Town Draw a Blank - Second Half

By: Alex Green
Date: 18/08/2010 (Last updated: 12/09/2010)

THE second half started with a Chinese lantern gently floating over the Osmond out to sea. While on the Green patch of the Humber, Eagle who had been busy in the first half took the ball in to the area from a lay off by Connell who managed to pull the ball back to Connell again.

Connell tried to attempt a bicycle kick and though half hearted appeals for handball whimpered from around the Pontoon some 100 yards away, play continued and a kid was teaching himself how to juggle with empty coke bottles at the side of the Pontoon. It all seemed to go a bit flat for 15 minutes as both waited to see what the other would do. No one really wanted to take hold of the game.

With an hour gone Coulson drove towards the box finding Connell with a pass who waited for Coulson to run past and dinked it into him. Coulson went for power rather than precision and it was tipped over well by York’s Keeper Ingham and out for a corner which was to be cleared comfortably. Town seemed to want it more now like they had sprang into life.

A long ball was headed down at the far side of the area by Peacock in to the path of Connell who kicked the ball in to the ground and was blocked by the York defence who cleared but only as far as Coulson who from the edge of the area. Planted a long hard drive towards the far post only to see it go narrowly wide.

Just after York took off the dangerous looking Rankine and replaced him with Purcell to go on the left.

Bore meanwhile picked up a ball which had gone loose and whipped a shot in some 20 yards out and watched it swirl wide in the wind in to the arms of a man in the Osmond.

Then Connell and Coulson hooked up again Coulson again playing a 1-2 with Connell who pulled it back in to Coulson’s path as he made his way in to the left hand side of the box. A York defender tried to hook it away but only helped putting it into his path. From a tight angle Coulson drove the shot hard into the near post for Ingham who smothered it arms and legs what ever he could get on it and luckily for York it managed to fly over the bar on to the roof of the net.

York drove forward in response two neat 1-2’s between Brodie and Carruthers opened up the Town defence Brodie was through and tried to blast it in just inside the box but was denied superbly by Arthur who tipped it over for a corner. York had the bit between their teeth now. Purcell on the left ran towards the box and rounded the out coming Arthur from a tight angle Purcell put the ball over for any York man to just tap it in but it was headed away comfortably before it had chance to get anywhere near the front of goal. York were in the ascendancy and Town looked to be getting tired it needed a man to put his foot on the ball and take the tempo out of York’s attack but Town couldn't manage they started to drop a little deeper and it all looked a little desperate for 10 minutes.

The game ebbed away Connell had a penalty appeal denied towards the end and the rather good but pedantic referee, when it came to free kicks and where they should be taken, turned the appeals down. Connell had turned his man but arms were flying from both players and Connell now with a tight angle towards goal and the ball rolling away went to ground. You see them given but it would have been harsh on York who defended well and both came away with a point at full Time

Town will have been bitterly disappointed not to take advantage they had the better chances and the majority of the attacking play but they were always threatened by York on the break. Some rather moronic elements booed the players off unhappy to see us take a point from a team who were play-off finalists last year and only for not taking our chances we could have won comfortably. Those fans may get bored when they realise these teams can actually put up a good fight. And will test us, push us and hell even beat us at times. Nevertheless 4 points from 2 games against very good teams is a fantastic start the real critique should come from if we don't beat Hayes and Yeading on Saturday.

Full Time: Grimsby Town 0-0 York City

Man Of The Match

Coulson was a busy man and will regret not taking the chances that fell to him. Him and Connell seem to be building up a good understanding of each other and though Connell too was involved in a lot of the build up it was Coulson who was the most prevalent.

York

Were organised and disciplined it’s what we've come to expect of teams who had just been promoted in League Two their defence was strong and though they may not have technical skill in abundance they had a strict game plan and with the likes of Brodie and Rankine up front they will surely be close to where they were last season.

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