Town were soundly beaten by League Two Grimsby Town in the opening round of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy at Blundell Park this evening due to a collection of defensive errors. Two of Grimsby's goals came directly from corners, with Town unable to cope with the height of defender Nick Fenton and unable to get hold of the ball in the midfield areas. Andy Ritchie will no doubt be looking for a marked improvement at Crewe Alexandra this weekend.
Town were lined up in their predicted 4-4-2 formation in a sparsely populated Blundell Park as referee Oliver blew his whistle to start the game, with tonight's Captain Matt Glennon keeping goal behind a back four of Joe Skarz, Nathan Clarke, Richard Keogh and Aaron Hardy. In front of them, Chris Brandon and Malvin Kamara were on the wings with Michael Collins and Andy Holdsworth the duo in the middle. Up front, Luke Beckett was joined by the returning Danny Schofield.
The home side crafted a real chance inside the second minute and it was only a save from Matt Glennon that stopped former Bradford striker Isaiah Rankin from scoring. Winger Peter Till was given too much space down the Town left and his back-post cross found the head of the unmarked striker, but Glennon was equal to his weak effort from 10 yards out.
The game then went scrappy for the next five minutes, with Town trying to use the ball down the channel to find strikers Schofield and Beckett. Andy Holdsworth got a nasty knock to the head during a collision with centre-back Nick Fenton in the 8th minute, but the midfielder was ok to continue after treatment from Lee Martin.
Right-winger Till was a real threat in the early stages, breaking free of Joe Skarz in the 9th minute after a lovely pass from Rankin and although the cross came to nothing, it was an early warning for the Town defence.
Young Grimsby striker Andy Taylor also showed good pace in the 13th minute, nicking the ball off the foot of Nathan Clarke down the right-side before racing clear and towards the Town goal. It was conceivable that Taylor could have tried his luck but he chose to pull the ball back, where a relieved Richard Keogh cleared the ball for a corner. From that set-piece, Justin Whittle nodded a ball well wide of Glennon's right post.
Town had created no chances in the opening quarter of an hour - the closest they came were two Danny Schofield crosses that 'keeper Phil Barnes claimed easily. However, other than the two slips Nathan Clarke and co. were looking solid at the back.
One audible voice in the eerily quiet Blundell Park was loanee Richard Keogh, who seemed to be pivotal in the organization of the defence. The Bristol City centre-back was showing exactly why he is Captain of the Ireland under-21 team.
BOOKING: Referee Oliver annoyed every Grimsby fan in the 23rd minute by stopping play to book Nathan Clarke for a shirt tug on Isaiah Rankin. The tug was visible, but Rankin had turned Clarke and was actually through on goal as the referee blew his whistle - much to the chagrin of manager Alan Buckley on the touchline.
Town's first shot of the game came in the 29th minute after a defensive error from Dave Mulligan. The Grimsby right-back tried to nod a Joe Skarz clearance back to his goalkeeper but only succeeded in picking out Luke Beckett, who had to take the shot on the turn when under heavy pressure from centre-back Whittle. Luke's shot had Barnes back-peddling but ended up drifting over the bar.
The home side had definitely had the better of the first half-hour without seriously testing Matt Glennon and it seemed that the only way that either side would create a proper chance would be through a defensive error.
BOOKING: However, a quick turn from Danny Schofield right on the corner of the home area led to a yellow card for centre-back Nick Fenton after 35 minutes.
Danny Boshell then tried to test Matt Glennon with a 25-yard effort in the 38th minute, but his shot went well wide of the right-hand post.
Isaiah Rankin was doing a decent job of holding the ball up for the Mariners despite the constant attention of either Clarke or Keogh and his left-foot shot on the spin just inside the Town area was well gathered by Matt Glennon in the 40th minute.
Town fought back and Chris Brandon got free down the left a minute later. His pull-back found Michael Collins on the corner of the box and he tried to bend one into the far post - only for a defender to nod the ball over for a corner. A succession of three corners followed, ending in Andy Holdsworth hitting a shot over the vacant stand behind the goal.
Richard Keogh then slipped over in the 43rd minute, giving Andy Taylor a chance to run at Matt Glennon on the angle. The big keeper tried to smother the ball at the striker's feet, but he managed to square it across goal to Danny Boshell, who looked certain to score. However, Nathan Clarke had other ideas and he dived full length to clear the ball off the line - and save his fellow centre-back's blushes.
GOAL - Right before half-time, Michael Collins opened the scoring for Town. The goal came against the run of play but was very well worked by Andy Ritchie's men. Aaron Hardy played a good ball down the line for Danny Schofield to run on to. His clever run had drawn both of the Grimsby centre-backs into the corner and Danny showed great awareness to turn the ball back into the middle first-time to find unmarked strike partner Beckett. For once, Luke's first touch let him down and he was forced to turn away from goal with a defender in close attendance, but he found Collins with a pass back and the Irish midfielder made no mistake in side-footing the ball to Barnes' right side to put Town ahead.
