Stockport 3 Grimsby Town 3

By: Richard Lord
Date: 22/09/2001

GRIMSBY TOWN this afternoon shared six goals with Stockport County at Edgeley Park as the Mariners fought out an entertaining 3-3 draw. The home side took the lead on three occasions but the visitors kept grinding out the equalisers and so it finished a point apiece.

The starting eleven was missing Alan Pouton and Phil Jevons for the first time in the league this season. Coyne began in goal with a back four of McDermott, Beharall, Groves and Gallimore. In midfield were Campbell, Willems, Burnett and Butterfield, with Jeffrey and Rowan leading the front line.

Grimsby's recent poor defensive record looked set to continue when Neil Hardy scored County's opener after just three minutes from a set piece. However on 22 minutes Johnny Rowan found the back of the net to pull the Mariners level at 1-1. A lapse in concentration on the stroke of half time gifted Stockport the lead once more when Hardy scored his second goal of the game.

In the second half the Mariners came back once more with a superb goal from Wayne Burnett. This came just after the hour but just 5 minutes later the Mariners threw all their hard work out of the window when Stockport regained the lead once more. Wilbraham scored the home team's third after 69 minutes.

Manager Lennie Lawrence brought on Mick Boulding and Bradley Allen in place of Jeffrey and Butterfield and went 4-3-3. The visitors put on the inevitable pressure and got a deserved equaliser on 75 minutes when Stuart Campbell grabbed his first of the season after a melee in the box. Still 15 minutes left and 4 minutes of injury time, there were to be no more goals and so both teams had to settle for a point after Grimsby retreated to a more orthodox 4-4-2 formation. There were plenty more chances but neither team managed to take the advantage.

After the disastrous 5-0 midweek defeat at Palace, the defence was again exposed at Stockport but more specifically at set pieces. Manager Lawrence will be very pleased with the way his team fought back three times to grab a justified point yet will be disappointed at the way his men conceded soft goals after getting themselves back in the game.

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