Judgement Day

By: Bill Osborne
Date: 02/04/2001

THE MARINERS defeat at Carrow Road on Saturday was a massive blow to their relegation struggle and despite not winning there for 81 years Grimsby would have been striving to steal at least a point from Norwich.

Unfortunately that was not the case and Grimsby's fight for survival is even more intense and the position now is desperate. On Saturday Grimsby play Tranmere Rovers at Blundell Park, and anything less than three points could eventually consign the Mariners to the second division.

Mathematically Town could easily avoid relegation with the number of points up for grabs, but with a team that has played a full season with a totally ineffective front line and a defence that has leaked at crucial moments, it would seem that although those points are there for the taking, only a miraculous change in performance and finishing power will place them within our reach.

So Saturday's game against Tranmere could well be entered in history as the game that eventually decided the fate of the Mariners for this season. It is now up to Town boss Lennie Lawrence, with a full week to prepare, to produce a winning strategy and motivate the players to give their all.

There is no doubt that it will be a tough game with both teams desperate for points. Tranmere, who appear to be doomed, will be looking to perform a miraculous recovery and the teams sitting closely behind Grimsby will be looking to their own survival and hoping that the Mariners fail. All factors that will increase the pressure on the Town team.

The club are allowing children into the game for free in any part of the ground, provided they are accompanied by at least one full-paying adult.

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