Saturday 12th May 2018
Toolstation NCEL Division One Play Off Final
at the Bradley Community Sports Ground
Grimsby Borough (1) 2 - ET HT (2) ET FT 2
Toolstation NCEL Division One Play Off Final
at the Bradley Community Sports Ground
Grimsby Borough (1) 2 - ET HT (2) ET FT 2
Calum Lovett 34
Jack Debnam 59Eccleshill United (1) 2 - ET HT (3) ET FT 3
Antony Brown 23
Andrew Cooper 90 pen
Luke Harrop 105
Admission £5. Programme £1. Attendance 190
For THE66POW Flickr match photos click HERE
Grimsby Borough:
Scott Drury, Adam Drury, Jack Steel, Callum Lovett, Brendan Smythe, Josh Sunter, Jack Debnam (C), Josh Venney, Danny Trott, Luke Mascall, Caine Winfarrah
Subs - Jack Bradbury, James Petronzio, Josh Morrall, Joe Lamplough, James Swann
Eccleshill United:
Dominic Smith, Matt Stor, Scott Manning, Andy Cooper, Sam Bradley (C), Matt Mathers, Luke Harrop,Charlie Flaherty, Antony Brown, Chris Lever, Tom Rose
Subs - Carlton Jerome, Ryan Canning, Zephaniah Thomas, Ethan Lebad, Levi Maturine
On Wednesday night, Grimsby Borough booked their place in this afternoon's play off final, with a 3-0 home win over Glasshoughton, while Eccleshill United needed extra time to overcome their semi final opponents Shirebrook Town 4 goals to 2 at their Plumpton Park ground in Wrose (Bradford).
Boro' and United had finished third and fourth in the table respectively, having gained 85 points apiece... but Grimsby had the better goal difference and thus gained home advantage for this winner takes all shoot out.
Back in August, Andy Liddle's side had won 3-4 on the road in West Yorkshire, while the Eagles had taken all three points at the Bradley three months ago, when they overcame Boro 2-3. As clues go, maybe this season's previous form was a bit of an omen and indication as to how this afternoon was destined to pan out, but though it was always likely to be a very close game, it is the unpredictable nature of football, especially on these one off occasions, that gives the game the edge over every other type of live sport, as a form of entertainment, that will ebb and flow one way and then the other and keep the crowd hooked... and this promotion decider certainly lived up to that kind of star billing, and more besides.
The two sides set off at a cracking pace, and it became evident early on that an 'attack is the best form of defence' policy had been adopted by both Boro' and Shaun Regan's visitors.
Caine Winfarrah delivered two right wing crosses into the Eagles area inside the first couple of minutes, that United were glad to get rid of before Danny Trott and Luke Mascall could take advantage, while at the other end Matt Mathers dinked the ball over Adam Drury and Josh Sunter to put Antony Brown through on goal, but Scott Drury sped from his line to narrow the angle and limit the Eccleshill strikers options and he curled his shot past the left hand upright and into the side netting.
Danny Trott was leading the line for Grimsby, in the sort of manner that you's associate with a good old fashioned and combative centre forward and target man; his physical style of play caused a few tuts of indignation and gripes among the Eagles faithful, who had made the 180 mile round trip to the East Coast this afternoon, but I couldn't imagine the former Boston Town and Cleethorpes Town striker playing any other way.
His approach is effective and (just about) within the rules of association football (most of the time). Even though it was probably a good job that the match referee Gareth Thomas redefines the word vigilant whenever he takes charge of a game. But even he must've been looking elsewhere when Trott clattered Mathers across the face with his flailing arm.
At the back, Boro's Sunter was obviously aware of the threat of Brown and was sticking to him like a limpet to a bed of coastal rock, in fact his marking was so tight at times that Brown might to go the his doctors for a morning after pill tomorrow and pick up a pregnancy testing kit from Boots.
