goals was the key. In the regular season, the Mariners finished sixth, seventeen points behind champions Stockport and eleven behind second-placed Wrexham. But the Grimsby playoff games were classics, to print the very least. Firstly, they were very close to be defeated away to Notts County. Equalized in the final minute, then with one minute remaining of extra time, former Stag Emanuel Dieseruvwe, who has played for several other sides, hit the winner at Meadow Lane. That set up an away tie at Wrexham, a tie which definitely was to belong to be one of the real playoff classics of all time. In normal time, goals for both sides flew in left right and centre in the second half, 4-4 after normal time. Extra time once again, and in the final minute of that, another previous Stag hit the winner. The name: Luke Waterfall. His goal set up the final against Solihull Moors. Another game which went to extra time. This time, the scorer who sent Grimsby back to the EFL for the first time of asking, had no Stags connections. Jordan Maguire-Drew did so with nine minutes to go of the extra-time.

But that was not the first time, Grimsby managed an instant return to a division by winning a playoff final. Relegated from the second tier some twenty-five years ago, in 1997, they returned the following season for their so far latest stint in the second tier by beating Northampton in the final.

Before the away game at Grimsby on New Year’s Day 2019, the previewer wrote:

“But the Stags have travelled to Blundell Park before on a New Year’s Day in preview history. That was in 2011 midway through the Stags’ spell outside League Two while it was Grimsby’s first National League season out of six following relegation in 2010.

That game at Grimsby in 2011 belongs to the ones which have to be forgotten very quickly due to the fact that the Stags were routed to a 7-2 scoreline, the first time the Stags had had seven goals put against them since 1999, when Cambridge won at their headquarters to that scoreline. But just a few days before the disaster at Grimsby, the Stags travelled to Cambridge and by a 5-1 scoreline. These results summed up much of a Stags campaign which ended in a FA Trophy final defeat against Darlington at Wembley. The 7-2 defeat at Grimsby in 2011 is also the Stags’ heaviest-ever against the Mariners”

In 2020-21, Grimsby were relegated back to the Conf after their five seasons back in the FL following promotion from the National League via the playoffs in 2016. But only once since they dropped into current League Two after the 2003-04 campaign, the Mariners have managed finishing in the top half. This was in 2005-06, when they ended up losing the playoff final against Cheltenham.

On Grimsby’s second EFL return, they have done very well on the road so far, winning eight away games, the latest one at Sutton last week, yet lost at Hartlepool and were by the time of the original playing date last December one out of a few sides who have had a Gillingham goal put against them, in a 1-1 home draw. But just before last Christmas, the Grimsby home game fell victim to poor weather

One Stags victory against the Mariners is a record-breaking one. Before the game at Mansfield on March 12, 2013, the Stags had recorded seven straight league (at that time BSP) victories. That record was broken thanks to a 2-0 scoreline.

And by the time of the Stags home fixture against Grimsby then, the BSP was the tightest one at the top for several seasons. The reason then: no runaway leaders like Crawley and Stevenage in previous years, but five sides challenging for promotion and playoff places, three of them level on points. And one of those were the Stags after a tremendous run with eleven wins out of thirteen after the magnificent FA Cup third round display against Liverpool.

Before the introduction of the Premier League in 1992-93, Grimsby Town along with Coventry held the distinction of playing in all SIX divisions of the Football league (Division 1 (first time as early as in 1901-02) best position 5th in 1934-35, Division 2, Division 3 (S) (in 1920-21), Division 3 (N), Division 3 and Division 4

The Mariners, which indeed were one of the original members of the old division 2 when founded in 1892, are also one of the clubs which have swapped divisions most times during their league career, nearly thirty times in all, and it is also no wonder why Grimsby have faced more league clubs than any other team, more than 120 in fact, and in their final FL fixture before relegation in 2010 travelled to Burton Albion. In their 2016-17 comeback campaign, the Mariners played Stevenage for the first time, and the Mariners played against the the 2020-21 League Two debutants Harrogate Town as well as facing the come-back side (after 48 years) Barrow in their latest relegation season. This season, they have faced Sutton. And all the previous league fixtures between the Mariners and the Stags have taken place after World War II, but the away fixture in August 2004 was the first outside the old Division 3 (N) and the old Division 3, spanning over a period of nearly 40 years from 1951-52 to 1990-91.

Add to that, playing some 50 sides in the National League during Grimsby’s six-season stint outside the FL and a couple of new sides last season.

