The Gas Vs Grimsby Town Game Build Up And Poll

A detailed look at tomorrow's opponents

For the first time since the end of the First World War, Bristol Rovers open a season of football played outside the Football League. The last day result of Rovers last League game doomed them to relegation.

The new season opens with Rovers facing an old adversary, Grimsby Town who were themselves relegated in 2010.

Town Boss Paul Hurst saw his team complete their pre-season preparations with a 2-1 win at Brigg Town. After the game he commented, "It was a different formation and we were trying to play a system that worked for the pros, so there weren't too many that were far out of position.

"I thought we started the game extremely well and played some excellent football but then we started looking for things that weren't there the longer the game went on.

"It wasn't as free-flowing in the second half, but overall, it was a good work-out and got lads some minutes in the legs, which was especially important for those that are suspended for the start of the new season.

"I've been pretty happy with pre-season – from the first game at Cleethorpes Town to last night against Brigg. We haven't picked up any serious injuries and the lads' levels have increased, you could see that from the way we started the game last night.

"I've been ready for the new season for about three weeks. In seriousness though, we're ready as a team now, but it doesn't matter how ready you feel, it doesn't always mean you'll get the result.

"But we've been waiting for it for a while now and sometimes it seems to drag because you desperately want to get to that first game and let all the proper games begin."

Founded in 1878 Grimsby for many years was one of the only teams who never played a home game. The reason? Their Blundell Park ground is actually situated in Cleethorpes.

The two teams met for the very first time on 14 September 1920 when two goals by Joe Walter secured maximum points for Rovers. Just four days later John Clarke (2) and George Morrall scored for the Mariners with Sid Leigh replying for Rovers.

The last time the Mariners and the Gas crossed swords was back in 2006/07, when both home teams won by a single goal. However there was a great contrast between the two games.

The game at the Mem on 12th August was settled by an Andy Sandall goal that secured Rovers their first points of the season.

The return fixture at Blundell Park saw a rare double by Craig Disley and a Lewis Haldane strike give Rovers three away goals. However Dan North, Justin Whittle, Ciaran Toner and Dan Boshell all scored for the home team to secure a 4-3 home win.

On 14 December 1957; Town inflicted Rovers with their heaviest-ever home defeat, 7-0. But the following season Rovers ran out 7-3 winners and won in Cleethorpes too. Town were relegated that season and by the time they finished Third Division Runners-up in 1961/62 Rovers passed them in the opposite direction!

However it was just two seasons in the higher Division before the Mariners dropped back down again and once more the goal sprees started.

In a game at Eastville on 1st September 1964, Rovers were 3-0 up after 32 minutes, scoring them in an 8-minute spell. It began when Johnny Brown latched on to a soft goal kick from keeper Charlie Wright. Harold Jarman increased the lead with a rare headed goal from a Bobby Jones corner and Jarman laid on the third for Alfie Biggs.

Jarman and Jones scored further goals for Rovers in the second half, but Grimsby (who included future England manager Graham Taylor amongst their number) staged a late rally with goals by Hill, Tees and Pennington to give a final score of 5-3.

When the teams met on 29th January 1966, the following season, Rovers had gone 14 games without a win. The unwanted record looked like continuing with Grimsby leading 1-0, but two Roger Frude goals in the last few minutes secured an unlikely looking victory.

It inspired the team to go on a run of six wins in the next ten games, including a 5-0 away thrashing of Brentford in the very next game.

Town Boss Paul Hurst's strategy in the transfer market over the summer seems to have focussed on players with solid experience at this level.

Scott Brown and Aristote Nsiala impressed at Southport last season. Jack Mackreth, from Macclesfield has been a long-term target of Hurst. Nathan Arnold, has been brought in on loan from Cambridge and Carl Magnay has been signed from Gateshead to boost the defence.

Trialists Craig Clay and Jon-Paul Pittman have earned one-year deals with the club. Finally Andrew Boyce has returned on loan from parent club Scunthorpe United after a loan spell last season. One player who will be very familiar to Gasheads is Mariners regular Craig Disley,

Boyce’s return to Grimsby came as something of a surprise the 24-year-old admitted, "I wasn't expecting to be going out on loan so early in the season, but the manager at Scunthorpe told me that I'm not going to be involved for them at the moment.

"That's when I got the call from my agent who told me about the option of coming back here and it didn't take much thought, to be honest. I really enjoyed my time at Grimsby last season, it's a good set of lads there and I get on well with the manager, so it was an easy decision to make.

