Grimsby v Hayes and Yeading Preview

By: Alex Green
Date: 20/08/2010

GAMES are coming thick and fast for The Mariners and though the game against York didn't produce a win, it did show at time that Town could really press forward and create chances. Another draw against Hayes & Yeading though may well have some people grumbling.

The Mariners welcome Hayes and Yeading for their first Saturday fixture of the season and their third game in just a week. With two very difficult tests behind them, Town front up against a team who aren't expected to do all that well this season and it should give a measure of where Town are at the moment. On Tuesday night Hayes & Yeading lost 5-0 away to Eastbourne but also managed to beat Bath 2-1 at home last Saturday which is more than we could do last season.

To get a better idea of one of the smaller clubs in the league I asked the friendly people at The Botwell Warren forum for an insight on the upcoming match.

Your History...

"Hayes & Yeading merged, manager Haylock said we will be in Conf Premier within two years, everyone laughed, he proved everyone wrong."

In 2007 Hayes &and Yeading were merged to form a larger team, which now sits, just north of Heathrow Airport. Though Yeading never appeared in non-league at this height Hayes spent 6 years in the Conference before their relegation in 2002. Initially the merged outfit started out in Conference South in 2007-08 and took just 2 years for the club to get promoted via the play offs at the expense of Hampton and Richmond.

Last Season was...

‘Tough but nothing we didn't expect after being promoted against everyone's expectations (except the manager). However we held our own despite being one of the favourites to go down and despite some thumping’s (Luton away) we stayed up. Had some great results, beat Oxford home and away (only team to do that) and really surprised a lot of people."

"Good at times (e.g. Wrexham away and Oxford at home (Cambridge home and Oxford away must have been good too but I didn't go)), bad on others (too many to mention) and absolutely terrible on one occasion (Luton away)."

This Season is...

"Going to be a long hard slog. Totally new team, last season (we think) at our beloved home Church Road and will be a right struggle to stay up. Give us 10 or so games and we'll see exactly where we are at."

"Judging by (Tuesday) last night going to be tough."

Your thoughts on Grimsby...

"Ex league club, nice ground, looking forward to the food (fat bastards a few of us are) probably going to do your goal difference a world of good if we play like we did last night."

"I cannot believe you are where you are; it only seems a short time ago that you knocked Spurs out of whatever the League (Carling) Cup was called"

You're Most Proud of...

"Blue Square South Play-off final. Best night ever, just awesome!!"

The Future Is...

"Reserving judgement at the moment. Second Season Syndrome could bite us in the ass hard this year but then again we could do ok, like I said above, we'll know more a few games down the line. For now the future lies a few miles down the road at the ass end of an industrial estate with a nice shiny new ground with not a lot of fans in it."

What Should we Expect from the Conference...

"Fair play, honesty & integrity (Gateshead last season) Sorry I jest. I expect a fair few fun away days, and Tuesday nights and a lot of beer to be drunk along the way."

"Providing you show respect and don't give it the ‘we're too good to be here’ attitude (a la Luton), a friendly welcome at most clubs."

Key Player Is...

"Not too sure as we have a totally new team. Last season it was our strikers, defence leaked goals like the Titanic leaked water but the lads up front (lots of loanees) bagged the goals that helped us stay up."

Ben Wright currently has scored both of Hayes and Yeading's goals. The former Mariner appeared for Town just twice in a two-month spell last December a 2-1 defeat to Port Vale and a 0-0 draw away to Macclesfield. The former Peterborough player failed to impress at Town nor did he at several other clubs such as Luton and Kettering before finally settling at Barnet and now finds himself on loan here at Hayes and Yeading where he has hit the ground running.

Prediction...

"Grimsby 3-0 Hayes and Yeading"

Fishy Prediction

Town have a good opportunity to impress a crowd still filled with early season optimism. Tuesday night gave a good indication of what the team are capable of and maybe we can take advantage of a weaker opposition. But if half an hour has gone and it’s still 0-0 expect a struggle.

Grimsby Town 2-0 Hayes and Yeading

Grimsby Town

1 Kenny Arthur
2 Peter Bore
3 Lee Ridley
4 Mark Hudson
5 Darran Kempson
6 Scott Garner
7 Lewis Gobern
8 Michael Cummins
9 Charles Ademeno
10 Lee Peacock
11 Michael Coulson
13 Nick Colgan
14 Michael Leary
15 Dwayne Samuels
16 Steven Watt
17 Alan Connell
19 Bradley Wood
22 Mark Gray
24 Nathan Dixon
25 Robert Atkinson
28 Josh Fuller
29 Robert Eagle
Scott Garner

Hayes and Yeading

1 Lee Harrison
2 Lewis Ferrell
3 Adam Green
4 Tom Cadmore
6 Adam Bygrave
7 James Mulley
8 Peter Holmes
9 Ben Wright
11 Ahmed Deen
12 Elliott Buchanan
14 Jamie Hand
15 Bradley Pritchard
16 Jack Pattison
17 Andy Yiadom
18 Daryl McLean
19 Phil Appiah
20 Esmond James
21 Josh Lennie
22 Charlie Wassmer
27 Daniel Wishart
33 Nathan Webb

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