GOAL - However, the half was not over and big centre-back Nick Fenton equalised in added time. A right-wing corner conceded by Nathan Clarke was put into the middle of the Town box, where Fenton placed a header accurately into the top-right corner to restore parity. In all honesty, it was what Grimsby deserved.
Town had only created one chance all half - Collins' goal - and it seemed that only errors at the back would create a real chance for either side. Keogh and Clarke had been the busiest Town players with the man of the match at Millwall - Malvin Kamara - hardly getting a touch of the ball.
Half-Time: Grimsby Town 1 Huddersfield Town 1
Andy Ritchie made no changes at half-time but there seemed to be a new determination in the ranks as the Terriers started the half strongly. Luke Beckett held the ball up well down the right-hand side for Town in the 47th minute before Danny Schofield cleverly played a ball to Collins on the edge of the box. He hit the ball inches wide of the left-hand post with the goalkeeper beaten.
GOAL - Grimsby took the lead in the 49th minute through winger Ciaran Toner. Nathan Clarke and Aaron Hardy played forward Andy Taylor onside and he hit a vicious shot at the top corner as he broke into the area. Matt Glennon could only palm the ball into the air and the onrushing winger happily turned the ball into the net despite the best efforts of Aaron Hardy.
GOAL - Grimsby extended their lead 4 minutes later through Isaiah Rankin and the goal came from another corner. The ball into the box went to the back post, where it was Fenton who won the ball once again and his header was flicked in a different direction by the burly striker from very close range to leave Matt Glennon with no chance.
Malvin Kamara finally got a chance to dribble at the home defence in the 56th minute following good work between Aaron Hardy and Luke Beckett and he hit a curling left-foot shot after coming inside from the wing, but Phil Barnes held the ball with Danny Schofield ready to pounce on any rebound.
The traveling support was screaming for a penalty on the hour mark after Malvin Kamara's header across goal seemed to strike the hand of left-back Tom Newey. Referee Oliver, who had officiated the game with no real consistency throughout, waived away the claims.
SUB - Andy Ritchie tried to find a way back into the game by changing things around in the 61st minute, swapping Danny Schofield with midfielder Matty Young. Schofield had only returned to training the day before and it was no surprise to see him go off; Young moved to the right-wing with Malvin Kamara moving to partner Beckett up front.
Joe Skarz then forced Phil Barnes into a flying save a minute later, sending a 30-yard free-kick just inside the left-hand post that the former Blackpool keeper did well to turn away for a corner.
SUB - Isaiah Rankin was replaced in Grimsby's first change of the evening after 64 minutes, with striker Danny North coming on in his place.
GOAL - The fourth goal of the evening for Grimsby pretty much summed up the evening for Town. A long ball from the home defence was misjudged by Matt Glennon, who came a long way out of his goal to claim the ball but got nowhere near it as the ball hit a striker and flew up in the air. Joe Skarz then tried to clear the ball, but the ball cannoned off Peter Till and trickled into the empty net.
SUB - Luke Beckett was withdrawn by Andy Ritchie in the 70th minute, with Lucas Akins his replacement.
SUB - Alan Buckley then made another change - replacing Danny Boshell with Jamie Clarke in the 74th minute.
The referee seemed to be giving Nathan Clarke a final warning a minute later after the defender upended Taylor once again. From the resulting free-kick, giant defender Fenton headed the ball over the bar.
SUB - In a sensible substitution given Nathan's booking, he was replaced by younger brother Tom Clarke, who was making his first appearance for Town since suffering that horrible injury in October of last year.
Tom was instantly into the action, sending a very straight long-ball straight into the centre of the Grimsby defence that neither centre-back seemed to want to deal with. This hesitation gave Kamara a chance to shoot on the half-volley but the effort was saved down low by Barnes.
An excellent cross from Joe Skarz looked to have been headed home by Matt Young at the back post after 79 minutes, but his effort went inches wide of the near post.
SUB - The final substitution of the evening came on 83 minutes, with Alan Buckley replacing Peter Till with Peter Bore.
BOOKING - Chris Brandon entered the book after 87 minutes following a clash with substitute Bore.
In injury time, Skarz tested Barnes once again with another long-range free-kick. Barnes had been impressive all evening and he made an even better save to deny Michael Collins a second goal in the last real action of the game.
Town's Team vs. Grimsby Town
Matt Glennon (c), Andy Holdsworth, Joe Skarz, Michael Collins, Nathan Clarke (Tom Clarke 77), Chris Brandon, Danny Schofield (Matthew Young 61), Richard Keogh, Malvin Kamara, Luke Beckett (Lucas Akins 70), Aaron Hardy
Unused Subs: Simon Eastwood, Danny Racchi
Bookings: Nathan Clarke, Chris Brandon
Attendance: 1,204
Traveling fans: 255
