Gritty City overcome Clarke blow

11:40pm Friday 24th October 2008

Comments (12)   Have your say »

Grimsby 1, City 3

City showed steel and style against the winless Mariners to move back within a point of the League Two summit for 24 hours – but their hard-earned fourth away triumph of the campaign came at a cost.

They had to play 79 minutes with only ten men after Matt Clarke was sent off – and finished the game without Joe Colbeck, who had to be stretchered off with an ankle injury that may not be as serious as first feared.

It is now 20 games since struggling Grimsby last won in the league – an incredible run that spans the entire British Summer Time, which runs out tomorrow night.

At times they looked like a side who must be wondering if the next three points will ever come — but take nothing away from Stuart McCall’s men, who still had it all to do after Clarke was dismissed so early on.

City showed more attacking intent in the first ten minutes than they had managed in the entire first half at Darlington and the high-octane start got its reward with a cracking goal from Omar Daley.

Picking up Matt Heywood’s unconvincing headed clearance to the left of the Grimsby penalty area, the Jamaican took on and beat Jamie Clarke as he burst into the box and then fired a thunderbolt into the far top corner of the net.

The sixth-minute strike was the perfect pick-me-up after City’s indifferent few weeks – and could have got even better.

Graeme Lee immediately carved through Grimsby’s soft centre only to be denied by a frantic late block and from the resulting corner, only desperate goalline defending prevented a second.

It was all going so well for City. Too well. Nick Hegarty’s header provided routine catching practice for Rhys Evans before the game took a dramatic twist as City were reduced to ten men.

Nathan Jarman looked to wriggle away from Clarke, who responded by tugging him back on the edge of the penalty area. Referee Graham Salisbury consulted an assistant before ruling that the City defender was the last man and had to go.

Having dominated up to that point, City were rocked back on their heels and Peter Bore set up Jarman for a volley which he wastefully swatted into the away end.

With one Clarke gone, McCall decided it was time for the other and Tom Clarke came on for his debut to reinforce the back four.

Disappointingly it was Daley who was sacrificed for the on-loan defender, although the winger’s booking for arguing the red card must have been a factor in his manager’s thinking.

City could not run the risk of losing another player later on – but Daley’s yellow was also his fifth of the season, which means he will have to sit out Barnet’s visit next Saturday.

The substitute came in to right back, with TJ Moncur shifting across to partner Lee in the middle. Grimsby old boy Michael Boulding took up the left-wing role vacated by Daley.

Grimsby’s confidence had been boosted and they started to come more into the game. Evans made a good save from Bore’s angled drive, Jamie Clarke bent a free-kick past the post and Hegarty drilled well wide from distance.

But City were determined not to sit back and invite pressure – and doubled their lead just after the half hour.

It was a well-worked goal which began with Paul McLaren spraying a great pass wide for Colbeck. The winger had already given marker Tom Newey some uncomfortable moments and once again he cut past the left back and into the box.

His route to goal was snuffed out but the ball was laid back to Boulding, who punished the club where he had spent two spells earlier in his career with a deadly finish from 18 yards.

Grimsby needed some kind of response to lift the home crowd before the break and Evans tipped over a header from James Hunt. Heywood’s header from the corner put the ball back into the danger zone but City had bodies in the way to ride out the storm.

McCall must have been delighted on the touchline. In the same way that Gillingham’s ten men had more than matched City at Valley Parade six days earlier, his side were demonstrating that same grit to keep the hosts at bay and still show their own threat on the break.

City were good value for their lead and the boos from the Grimsby supporters which greeted the half-time whistle said it all. But, unlike Gillingham, City still had another full half to negotiate with a man short.

And given the recent comebacks both for and against in the Accrington and Gillingham games, the Bantams were wise not to count their chickens despite their two-goal supremacy.

The fans made it clear who they blamed for Clarke’s early dismissal, giving the assistant a volley of abuse as he checked the net at their end before the restart.

They were soon cheering as Evans pulled off a fantastic save three minutes into the half to deny Hegarty’s header. It looked perfectly placed in the bottom corner but the keeper flung out an arm to dig it out and then collected Liam Trotter’s weak follow-up.

Evans had bad memories of Blundell Park following the shoulder injury a year ago that put paid to his first temporary spell with the Bantams. The superb block would have gone a long way to putting that to bed.

As Grimsby pushed for a way back, Evans was called into action again as he tipped over the bar from Hegarty and then flapped away the corner.

But just as Mike Newell’s side sensed a chance, City struck for a third time in the 58th minute. McLaren struck a deep corner to the far post where Lee flung himself to power home his first goal for the club.

At 3-0, City looked home and dry – but Grimsby pulled one back within six minutes as Trotter nodded in Hegarty’s corner despite Evans getting a hand to it.

With another clean sheet out the window, there was still work to be done defensively to ensure City’s much-improved performance got the three points it deserved.

The 803 away fans were in fine voice, as always, but they were seeing less of the ball with play camped in the City half.

Colbeck tried to pick up the tempo with a trademark run but got stopped in his tracks by a hefty tackle and needed treating. With City temporarily down to nine men, Newey tried an ambitious 30-yarder which flew over.

Paul Arnison replaced Colbeck, who was clearly in trouble, and pushed into midfield with Clarke staying put behind him but the sight of Colbeck leaving the action on a stretcher was initially a worrying one.

Grimsby continued to force a host of corners but City, who have been leaking too many goals, answered their critics with some solid defending under pressure.

A sign outside the ground advertised the Circus of Horrors coming to Grimsby next week. City made absolutely sure there was no chance of an embarrassing dress rehearsal.

Attendance: 4,470