ShrewsTRUST Man of the Match

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Grimsby Town: Nick Colgan, Joe Widdowson, Dean Sinclair, Oliver Lancashire, Peter Sweeney, Peter Bore, Michael Coulson, Jamie Devitt, Rob Atkinson, Jean Louis Akpro, Lee Peacock

Subs: Mark Oxley, Adam Proudlock, Nick Hegarty, Paul Linwood, Michael Leary, Bradley Wood, Mark Hudson

Town: David Button, Joe Skarz, Graham Coughlan, Terry Dunfield, Kelvin Langmead, Dave Hibbert, Jamie Cureton (Benjamin Van Den Broek 62), Paul Murray, Steve Leslie (Jake Robinson 58), Lewis Neal, Kevin McIntyre

Subs: Kris Bright, Harry Hooman, Jake Simpson, Chris Neal, Will Richards

Ref: J Moss
Assistants: L Betts & G Hambling
Fourth Official: N Hair

Paul Simpson makes the one change to the side that beat AFC Bournemouth with Paul Murray coming into replace the suspended Dean Holden, and expected to slot into the vacant right-back slot.

The first 5-minutes saw Grimsby not looking like a side who hadn't won in something like 25 games, they were positive and taking the game to the visitors.Murray had slotted in well to the to the right back slot and was putting in some good deliveries into the Town forward line.

Town were doing their best to silence the Grimsby fans and with Dunfield, Cureton and Hibbert all having good efforts on goal the Blundell Park faithful had lost some of the noise that had greeted their side at the kick-off.

Town had the best chance to take the early lead whenJamie Cureton beat the offside trap, the move started when McIntyre received the ball in the centre of the park, he held up play looking for options and Cureton showed his class to run from an onside position to get in behind the Grimsby defence but with only Colgan to beat he attempted to flick the ball round the outrushing keeper but he put too much on it and it went wide of the target.

Town had been getting up a head of steam but a couple of injuries to the Grimsby defence meant that they had to slow things down, and this stopped Town's flow.The game had become a little scrappy but Town were starting to cause the home side a number of scares with some balls in behind the Grimsby defence with Hibbert and Cureton willing runners.

Grimsby were handed the lead right on the stroke of half-time with another dubious looking penalty.Grimsby had been growing in confidence as the half went on and beginning to look more of an attacking threat, the had the ball around the Town box with Akpro breaking into the box, Langmead slid in for what looked like a clean tackle but ref Moss waited and then pointed to the spot.It was Dean Sinclair who placed the ball and he kept his cool to put his shot the opposite side of Button and give Grimsby a lifeline.

Half-time: 0-1

Town had a great chance to level the score with only seconds on the clock when Murray clipped the ball forward, Dunfield headed it over the Grimsby defence into the run of Kevin McIntyre, he controlled the ball and continued his run into the box, he lifted the ball over keeper Colgan but the Mariners keeper managed to get an arm in the way to stop the ball going into the net.

Town had a much tougher task on 56 minutes when Grimsby grabbed a second goal.it was a real messy goal for Town, the ball was played into the back post but Skarz seemed to deal with but couldn't clear, the ball though came back in from a Grimsby player, Akpro then had one shot which was blocked, one which Button did brilliantly to palm away but the ball then fell to Peter Bore who drove it home to make it 2-0.

Things got even worse for Town minutes later when Coughlan didn't get a clean header to clear the ball, this allowed Peacock and Akpro to play a one-two to find Akpro space on the edge of the box, the then drilled in a low shot that gave Button no chance and made it 3-0 to the home side.

Town were still pushing and looking to get back into the game, the addition of Van Den Broek and Robinson had given some different options and urgency.Van Den Broek was showing a great delivery of the ball and created a couple of good half chances for Robinson, but Grimsby keeper Colgan was equal to both efforts.

Town had the chances to get back into the game but just couldn't get that spark or bit of luck in front of goal.A lovely quick break from Town saw Lewis Neal and McIntyre combine well to put McIntyre away down the left, he lifted a great cross into the back post and Robinson did really well to get in front of him man but didn't connect with the ball cleanly and put his header wide of the target.

Full-time: 0-3