Fact is also, that Grimsby were relegated to the old fourth in the 1976-77 season, and were also so in the 1967-68 one when Peterborough were demoted. But that one was by the narrowest of margins. The Stags just about stayed up then due to a slighty superior goal-average than the Mariners. Had the Stags conceded ONE more goal at Bournemouth and Grimsby scored ONE more in the final game at home to Swindon on May 11, 1968, that season, the roles had been reversed. They had been so if the three-point ruling had been in force then, as the Mariners won fourteen games then compared to twelve for the Stags. And in two of the Mariners’ latest promotion seasons to the old division 2 (in 1979-80 and 1990-91), the Stags were relegated. And the latter season, Grimsby were involved in a unique treble, as three teams were promoted together for the second season running, the other two being Cambridge and Southend, the trio being promoted from the old fourth to the old second in consecutive seasons, being the only time in league history this has happened! In fact, Grimsby and Southend were promoted together in 1971-72, but were relegated together from the second tier in 1996-97, and also dropped out of the EFL together as well at the end of the 2020-21 season.

The biggest Stags wins at Field Mill are two with a four-goal margin. The first one was on February 6, 1954 when Kenneth Murray netted three times, Fox and Darwin one apiece in front of 6513 to complete a 5-1 rout. Thirteen years later, on March 28, 1967, 11735 pilgered to Field Mill. One of the players appearing for both sides, Stuart Brace, represented the Stags then and netted twice. Mitchinson hit the net once, and to add to Grimsby’s misery, they put through an own goal. At that time, the Stags still were in the second promotion place hunt for the current championship behind runaway winners QPR, while the Mariners were mid-table material. And on September 4, 1976, Terry Eccles hit a hat-trick, including one from the spot, in a 3-0 full-pointer at Field Mill. And every time the Stags have ever won at Grimsby before the 2019-20 season, they did manage a double over the Mariners (see stats below).

The teams have also met once in the FA Cup. It was early on in Colin Treharne’s Stags career in goal. On November 4, 1961, a good crowd of 10127 watched the Stags go through to the second round thanks to a 3-2 victory at Field Mill courtesy of two Brian Hall strikes and one from Ken Wagstaff, latter later for many years representing a club on the other side of the Humber.

During the 2005-06 season, both sides were involved in famous League Cup giant-killings. While the Stags disposed of Southampton in the second round, Grimsby notched an even better achievement, this kayoeing a full-strength Tottenham side by the only goal of the game, the same result as at Field Mill against Southampton. John McDermott’s 700th game for the Mariners deservedly hit the headlines on September 20, 2005, with the Stags’ scalp as second best that night. The reward for Grimsby’s giant-killing was a bumper home game against Newcastle, a side that only just, thanks to Alan Shearer (who else?) managed to dump a brave Stags side out of the FA Cup at home on January 7, 2006, just a week before the Stags travelled to Grimsby that campaign and unluckily lost to a 1-2 scoreline thanks to a late Parkinson goal.

Some famous names have managed Grimsby over the years. To name but two: Bill Shankly and Lawrie McMenemy. And the one outfield player with the most league appearances, including some for the Stags, started his league career at Grimsby and played for them in the 0-3 defeat at Field Mill on September 4, 1976, when a Terry Eccles hat-trick including a penalty sealed the tie, is among the players appearing for both sides. The name: Tony Ford.

As a Grimsby player, Michael Boulding scored three goals in a 6-2 Division One demolition of Wimbledon on March 23, 2002, but as a Barnsley player, Boulding was on the losing side when the Mariners last hit six in a Football League home game, a 6-1 rout of the Tykes in a Division Two game on February 28, 2004. The late Keith Alexander as well as one recent Scunthorpe boss, Ian Baraclough, are the managers which as players represented both sides.

In 2020-21, three ex-Stags played for Grimsby: Two are Matt Green and Luke Waterfall, while Andy Cook played for the Mariners in their National League days sandwiched in-between two stints at Barrow, the first of those at the Bluebirds including a Stags’ 7-0 home rout on March 17, 2012. Incidentally enough, Cook played against the Stags when Grimsby fell victim to the Stags’ record-breaking winning victory one year later. Cook’s first Barrow stint also included a 1-1 draw at Mansfield in front of a paltry 1253 crowd weeks before FA Trophy final in 2011. The third one was Rollin Menayesse (on loan), now at Hartlepool.