But moments after Dominic Smith in the visitors goal had done well to save a long range effort from Josh Venney, before releasing the ball quickly up the field with a long kick, that Brown, who had moved out to the right to lose his marker, took down and left two defenders in his wake with a burst of pace before drilling the ball past (S) Drury and right into the middle of the back of the net, to give Eccleshill a twenty third minute lead.
The home side tried to get back in the game with an immediate response, but when the Boro' captain Jack Debnam launched a right wing delivery towards Luke Mascall, Smith came off his line to claim the ball and the Grimsby number ten fell awkwardly, after a coming together with the United keeper and though he tried to play, on after receiving treatment, Mascall didn't last much longer and had to leave the field of play, still feeling the effects of the collision, and James Petronzio came on from the bench in his place.
Caine Winfarrah tried his luck from thirty yards out, Smith pushed the ball away at full stretch, and it landed beyond the reach of Trott and the away side cleared their lines, before he could snaffle the opportunity up.
Petrronzio was involved straight away, after entering the fray, winning the ball in midfield before spraying it out wide to Winfarrah, whose delivery into the Eccleshill six yard box deflected wide of the post.
From the resulting corner, (A) Drury sent a lengthy cross beyond the reach of the scrum of players jockeying for position in the goalmouth, towards Debnam, who planted a dipping header just beneath the crossbar, that Smith managed to hold onto and prevent Boro' grabbing an equaliser.
The game was held up for around forty minutes, awaiting the arrival of an ambulance, for Scott Manning, who suffered a serious leg injury as he tried to cut the ball across the face of Grimbsy goal, at precisely the same moment as Trott attempted to clear the danger. The two of them went in determinedly and swung at the ball in unison... and sadly the consequence of their competitiveness, was a the sickening loud sound of boots crashing together and a bone breaking, resonating around the Bradley ground.
A stretcher was summoned immediately, but their wasn't one to be found, so somebody suggested using a table with wheels to transport the stricken player off of the pitch.
Upon seeing the table approaching, Manning declined the offer and politely said: "You can f*ck off, I'm not getting on that stupid thing!"
And I don't blame him one bit either.
The rest of the players were taken back to their respective dressing rooms for the duration of the hold up, and only returned to the pitch for a quick warm up when it was confirmed that the arrival was imminent.
Before heading for Grimsby's bolt hole, Trott went across to offer his commiserations to Manning and check on how he was faring.
Hopefully it was a clean break and Scott Manning will be on the mend soon.
The game restarted, obviously under a sombre cloud, but the pace soon picked up again and the 'competitive edge' soon resumed again.
And I'm damn sure that Scott Manning wouldn't have wanted it any other way.
Ryan Canning broke through the Grimsby defence, but before he could shoot, (S) Drury claimed the ball bravely at his feet.
Trott picked the ball up thirty yards out and stroked a measured ball out to his right for (A) Drury, he in turn chipped a looping cross towards Callum Lovett, who directed the ball past Smith with a stooping header, eleven minutes before the rescheduled half time break... and if that Trott bloke would've stayed out of shot, I might have got a half decent picture of the goal on my phone too.
Petronzio did well to make himself some space out on the right and though his cross fell behind (A) Drury, he improvised and got an overhead kick on target, but Smith saved.
Lovett nudged a cheeky lob over the visitors defence for Trott to run onto, but Mathers was back quickly to retrieve the ball... and was fouled by the Boro' number nine for his troubles.
Hmm... that wasn't exactly out of character for the Grimsby striker, was it!?
Right on the stroke of half time, Thomas Rose presented Brown with a good chance to double his goal tally for the afternoon, but (S) Drury was alert to the danger and thwarted him with a clean catch.
HT: Boro 1 v Eagles 1
Petronzio showed some decent skills out on the right again and delivered the ball to Trott, whose first angled shot from six yards out was blocked while his second, on the rebound was saved by Smith.
