[JonInMiddleGA]

Sept 1, 2012 (evening)
Blyth (1-2-2, 18th) at Grimsby (3-1-1, 5th)

This looks like a tough one, on the road against a team that's been winning. They've got three players who've scored 2 goals each and could add to that against us, the one ray of hope might be how poorly they played last time out in a 5-1 loss at Mansfield.

We'll flip the lineup due to the short turnaround and show a different look (because we're thin on fit forwards) ... a 4-4-1-1 that we've been working on. Grimsby is a big 1:6 favorite, we're 10:1 dogs. We'll start out in a Standard mindset, maybe with their morale being down after the loss we can catch them early.

GK: Hartley
D: Martin - Jones - Mellish - Purvis
MF: Phillips - Slaughter - Sawyer - Whiteley
AMC - O'Connor
F: Mole
Bench: (McGovern, Abraham, Taylor, Groves, Dovey)

4:10 - Makofo runs into the area past several defenders, embarasses Mellish, crosses to Hatch on the right & that's an easy goal (0-1)
14:25 - Corner by Soares, Hatch's header bangs off the crossbar
19:45 - We dial our strategy back to Counter, we've been under pressure since the kickoff
32:00 - Makofo shoots wide .. we've been outshot 9-0 so far
39:15 - Hartley starts out on Hearn, changes his mind ... Purvis heads it to safety at the last moment
43:25 - Our first offensive zone highlight is a throw-in ... ball is worked to O'Connor ... who spots Mole beating the trap ... one-on-one against Young... GOAL !!! (1-1) Grimsby wants an offside call, none is forthcoming. We'll say that was perfectly timed by Mole and leave it at that.

Halftime - An undeserving score at the break, outshot 11-1, only 41% poss. But we're still in this thing. Purvis (6.8) has been pretty much the only effective defender, for that matter the only effective player until the quick goal sequence. We tweak a few roles but otherwise no changes, although we do remind Martin to be careful since he picked up a well-deserved yellow card early.

54:15 - Phillips with a corner into the area ... Jones just missed high
58:38 - Makofo outbattles Whiteley during a long run down the left side... centers a pass to Hatch ... header is just out of the reach of Hartley (1-2) Groan.
60:45 - O'Connor takes a neat pass from Mole down to the arc & shoots ... just wide left
62:00 - Sub Abraham for Sawyer (5.8), Groves for Mellish (5.9)
64:00 - Phillips centers a pass to Whiteley at the arc .. missed badly
72:10 - O'Connor spots Mole again, into the area and he puts it home ... but the flag was up, offside
77:50 - We're left screaming for a penalty after Mole gets roughed up on an aerial play in the area ... no call
79:00 - Sub McGovern for Martin (5.9, yellow, tiring)
80:00 - Mole needs treatment on the side after a rough challenge by Flynn
81:44 - Casual possession, we work the ball around to Whiteley at the arc ... he passes up a shot & instead plays it through to Abraham angling into the area from the right ... Young deflects the shot ... but it goes in GOAL !!! (2-2) ... we draw level with only ten men on the pitch
Switch to Defensive
89:00 - 3 mins added
90:45 - Hatch shoots long & wide ... Grimsby switches to a 4-3-3, apparently they want this one

Fulltime - We just flat out stole a point, and I'm happy with that. "Well done guys, you just proved many people wrong". Outshot 14-5, only 46% poss (but 51% in the 2nd half), only 61% passing, only 43% of headers won ... and we get a point anyway. 1st league goal for Abraham, league debut for McGovern, first league assist for Whiteley & O'Connor, and the first time ever playing in a new tactic.

Hartley 6.6
Martin 5.9, Jones 6.3, Mellish 5.9, Purvis 6.9
Phillips 6.2, Slaughter 6.8, Sawyer 5.9, Whiteley 6.9 & 1 assist
O'Connor 6.9 & 1 assist, Mole 7.3 & 1 goal
Subs: Abraham 7.4 & 1 goal, Groves 6.9, McGovern N/A
*Grimsby's Hatch was MOM with 2 goals and an 8.8 rating