One player who starred in both Grimsby games against the Stags in the 2019-20 season, played the 2020 season in Allsvenskan, the Swedish equivalent to the PL. The name: Moses Ogbu, who scored 14 times in 25 games for Mjällby AIF. And prior to the spell at Blundell Park, Ogbu managed 13 goals spread over two seasons for IK Sirius from the university city of Uppsala. And one recent Grimsby player, Ludvig Öhman, played for three different clubs in Swedish Allsvenskan before arriving at Blundell Park.

Played for both sides: James Alabi, Keith Alexander, Calvin Andrew, Craig Armstrong, Nathan Arnold, Ian Baraclough, Paul Bolland, Michael Boulding, Stuart Brace, Daryl Clare, Jamie Clarke, Chris Clements, Giles Coke, Barry Conlon, Andy Cook, Clifford Coupland, Emmanuel Dieseruvwe, Craig Disley, Rob Duffy, Tony Ford, Ben Futcher, Scott Garner, Simon Grand, Matt Green, Martin Gritton, Edgar Hardy, Liam Hearn, Simon Heslop, Elliott Hewitt, Pat Hoban, Samuel Hodgson, Maxey Holmes, Ernest Jackson, Jake Kean, Otis Khan, Mark Lever, Jim Lumby, Rollin Menayesse, Junior Mendes, Eddie Munnings, Tom Naylor, Don O’Riordan, Iffy Onoura, Ollie Palmer, Malcolm Partridge, Lee Peacock, Jason Pearcey, Jack Prior, Ricky Ravenhill, Ken Reeve, Mitch Rose, Mick Saxby, Gary Silk, Tyrone Thompson, John Walker, Luke Waterfall, William Watkin, Albert Wilson, Curtis Woodhouse, Neil Woods, Adi Yussuf.

Played for Stags, later managed Grimsby: Bobby Roberts.
Played for Stags, managed both sides: Stuart Watkiss

Home games: P 27, W 14, D 7, L 6, GF 47, GA 27
Away games: P 27, W 7, D 7, L 13, GF 26, GA 47

Season Home Date Away Date

1951-52 2-2 1952-01-05 1-1 1951-09-08 Div 3 (N)
1952-53 1-1 1952-09-13 1-5 1953-01-24 Div 3 (N)
1953-54 5-1 1954-02-06 2-0 1953-09-19 Div 3 (N)
1954-55 3-0 1955-03-12 2-3 1954-10-23 Div 3 (N)
1955-56 0-2 1956-04-07 0-2 1955-11-26 Div 3 (N)
1959-60 3-2 1960-03-05 1-2 1959-10-17 Div 3
1964-65 2-2 1964-09-26 1-1 1965-02-06 Div 3
1965-66 2-1 1966-04-30 1-0 1966-04-09 Div 3
1966-67 4-0 1967-03-28 2-1 1967-03-24 Div 3
1967-68 1-1 1968-04-20 0-0 1967-11-25 Div 3
1975-76 1-0 1976-02-21 1-4 1975-11-15 Div 3
1976-77 3-0 1976-09-04 1-0 1977-02-12 Div 3
1979-80 0-0 1980-04-26 1-2 1979-12-08 Div 3
1987-88 1-0 1988-01-02 3-2 1987-09-12 Div 3
1990-91 1-1 1991-03-02 0-2 1990-12-01 Div 3
2004-05 2-0 2005-04-02 0-2 2004-08-28 League Two
2005-06 2-1 2006-02-14 1-2 2006-01-14 League Two
2006-07 1-2 2007-02-17 1-1 2006-08-18 League Two
2007-08 1-2 2008-03-22 0-1 2007-12-15 League Two
2010-11 0-2 2011-04-19 2-7 2011-01-01 BSP
2011-12 2-1 2011-10-08 0-0 2011-12-06 BSP
2012-13 2-0 2013-03-12 1-4 2012-08-27 BSP
2016-17 0-1 2016-09-24 0-3 2017-02-18 League Two
2017-18 4-1 2017-09-09 1-1 2017-12-26 League Two
2018-19 2-1 2018-11-06 1-0 2019-01-01 League Two
2019-20 0-1 2020-01-04 1-0 2019-10-05 League Two
2020-21 2-2 2021-03-20 1-1 2020-12-12 League Two

Cup games:

1961-62 3-2 1961-11-04 (FA Cup 1st round at Field Mill)
2006-07 3-0 2006-10-31 (Johnstone's Paint Trophy, Northern Section, round 2 at Field Mill)

Come on Mansfield!
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