Dieseruvwe’s audition in mad 45 minute season finale
STRIKER IMPRESSES FOR TOWN
GRIMSBY Town rounded off their 2021-22 National League season in dramatic fashion as they surrendered the lead three times against Eastleigh in a 4-4 draw. The Mariners looked like they would cruise to victory after taking a 2-0 lead before half-time.
However, a mental second half saw Eastleigh level 11 minutes after the restart.
Despite a hat-trick from Emmanuel Dieseruvwe, Paul Hurst’s side were pegged back twice more in an eight-goal thriller.
Nonetheless, a point is enough to secure a sixth-placed finish for the season, setting up a mouthwatering tie at Notts County in the play-offs.
Here, Grimsby Live walks you through the key talking points from a crazy afternoon at Eastleigh.
45 minutes of madness
In truth, the opening 45 minutes was a bit of a non-event.
The tempo was slow and once Town went ahead through Jordan Maguire-Drew, they looked in complete control.
Eastleigh came out a different side in the second half and needed only 11 minutes to drag themselves level. Both goals came from half-time substitutes and after looking lacklustre for 45 minutes, the game completely changed.
Town were given the freedom of Silverlake to knock the ball around under very little pressure.
In the second half, they were pressed and couldn’t get any control in the centre of midfield.
That said, Town retook the lead twice thanks to Dieseruvwe and should have seen the game out. It was a second half that nobody could have predicted at 3.45pm.
Two debutants
Hurst made wholesale changes with Ollie Battersby and Jamie Bramwell handed full league debuts. In the first half, neither were overly tested.
Bramwell impressed with his ability to carry the ball out of defence and hit an array of eye-catching passes.
The young defender is clearly very talented in possession and was brave enough to step into midfield. However, in the second half, he was given a much tougher time as experienced forward Tyrone Barnett grew into the game. None of the goals were his fault in isolation but, as Hurst said, he has to take his share of the blame.
Likewise, Battersby will be disappointed with Eastleigh’s third goal, a powerful shot that beat him at his near post.
Whilst it was a fierce strike from Jake Hesketh, the goalkeeper got a good hand on it and will probably feel as though he could have done better.
That said, it was a really encouraging outing for both players, who showed flashes of their potential.
Credit to Hurst for handing them the opportunity.
Dieseruvwe’s audition
After being released by Tranmere Rovers in the week, Dieseruvwe provided a timely reminder of his qualities. In truth, he’s now auditioning for a contract, either at Blundell Park or elsewhere.
Whilst scoring scrappy goals has been a struggle, at times, during his career, he showed his poacher’s instinct with three goals from an accumulation of 20 yards. That will please the big striker and Hurst.
With five goals for Town, Dieseruvwe will feel confident that he can make an impact in the play-offs to try and secure a permanent stay with the Mariners. If not, he will want to attract suitors from elsewhere.
Notts County on the horizon
With the regular season now wrapped up, attentions turn to Meadow Lane.
Hurst is keen for his players to take a few days off and try to remove the match from their minds.
It’s bound to be a fantastic occasion between two clubs with a history befitting of EFL clubs. Both league fixtures produced fantastic atmospheres and that won’t be any different with promotion on the line.
The Mariners were the better team in both league matches, though that counts for little now. It does give them some encouragement though, especially after their dramatic 2-1 victory on that ground in February.