"I'm not going to lie, my initial hope was to break into the Scunthorpe side this season, but it hasn't worked out like that so I'm more than happy to be coming back to Grimsby."

Explaining his interest in bringing Boyce back to Blundell Park Hurst said: "On the face of it, perhaps people might think we don't need another centre-half. When he became available my initial feeling was that we didn't really need him but then I gave it a bit more thought.

"We're obviously missing the two centre-halves that many people would expect us to be starting with on Saturday. They're both suspended for the first two games, so it gives me a bit more cover there.

"And there are six games in three weeks at the start of the season, so the more I thought about it the more it made sense. How we've been able to bring him in fits as well, and I'm really pleased to have him on board."

Whatever the result of the game the losers can take comfort from the fact that the last two Champions, Luton and Mansfield, both got off to shocking starts to their respective campaigns.

Luton only won two of their first nine games, scoring just five goals in the process. The year before, Mansfield won just two of their first five games, they lost the other three.

 

It will be a reality check and it is a lot to ask for the team to gel immediately. Having said that the back four know each other pretty well and the signs have been quite good if we can nick some goals.

 

same goes for grimsby though gastro

they released nearly everyone and had less players than we had on their retained list i believe. so lets see which team gels the best.

 

I can't get to this game and BT TV won't work on my Microsoft Surface so I'll be relying on this thread during the game unless the BBC do regular updates...

 

I'm working so that's that

 

DC has been given the time and the tools he needs to deliver today!

 

I'm no good at predicting scores, so my guess us 0-1 to Grimsby.

 

As Clarke and Higgs have both said, it's a 46 game season. A good start is important, but even if we don't win today, there is a long way to go and we come away from it in the knowledge that we've already played one of the strongest teams in the division.

 

a couple of hours to KO and the BBC have n't put up a preview - oh well best get used to being third tier

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/28647362

Grimsby Town have re-signed striker Alan Connell on a short-term contract.
The 31-year-old was a free agent after finishing last season with Northampton Town, where he failed to score in 16 appearances.
He enjoyed the most prolific spell of his career with the Mariners, scoring 25 goals in 46 league games in 2010/11 before joining Swindon.

Let's hope that's no goals in 17 appearances today

 

third tier if only

 

Good result I think sounded like a good game and a great crowd even better I predicted the right result

 

Unfortunately it wasn't a good game

On the positive we look to have a pretty confident defence this year, and a phenomenal workhorse in Sinclair, but there is a lot that needs improving on this showing

Firstly ball control, we had very little of it which caused us to be under pressure when we shouldn't have been . . . and similarly many attacks broke down because of poor touches

Brunt looked strong but we desperately need someone that knows where the back of the net is . . so it's a punt, but Culley does know that from stats last seasons and this preseason

We also lack pace and ability on the wings (was so cross that at one point i even wanted Harrison on, just to inject some spice and a bit of have-a-go mentality) Brown got more confident as the game went on bombing up the left, but we need someone that can go for it from the off

And deliver

MY GOD, fair play. try a couple of floated crosses to see how it works, but if you get know luck then try something else, don't just keep on whipping up these useless balls . . we have strength and height, get some lower quicker deliveries in the box

 

Managed to see the game on BT...

It was the sort of game you expect at this level. Lots of huff and puff and virtually nothing in the final third. But I thought we did ok and we will only get better as the likes of Brunt and Monkhouse get fitter. I thought Taylor looked quite sharp and Gosling looks like someone with something a bit different. Sinclair works his socks off and his passing was pretty good and the defenders looked good. Seemed a fair result.

 

It was point against one of the bigger clubs in the division if was Braintree then I wouldn't of been so happy. I'm a worried about scoring again but the defence sounds solid. Up next Barnet who won 5-0 today

 

this game was always going to be tough. grimsby are 1 of the favourites but if we had that little extra quality in the final 3rd we could and maybe should have won this.

defensively we looked sound and comfortable most of the time. i think although we played 352 we looked like more 532 formation and both wing backs were pretty deep in the full back position. but as the game grew in the 2nd half brown got forward a lot more like he did last season and we looked more of a threat.

we got away with them having a couple of good chances that they missed. 1 was a great save from mildenhall and the other looked a sitter - open goal?? i was in the blackthorn end and those chances were the other end so i think it was an open goal they missed.

we had our own chances mcchrystal in the 1st half and taylors 1 on 1 in the 2nd half. i was begging him to pass to sinclair who would have had the easy task of tapping it past the 1 defender between him and the goal where the keeper would have been out of position.

draw though was a fair result for me. brunt was my man of the match. he gave the ball away a few times but he never gave up and showed his strength and determination. he held the ball up well getting others involved and won the ball back in 50 50 challenges. he also was the 1 who put a good ball through setting up taylors 1 on 1 that was missed.

sinclair was everywhere on the pitch getting forward and also making some crucial tackles at the back.

overall, good at the back (like last season) need a lot of improvement in the final 3rd though (like last season).