Debnam cleared from Luke Harrop's long throw, while Sunter intercepted the same players cross from the left flank and play switched to the other end again... Lovett found Debnam inside the visitors area with a well measured knock forward and the Grimsby captain made no mistake of knocking it past Smith from close range, to give his side the lead for the first time in the game after almost a hour of play.
Trott went close to increasing the hosts lead, but put the ball wide, and moments later Smith had to have his wits about him, as Venney's long range shot bounced up awkwardly in front of him.
Winfarrah made a weaving run deep into Eccleshill territory, but pulled the ball narrowly wide of Smith's goal on the half volley, and Winfarrah used his pace and some neat footwork again soon afterwards, out on the left wing, but Debnam fired wide from the resulting cross.
Time was running out for the visitors and Boro' looked to be in the ascendancy now.
Once more, Winfarrah threatened the visitors goal and Smith was treated to another shot that skimmed along the ground changing directions, but he held onto it.
(A) Drury linked up with Winfarrah down the right, and the latter rolled the ball towards Debnam who hooked it into the air for Jack Bradbury, who headed over the bar.
The Eccleshill captain kept his nerve amidst all of the frantic action going on around him and drilled a precision through ball to Carlton Jerome, who managed to stay upright as Brandon Smythe lost his footing beside him, stumbled forward, but could only nudge the ball wide as (S) Drury slid into him and toppled the substitute front man a yard from the goal line. Mr Thomas had no hesitation in blowing up and pointing to the spot. And as calm as you like, Cooper stepped up and planted the spot kick into the bottom corner, to salvage what was beginning to look like a lost cause and force the game into extra time.
90 Minutes: Grimsby Borough 2 v Eccleshill United 2
Wow! What a great game this had turned out to be.
Luke Harrop charged forward, freed himself of any attention whatsoever from any Grimsby player, rounded (S) Drury at speed and stabbed a shot towards the invitingly unguarded Boro' net, but Sunter arrived, seemingly out of nowhere to turn the ball around the post with an outstretched leg.
(A) Drury sprinted down the right and swung the ball towards Debnam, whose header was too close to Smith and he saved it comfortably.
A minute before the half way stage of extra time, Levi Maturine spotted Harrop making a run forward, into a gap in the middle of the Grimsby defence and launched the ball towards him... it fell perfectly for Harrop to smash it past (S) Drury from a couple of yards out.
HT ET: Boro 2 v Eagles 3
Josh Venney took responsibility for a free kick, a few yards outside the visitors area, but the ball's trajectory defied gravity itself, curling up over the Eagles seven man wall, but not coming back down again... and the only netting it found was the green stuff around the top of the fences that are their to stop balls damaging the vehicles in the car park.
Eccleshill were back in numbers now, with just two men loitering near the centre circling hoping to pick up an clearances that came their way.
Harrop pushed forward again... though Christ only knows where he was finding the energy from still, almost three and a half hours after the game had originally kicked off, he shot and the ball rebounded into the path of Zephaniah Thomas, who skied his shot over (S) Drury's goal.
Listen Zeph, fifteen minutes ago, when your boss said: "If we're still in front with a couple of minutes to go and you can't run the clock down in the one of the corner's, launch it onto Cleethorpes effing beach", he didn't mean it literally.
And that was that... Eccleshill's extra reserves of fighting spirit had seen them over the line. And after creating so many chances, Boro' will have been gutted to have tasted defeat in consecutive play off finals, they fell at the final hurdle against Penistone Church last season.
ET FT: Grimsby Borough 2 v Eccleshill United 3
So congratulations to Eccleshill United, who refused to lay down and die and kept plugging away, and commiserations to Grimsby Borough, who must be wondering how on earth they have lost this game after such a massive effort. Good luck to the Eagles in the Premier Division of the NCEL next season... and I genuinely hope that Boro' clinched the promotion next term, that has evaded them at the last hurdle these past two years.
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| Unbelievable. During extra time this bloody Jehovah's Witness rep tried selling me a Bible. |
