Grimsby Town vs Luton Town FC (21st Sep 2012)

GRIMSBY 4-1 TOWN

The Town slumped to their third defeat of the season after being comprehensively beaten by Grimsby in front of the live television cameras.

On a ground where the Hatters have rarely enjoyed success, the hosts were three goals to the good at the break following strikes from Joe Colbeck, Andy Cook and Ross Hannah.

After searching for a way back into the game early in the second half the hosts went 4-0 on 70 minutes when Dean Beckwith headed into his own net.

Grimsby had chances to extend their lead before Scott Rendell, who had come closest in the first half for the Town, pulled a goal back for Paul Buckle's side 15 minutes from the end.

That was the only bright spot on an otherwise forgettable evening on Humberside.

Buckle kept the faith with the same side that drew 0-0 against Wrexham last Saturday but, as the game began in driving rain, it was the hosts that took the lead in the seventh minute. A cross from the right was headed goals by Cook but his effort was kept out well by Mark Tyler. However, the loose ball bobbled into the path of Colbeck and he made no mistake six yards out to poke home.

Hurt, the Town responded, playing some patient football, looking to utilise the pace of Andre Gray down the right flank, and, on 18 minutes, JJ O'Donnell ended a intricate move by curling narrowly over the crossbar from the edge of the box.

Despite being behind the Hatters were enjoying the lion's share of possession and, after Stuart Fleetwood tested home goalkeeper James McKeown with a low shot from distance, the stopper made an even better save 10 minutes later to keep his side ahead. Jon Shaw's searching pass took a nick off the head of a Grimsby defender straight into the path of Rendell but the striker's instinctive header was kept out brilliantly by the Mariners' keeper.

By now the Town were well on top but their night took another turn for the worse on 40 minutes when the Mariners doubled their lead. It was another scrappy effort: this time a left-wing cross from Aswad Thomas was headed against the crossbar by Nathan Pond before Cook dived to head home as the Hatters failed to clear the danger in the ensuing panic in the six-yard box.

However, it got worse three minutes later when the Mariners made it 3-0. A long ball over the top looked harmless enough but Beckwith allowed Hannah to get the better of him to steal in and poke a shot past the exposed Tyler.

Buckle substituted Janos Kovacs at the break, introducing Connor Essam and the Town almost got a goal back six minutes into the second half when Rendell was again denied by a good stop from McKeown following a right-wing corner from Jake Howells.

The Town boss then made his second change of the night when Yaser Kasim came on for Ronnie Henry in a switch that saw Alex Lawless drop to right-back.

Grimsby almost made it four on the hour when Tyler did well to keep out a Colbeck effort destined for the bottom corner with, gratefully, Cook unable to turn home the loose ball on the stretch.

Cook, though, came close on 66 minutes when his towering header thundered off the underside of the crossbar following a right-wing corner by Shaun Pearson.

By now the Hatters had made their third and final change with Jake Robinson replacing Fleetwood, and the Town almost had a sight of goal on 68 minutes when unselfish play from Rendell fed Shaw but his effort from 15 yards was blocked.

The Town were plugging away in search of a route back into the game but their task, became beyond them on 70 minutes when Beckwith headed past Tyler to give the Mariners a four-goal advantage.

However, the Hatters managed to get their name on the scoresheet on 76 minutes when Rendell bundled the ball home from close range after McKeown had spilled a piledriver from Howells.

It was almost 4-2 seconds later when Rendell found space in the Grimsby penalty area to turn and fire a low shot at goal that McKeown gathered at the second attempt.

Grimsby though were hunting a fifth and the Town had to thank Howells for some last-ditch defending to keep the Mariners at bay.

Rendell came close to grabbing a second goal with three minutes left before Tyler made a fine sprawling stop to keep out Dayle Southwell's effort after the home substitute had raced clear of the Town defence.

TOWN: Tyler, Henry, Beckwith, Kovacs, Howells, O'Donnell, Lawless, Rendell, Gray, Fleetwood, Shaw. Subs: Rowe-Turner, Kasim, J. Robinson, Essam, Walker.

GRIMSBY: McKeown, Wood, Thomas, S Pearson, Pond, Niven, Disley, Neilson, Colbeck, Hannah, Cook. Subs: Hatton, Miller, Artus, Southwell & Elding

http://www.youtube.com/embed/MUx1sIvFHpU

Boss Paul Buckle bemoaned his sided poor defending as they fell to a disappointing defeat at Grimsby.

The Town were three goals behind at half-time and despite a goal in the second half from Scott Rendell the Mariners ran out comfortable 4-1 winners..

And the manager was understandably frustrated after seeing the Hatters defeated on the road for the second away fixture in succession.

“I'm obviously not happy but tonight it was very simple: our centre-halves could not deal with balls into the box,” Buckle told Hatters Player afterwards.

“Grimsby scored their first goal from their first cross into the box and it carried on all night. We should be dealing with them but we are really struggling to.

“We were beaten today because our two centre-halves couldn't head the ball.

“Janos is a man mountain but he's got to be more aggressive and that's the second time I've taken him off at half-time now.

“We need to be a bit more honest but we deserved to be beaten.

“If we can't defend high balls into the box then we're going to struggle and it's my job, as manager, to sort it out, and to sort it out quickly.

“Tonight we created enough chances to win the game and we've had some some really good opportunities.

“But we've been let down defensively, and when you concede three goals in the first half you're always under pressure.

“We should be coming to a place like Grimsby a keeping clean sheet. We managed it against Wrexham but couldn't today - and that has cost us.”

Blue Square Bet Premier: Grimsby Town 4 (3) Luton Town 1 (0)

Shell-shocked Luton were destroyed 4-1 by buoyant Grimsby in front of the Premier TV cameras at Blundell Park tonight, writes Mark Wood.

