Late equaliser strikes hammer blow to Town’s survival hopes
MARINERS DESERVED MORE THAN A DRAW
GRIMSBY Town were dealt a hammer blow in their battle against relegation as a late Ibou Touray equaliser saw them pegged back to a 1-1 draw at Salford City.
They had looked set to claim a huge win after Harry Clifton’s early goal, but – hindered by an appalling refereeing performance – they could only claim a point as their hopes of staying up took another huge hit.
There was just the one change made by Paul Hurst following the draw with Walsall less than seven days ago, with Julien Lamy replacing Luke Spokes, who dropped to the bench. Jay Matete was fit to start, despite being labelled as “unlikely” by his manager earlier in the week, while Sam Habergham was named as a substitute as he made his return from injury.
After the drama off the pitch the day before, a bright start was needed to renew a bit of confidence – and they got just what the doctor ordered within the opening couple of minutes.
Lamy saw his cross from the left blocked, but the Frenchman managed to hook the ball back to Clifton just in time to allow the midfielder-turned-defender to lift his head up and pick his spot, and he struck the ball sweetly to beat Vaclav Hladky at his near post to give Town the perfect start.
And they could have easily furthered their advantage, with Lamy striking the post moments later as Hladky spilled his cross, with the Salford goalkeeper suffering a nervy opening few minutes.
The onslaught on the hosts’ goal continued, with the Czech stopper forced to tip over Matete’s dipping volley from the edge of the box, before he was called into action moments later to keep Lenell John-Lewis’ shot out. The game settled down thereafter, although it was the Mariners who continued to look the more threatening – they weren’t helped in their cause by some very questionable decisions from referee Declan Bourne, not least his refusal to blow the whistle when James Hanson had his heels clipped as he looked to get on the end of Rollin Menayese’s ball from deep.
Hurst could only laugh and shake his head, but Bourne’s display looked to be the biggest
threat to his side’s chances as frustration grew with poor decision following poor decision – Giles Coke let his feelings known as he lay with a bloodied head, only for the referee to let play go on.
Any hopes Town might get some decisions going their way after the break were quickly extinguished when they were denied a second goal, with the ref giving a free-kick as for a foul on Hladky as Hanson’s header came back off the post before Stefan Payne turned it home. The hosts began to assert their authority a bit more, and came close on a couple of occasions as Ian Henderson blasted over, before substitute Richie Towell struck wide from distance.
And on the one occasion Town looked to be getting in at the other end of the pitch with Clifton, Bourne was once again on hand to needlessly stop them in their tracks as his display plumbed new depths. Nevertheless, the Mariners were holding on, although they were indebted to James McKeown late on as he managed to recover and keep Henderson’s header out.
But just as they looked to be heading for a huge three points, they had their hearts broken when Touray struck in the dying embers to deal a hammer blow to their hopes of survival in the EFL.