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Grimsby v Bury Preview

By: Sam Kinnaird
Date: 01/01/2010

THE Mariners will be hoping that two changes of digit in the year heralds a change of fortune after the worst year in a terrible decade. Ninth-placed Bury are next up at Blundell Park, one of only three sides Town have beaten all season.

Home > 2009-2010 Season > Previews > Bury (h)


Who are they?

Their History

Bury were formed in 1885 after a meeting at the Swan and Cemetery Hotel in the town, the meeting was between local sides Bury Wesleyans and Bury Unitarians. The first ever match at Gigg Lane was a game against Wigan Athletic in the same year which the Shakers won 4-3. The club have had a tough time in recent years. After spending two seasons at Championship level in the late nineties alongside the Mariners, relegation finally came in May 1999 on ‘goals scored.’ The Shakers went on to make progressively worse finishes for eight seasons in a row until they finished 13th in League Two in 2008. The next season under Alan Knill brought a 4th placed finish and a play-off semi-final against Shrewsbury. A cruel penalty shootout after a tense 0-0 saw Andy Bishop and Danny Rachhi miss from the spot. It was still a season of great success for the Shakers, with Knill taking the club to the playoffs on one of the lowest budgets in the division. During the past 10 or so years Bury have endured massive financial difficulties and survived being put up for sale by the High Courts, a failed takeover bid, going into administration and being without a chairman. In 2002, Bury were saved from the financial abyss by supporters trust ‘Forever Bury’ led by the clubs fans. In 2006 they were thrown out of the FA Cup for fielding an ineligible loanee against Chester City who went on to play a money spinning tie against Ipswich Town in the next round.

This Season.

This season has been rather solid for Bury, so often have sides who failed in the previous year’s playoff campaign gone on to struggle in the next. They currently find themselves in 9th place in League Two, and their current form reads WLWLW. Their results have been a model of inconsistency, with wins against Rotherham, Crewe and Chesterfield met with losses against Grimsby, Cheltenham and Accrington. Their current top scorer is former Chester striker Ryan Lowe who has eight league goals including a penalty at Accrington Stanley on Monday. Bury picked up their first win of the season in their second League game, a 1-0 win at Darlington and went on to win 3-1 at Hereford before losing 1-0 at home to the Mariners in August. They managed to beat Tranmere 2-1 at Gigg Lane in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy in October, the same Tranmere side that beat Town 4-0 in August.

Famous Ex-Players.

In recent years, Gigg lane has been a breeding ground for young, talented footballers, the sales of which have secured the financial future at Bury. These include Dave Nugent, Simon Whaley, Elliott Bennett and Colin Kazim-Richards. Perhaps their most famous player is Craig Madden, a local-born striker who played nearly 300 games for the club between 1977 and 1986. Madden scored 129 goals in 297 games for Bury in that time, including a club record 35-goal season in 1981-82. Despite being only 5”8” tall he was a force to be reckoned with in the air. Madden went on to play for West Brom and Blackpool in a career which spanned 15 years in English Football.

Key Man.

Ryan Lowe. The 31 year old frontman was signed from relegated Chester City in the summer of 2009, having scored 18 goals for the club last season. Lowe began his league career with Shrewsbury Town and scored 30 goals for the club in five seasons, and went on to play for Crewe and Chester as well as a loan spell with Stockport. He went back to Chester in 2008 on a free transfer from Crewe, and became the leading player for the club in their unsuccessful battle for relegation against the Mariners. He signed for Bury last summer choosing them over a number of other league clubs, including Town. This season he has scored eight goals in 19 games and has flourished whilst playing alongside veteran striker Andy Morrell, becoming one of the most feared strikers in the league.

That was the game that was

Grimsby 2-0 Bury (2nd March 2007)

Town secured a comfortable win against a Bury side who were without a win in 12 thanks to first half goals from Danny North and Ciaran Toner. Town had won four of the last five games in their rejuvenation under Alan Buckley, and were 13 points from the playoffs in 16th position. North scored the first after only 10 minutes when his cross eluded everyone to creep into the bottom corner. Town’s second came when Ciaran Toner scored a brilliant volley from the edge of the box. The home side could have had more as North and Fenton were both guilty of missing chances, but the damage had already been done.

