Grimsby v Barrow Preview

Their History...

The club's history is modest but one steeped in lower league prowess. The club's highest ever positioning of first briefly in 1967 in the Third Division may not be the be all and end all but in an isolated part of the country where Rugby League is king the club can boast two FA Trophy wins the most recent of which was last season, an array of local competitions, and 11 ventures in to the FA Cup 3rd round.

Last Season was...

All about the Cup runs. Both The FA Cup and FA Trophy kept the club busy last season which may attribute to the clubs poor league finishing. A 3-0 defeat away to Sunderland in the 3rd round of the FA Cup was the end of a Cup run which saw the club finish off Chester, Eastleigh and Oxford before bowing out at the Stadium of Light. The FA Trophy meanwhile had a much happier ending - the club defeating Stevenage in extra time to be crowned winners at Wembley. The League on the other hand was a different matter. The team finished just above the last day drama where anyone of 7 teams could have been relegated but still too close to comfort and with a poor goal difference of -17.

This Season Is...

Turning much into last season's without the joy of an FA Cup run after FC Utd of whatever finished them off at their first stop. Before November the club had gone 9 games without a win but an impressive run prior to that dip had the club unbeaten in 7. Now 17th in the league the club are just 3 points from a relegation spot and without a win away all season. Which won't change much until they find their shooting boots away from home after having scored less on the road than anyone else in the league.

Last Time Out... Grimsby 2 - 0 Barrow Dec 18th 1971 Tees, Hickman
Att: 6890
Grimsby: Wainman, Worthington, Campbell, Thompson, Gray, Brace, Lewis, Tees, Wigginton, Hickman, Simpson

Key Player: Marc Goodfellow

Well it would have been the potent Jason Walker, but on Thursday morning Luton have swooped in for the striker initially on loan but with a plan for signing permanently come the stupid transfer window. So now without a player who has scored more than 2 goals all season, a defence that’s shifted 19 goals away from home and a keeper on recalled to Blackpool and with a bug going round the Barrow camp The Bluebirds may well be at a loss for a star man on Saturday. As a result I shall go for the obvious Marc Goodfellow who has the luck of a former Mariner coming back to stick his obligatory goal away most probably in front of the Pontoon in the 90th minute to seal a smash and grab victory.

Prediction

Grimsby Town 2-0 AFC Barrow

The Mariners should really find a mean streak on Saturday Barrow will be at a low moral even coming into the game with back-to-back wins. Losing a keeper and lead goal scorer within a week means they are there for the taking but can we capitalise on Barrow’s woes?

Grimsby Town

1 Kenny Arthur Goalkeeper
2 Peter Bore Midfielder
3 Lee Ridley Defender
4 Mark Hudson Midfielder
5 Darran Kempson Defender
6 Scott Garner Defender
7 Lewis Gobern Midfielder
8 Michael Cummins Midfielder
9 Charles Ademeno Striker
10 Lee Peacock Striker
11 Michael Coulson Striker
13 Nick Colgan Goalkeeper
14 Michael Leary Midfielder
15 Dwayne Samuels Defender
16 Steven Watt Defender
17 Alan Connell Striker
19 Bradley Wood Midfielder
20 Josh Fuller Midfielder
21 Andi Thanoj
22 Mark Gray
23 Tom Corner Striker
24 Nathan Dixon Striker
25 Robert Atkinson Defender
28 Andrew Wright (on loan from Scunthorpe) Midfielder
29 Robert Eagle Midfielder
30 Steve Croudson Goalkeeper
40 Robert Peet

AFC Barrow

1 Shaun Pearson
21 Alan Martin
2 Simon Spender
3 Mike Pearson
4 Paul Jones
5 Phil Bolland
16 David Bayliss
22 Andy Nicholas
23 Andy Milne
24 Paul Edwards
6 Robin Hulbert
7 Paul Rutherford
8 Mark Boyd
11 Marc Goodfellow
14 Darren Sheridan
17 James Owen
18 Simon Wiles
19 Ciaran Donnelly
25 Neil Wainwright
26 Craig Clay
27 Tendayi Darwikwa
10 Nick Chadwick
12 Gregg Blundell
15 Danny Forrest
20 Andy Cook

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