Lethal Grimsby led 3-0 at the break and rammed home their advantage after the interval as they twice hit the woodwork in a game they dominated from start to finish. In fact it was the most goals Luton have conceded during their four years in the Conference.

Striker Scott Rendell looked Luton’s most likely source of goals and, after twice being thwarted by keeper James McKeown, finally got his reward as he bundled home a late consolation on a night to forget for the Hatters.

After asserting injuries would force changes at yesterday’s press conference, Town boss Paul Buckle somewhat surprisingly named an unchanged team for tonight’s encounter at Blundell Park.

No sooner did the game get under way than the heavens opened. An entertaining start saw Dean Beckwith lucky to escape giving away a free-kick and receiving a book when a wild challenge thankfully failed to find its mark.

But it was Town who created the first real opening on six minutes when Stuart Fleetwood slipped Rendell through and his clever effort just went wide of the far post.

Grimsby though took the lead moments later though when Ross Hannah headed a dangerous cross back across goal and, although Mark Tyler pulled off a great save to deny Andy Cook’s close-range effort, the ball broke kindly for Joe Colbeck to slot into the unguarded net.

Derek Niven fired an opportunistic effort well wide as the Mariners continued to make a bright start, while lovely build-up play from the Hatters eventually ended in JJ O’Donnell curling narrowly over the bar on 18 minutes.

Fleetwood cut inside from the left but stroked tamely at McKeown midway through the half before only a great save from the keeper rescued the Mariners on 34 minutes. Jon Shaw’s cross flicked off Aswad Thomas’ head and Rendell’s far post header was brilliantly turned over the bar by McKeown.

However, the Mariners doubled their lead five minutes before the break when impressive left-back Thomas again broke clear and delivered a delicious ball into the box. Nathan Pond’s header thundered back off the bar and Cook’s stooping header somehow dribbled into the net.

Luton threatened from a corner but Grimsby took exception to Andre Gray’s efforts and Shaun Pearson somehow went unpunished despite pushing the striker in the chest several times.

And things went from bad to worse for Luton as the Mariners made it 3-0 two minutes before the break as Dean Beckwith failed to deal with a through ball and Hannah nipped in to steer the ball past Tyler.

A ball into the box fell for Gray on the stroke of half time but he could only lash over and Tyler had to be aware to grasp Pond’s acrobatic overhead effort from Thomas’ cross as a wretched half drew to a close for the Hatters.

Connor Essam replaced Janos Kovacs at the break as the Mariners started the second half on the front foot with on-loan Crawley winger, Scott Neilson, making his debut, lashing over.

An Alex Lawless corner found Jake Howells at the far post, but his effort was deflected over and, from the subsequent corner Town should have scored. Lawless’ delivery found Rendell at the far post on 52 minutes but McKeown somehow clawed his effort on the stretch away.

Yaser Kasim replaced captain Ronnie Henry on 57 minutes as Luton altered to a 4-4-2 formation with Fleetwood and Gray on either wing.

Neilson surged forward on the hour and fed Colbeck whose effort was pushed away by Tyler with Cook unable to turn home the rebound.

Hannah saw an effort deflected behind before Luton made their final change on 65 minutes, bringing on Jake Robinson for Fleetwood.

The Mariners rattled the woodwork again on 66 minutes, Cook’s looping header smacking the underside of the bar and bouncing out, while at the other end Gray was unable to divert Howells’ corner from six yards out.

Town wasted another great chance on 67 minutes when Beckwith’s raking pass was perfect for

Rendell and he laid the ball into the path of Shaw, who took a touch, before then seeing his shot blocked.

And Grimsby made it 4-0 on 70 minutes when Badley Wood’s bombed a free-kick into the box and the hapless Beckwith’s header looped past Tyler and in.

Fortune finally favoured Town on 76-minutes when Howells’ drilled effort was fumbled McKeown and Rendell was on hand to bundle home the ball.

And he almost got a second in the space of a minute when Kasim’s challenge rebounded to him and his shot on the turn was just about kept out by the keeper.

Pearson’s header from a deep free-kick then caused consternation in the box as Town were just able to clear it behind.

Colbeck’s piercing run ended in him drawing a save from Tyler, while Robinson responded in kind, driving through the middle before seeing his 84th-minute effort bounce just wide.

Rendell saw another late effort deflected behind, before substitute Dayle Southwell outpaced Lawless on 89 minutes and drew another good save from Tyler as O’Donnell bravely cleared, while Kasim danced into the box at the other end but saw his shot blocked behind for yet another corner.

As the game petered out O’Donnell fired a late effort wide as Town endured another sorry night at a venue they rarely do well at.

Mariners (4-4-2): James McKeown, Aswad Thomas, Derek Niven, Shaun Pearson, Joe Colbeck, Craig Disley (C), Andy Cook, Bradley Wood, Nathan Pond, Scott Neilson (Frankie Artus 73), Ross Hannah (Dayle Southwell 81). Substitutes not used: Sam Hatton, Ian Miller, Anthony Elding.

Hatters (4-3-3): Mark Tyler, Dean Beckwith, Janos Kovacs (Connor Essam 46), Alex Lawless, Jon Shaw, Scott Rendell, Jake Howells, Stuart Fleetwood (Jake Robinson 65), JJ O’Donnell, Ronnie Henry (C, Yaser Kasim 57), Andre Gray. Substitutes not used: Lathaniel Rowe-Turner, Dan Walker.

Bookings: Disley 26.

Referee: P Banks. Assistant Referees: A Miller and S Campbell.

Fourth Official: A Tankard.

Attendance: 4,074 (125 Luton).

Star Hatter: Scott Rendell. Was by far the Hatters’ biggest threat.