Recent Form

TownBury
LPort Vale(h)1-2
DMorecambe(h)1-1
DShrewsbury(a)0-0
DDagenham(h)1-1
DMacclesfield(a)0-0
Currently 23rd in League Two.
WAccrington(a)4-2
LDagenham(a)1-3
WBarnet(h)2-0
LMorecambe(a)0-3
WChesterfield(h)2-1
Currently 9th in League Two.

Top Scorers

TownBury
Sweeney6
Conlon5
Lowe8
Morrell5

Team News

TownBury

  • On loan defender Oliver Lancashire has been recalled by his parent club Southampton. Atkinson and Linwood will resume their defensive partnership.

  • On loan Peterborough striker Ben Wright has also returned to his club.

  • Joe Widdowson (foot) and right winger/striker Nathan Jarman (foot) are both pushing for a start after recovering from injuries.

  • Robbie Stockdale is still injured.
  • Striker Tom Elliott has returned to the club on loan from Leeds but he is likely to settle for a place on the bench .

  • Andy Bishop, Ryan Cresswell, Danny Carlton and Damien Allen all remain injured.
  • Squads

    TownBury
    1GKNick Colgan
    2DFRobbie Stockdale
    3DFJoe Widdowson
    5DFMatthew Heywood
    6MFPeter Sweeney
    7MFAdrian Forbes
    8FWNathan Jar man
    9FWAdam Proudlock
    10FWBarry Conlon
    11MFDanny Boshell
    12DFJamie Clarke
    13MFNick Hegarty
    14MFPeter Bore
    15DFMatthew Bird
    16DFPaul Linwood
    17MFGrant Normington
    18FWChris Jones
    19MFMichael Leary
    20MFJammal Shahin
    21FWMichael Coulson
    23MFOliver Lancashire
    24DFDamien McCrory
    25DFRob Atkinson
    26FWJean-Louis Akpa Akpro
    27FWDanny North
    28FWJosh Fuller
    29FWBradley Wood
    31MFNicky Featherstone
    32MFMark Hudson
    35GKLeigh Overton
    1 GK Wayne Brown
    2 DF Paul Scott
    3 DF David Buchanan
    5 DF Ben Futcher
    6 DF Ryan Cresswell
    7 MF Stephen Dawson (captain)
    8 MF Richie Baker
    9 FW Danny Carlton
    10 FW Andy Bishop
    11 MF Brian Barry-Murphy
    12 MF Danny Racchi
    14 MF Mike Jones
    15 FW Ryan Lowe
    16 DF Efe Sodje
    17 MF Damien Allen
    18 FW Andy Morrell
    19 MF David Worrall (on loan from West Bromwich Albion)
    20 GK Cameron Belford
    21 GK Neil Cutler
    22 FW Tom Elliott (on loan from Leeds)
    23 DF Tom Newey
    26 DF David Thompson
    27 MF Josh Rothwell
    28 MF Krishnan Patel
    29 MF Max Harrop
    30 MF Adam Dawson
    31 MF Luke McCarthy

    Head to Head

    The two sides have faced each other 70 sides since their first meeting in 1894, which ended in a 5-1 win for Bury. Since then, things have got better for Grimsby who have won 29 games and losing 25, and there have been 16 draws in that time. It’s worth noting that Town have only lost two of the last nine against the Shakers, and there has only been one draw in that time. Town’s biggest win over Bury was a 5-1 win at Blundell Park in the 1962-63 season.

    P70 W29 D16 L25 F 103 A 97

    Head-to-Head (36th The Opposition Ladder)

    Last Meeting

    Bury 0 Grimsby 1 (Sat 22nd Aug 2009)

    Town secured their first win of the campaign thanks to a hard fought win at Bury. A tight defensive performance came after a 4-0 home loss to Crewe, and it was Barry Conlon who scored the only goal of the game when he headed in Danny North’s cross after 20 minutes. It was a game of few chances and Town looked comfortable for the most part of the game although on-loan keeper Tommy Forecast saved well from headers from Bury’s Paul Scott and Jordan Robertson.

    Report

    Prediction

    The Fishy Prediction

    Town fans will expect a reaction after the poor performance on Monday, but a draw might be the best they can hope for.

    Grimsby 1-1 Bury

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