 

Greetings from a sunny San Diego.......

Woke up this morning and with trepidation checked the result, and to be honest reading some comments we did ok ?
The fact we kept a clean sheet is a + the goals will come as players get fitter and know each other's style etc? I believe if we had done a Barnet and won by 5 a lot would expect that score every game, so it's a foundation to build on, let's hope we avoid defeat tues nite.....

Adios Amigos........

 

EGLL

Yes we did ok. I think its a fair result and come the end of the season this point could be important. As you saida clean sheet is a plus and Clarke pretty much said similar to what you said that the goals will come and there is goals in this team. I just hope you and Clarke is correct as we wont get out of this league apart from going down again if we fail to score as much as we did last season.

I agree with you about if we had won 5-0. That would have papered over the cracks, Clarke may not have bothered getting another striker that we need and it would have given the fans a lot of hope which could be false.

 

Darrell Clarke was pleased to get the first point on the board from today’s opening game of the Conference season. The manager was happy with the attitude and commitment from his side in a competitive match against Grimsby. Clarke said:
“It was an eagerly fought contest. Grimsby are an established Conference side and it was a good test for us. I thought the effort, desire and commitment was there for all to see, but we are just lacking that little bit of quality at times. We look like a side that is going to create chances and we will soon start taking those chances. We were well organised and I think we finished stronger than Grimsby. The last 15-20 minutes I thought we were a little bit unfortunate not to nick a win. It was pretty equal throughout the game. I thought we were a bit sloppy in possession at times, but when we moved it, we moved it well, and we had high energy about our performance. I would have liked to have won the game, but it is pleasing to pick up something from the first game, and now we move on. There is plenty to work on, but quite a few positives to take out of the game.”

The manager changed the shape during the game, and he says this is something fans should come to expect from him. Clarke said:
“We started with a 3-5-2 and I thought I would change it around a bit. You will see that from me throughout the season, I mix my shapes up, the lads know that and we work on that. Players were played in the right position, and there is a flexibility in the squad, with players able to play two or three positions. It is important to have that when you are working with a small squad.”

Over 7,000 fans came along to witness the opening game of the season, and provided fantastic support for the team. Darrell said:
“I cannot thank the fans enough; for the new lads, and the players from last season, to see that will give them belief. That is what the fans are like, ever since I walked in the door they give you a right opportunity and a chance every game we play. We cannot get carried away, we have only picked up a point, and we want them to be even more cheerful in games ahead.”

In terms of recruitment, Darrell is still waiting for a decision on an experience wide man. Clarke said:
“I am waiting on a decision on an experienced wide player. The lad wants to come, the manager wants the lad to come, and the manager is dealing with the Chief Executive on the financial side of things to enable him to come.”

Next up Rovers have another test away to Barnet. Darrell said:
“We move on to another difficult game on Tuesday, Barnet are another ex-league club. I will not be underestimating this league, it is a tough league, but I know if we are at our best we have more than enough to do well this season.”

On the OS now.

 

Ok performance, and I think we were just about the better side against 1 of the promotion favourites. Brunt and Taylor both did well IMO and the defence look solid most of the time. We just have to improve with our passibg and penetration in and around the penalty area and our ball retention, but I think that will happen over time.

It must be remembered that this was only this team's first competitive game so things can't be perfect immediately. It would be wrong to jump to conclusions. They will only be justified after about 6 or 7 games but I think that game offers plenty of good things for us to build on.

Grimsby had a couple of decent chances and I was quite close to them. The first one they should have scored and it was only a matter of Mildenhall reacting - in reality it was quite a comfortable save. The second one was a bit of an open goal, but thankfully he hit the side netting so we got away with it.

 

Accept much of whats been said re yesterday but the facts are last season 15 clean sheets and lack of goals put us where we are today so based on yesterdays result, I for one feel a little concerned.

Same as it ever was ?

Positive crowd but how long wil that continue unless we win and to win games you need to scroe goals.

Early days I know but look at what the Filth did yesterday, we needed to hit the ground running and were found jogging along as usual.

Huffing and puffing dont win games, Goals do. Doesn't matter if we concede 3 as long as we can score 4. wishful thinking sadly.