SKY BET LEAGUE 2
Saturday March 16th, 3.00pm
Blundell Park
GRIMSBY TOWN 0
NORTHAMPTON TOWN 0
Attendance: 3,890 (398 Cobblers fans)
Grimsby: James McKeown, Luke Hendrie, Danny Collins, Harry Davis, Ludvig Ohman, Sebastian Ring, Martyn Woolford, Elliot Embleton (sub Charles Vernam 77), Jake Hessenthaler, Jordan Cook, Wes Thomas (sub Kristian Dennis 85)
Subs not used: Reece Hall-Johnson, Harry Clifton, Ahkeem Rose, Sam Russell, Alex Whitmore
Cobblers: David Cornell, Charlie Goode, Ash Taylor, Aaron Pierre, David Buchanan, John-Joe O’Toole, Jordan Turnbull, Sam Foley, Daniel Powell (sub Marvin Sordell 68), Sam Hoskins, Andy Williams (sub Jack Bridge 87)
Subs not used: Luke Coddington, Joe Powell, Dean Bowditch, Jay Williams, Timi Elsnik
Referee: Ollie Yates
Booked:
Grimsby: Jake Hessenthaler (51)
Cobblers: Sam Hoskins (8, 8th of the season), David Buchanan (45, 4th)
15 cautions at any time in season; 3 match suspension
Sent off:
Grimsby: none
Cobblers: none
Sendings off: 2 cautions in one game; 1 match suspension but cautions do not count towards above totals. Other sendings off; 1 or 3 match suspension. Extra match ban for additional sendings off.
The Coblers side was unchanged for the game at a very blustery Blundell Park with Marvin Sordell, fully recovered from injury, on the bench.
Sam Foley flashed an early effort just wide while a back header from a Grimsby Town defender almost led to an own goal. Wes Thomas shot wide for the Mariners with a strong wind making conditions difficult for both sides.
David Cornell was out quickly to save at the feet of Elliot Embleton and Jake Hessenthaler went close with a shot from distance as the first half ended goalless.
As the second half began, the game remained delicately poised. Andy Williams and David Buchanan combined to play in Sam Hoskins but his flicked header at the near post went wide.
Embleton curled a shot narrowly wide from 20-yards as the second half reached the midway point, the Cobblers then making a change, Marvin Sordell on for Daniel Powell. Grimsby were enjoying a spell of pressure and it needed an important clearance from Ash Taylor to maintain parity.
The home side survived penalty appeals when Sam Foley went down in the area and as the Cobblers continued to press, Foley tried an audacious chip from 40-yards, James McKeown getting back just in time to make the save.
Aaron Pierre then went close from an acute angle as Jack Bridge replaced Andy Williams for the closing stages. Unlike against Newport in midweek there was to be no late winner though as the game finished all-square.
GRIMSBY MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (0) 2
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (5) 6
CORNERS: (0) 2
FOULS: (4) 8
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (2) 2
COBBLERS MATCH STATS (first half in brackets, match total out of brackets)
SHOTS ON TARGET: (2) 4
SHOTS OFF TARGET: (1) 6
CORNERS: (4) 5
FOULS: (5) 6
CAUGHT OFFSIDE: (0) 0