Full time: Grimsby Town 0 Vs Notts County 1
LEE Hughes fired Notts County to a 1-0 win at Grimsby Town today with his 22nd goal of the season.
It was goal-less at half-time at Blundell Park, but Hughes struck decisively on 69 minutes as the Magpies clinched their fourth successive league win to climb one place in the table, to fourth
-
Notts' Lee Hughes celebrates.
Notts threatened after just five minutes when Johnnie Jackson volleyed powerfully at goal from just outside the box, but it was straight at Mariners' keeper Nick Colgan and he held the ball confidently.
Mike Edwards blocked an effort from Peter Sweeney on the edge of the penalty area on 11 minutes, before Ricky Ravenhill was booked for a foul on Sweeney near the halfway line.
Sweeney, the home side's leading scorer, was involved again on 15 minutes when Grimsby broke through the Magpies' defence for the first time.
He strode dangerously into the box and it took a great sliding tackle from Stephen Hunt to prevent him shooting from 12 yards.
In an end-to-end opening, Ravenhill then tested Colgan with a low 20-yard drive and minutes later Lee Hughes fired high and wide at the end of a quick counter-attack.
In reply, Grimsby centre-back Paul Linwood sent an effort wide of the near post from Sweeney's corner on the half-hour mark.
Jackson shot straight at Colgan for a second time on 33 minutes, after breaking forward from left-back and sidestepping a defender to create space for a low strike from just outside the penalty area.
Ravenhill went close to breaking the deadlock on 41 minutes, as Notts ended the first half strongly.
He seized onto the ball in space 25 yards out and instantly aimed for the bottom left corner, but it was deflected narrowly wide of the post.
The home side got the first sight of goal in the second half, on 53 minutes. Wes Fletcher outpaced John Thompson to latch onto a through ball but he miscued wide of Kasper Schmeichel's right-hand post from inside the penalty area.
Ravenhill volleyed well over the bar just after the hour mark, after Craig Westcarr found him on the edge of the box with a cross from the right wing.
Notts kept up the pressure on the Mariners and Neal Bishop had a powerfully-struck effort cleared off the goal-line when Ben Davies' corner fell to him 12 yards out.
They took the lead on 69 minutes when Hughes was sent racing through on goal. The Magpies' leading scorer finished with aplomb, typically, driving low past the exposed Colgan, in front of the 987 Notts' fans in the away end.
Jamie Clapham replaced Westcarr on 76 minutes, but it was Grimsby that threatened to equalise on 80 minutes with an overhead kick from substitute Nathan Jarman from inside the box. Schmeichel reacted rapidly and parried it away, diving to his left.
Having been switched to the right wing after Westcarr's exit, Davies threatened three minutes later. After cutting inside onto his left foot, he sent an effort just wide of Colgan's right-hand post.
Luke Rodgers replaced Hughes in the final minute, just before four minutes of added time were signalled.
Colgan denied Clapham from close-range in the third minute of injury time, as Notts had to settle for a 1-0 win.
GRIMSBY: Colgan, Bore, Lancashire, Linwood, Widdowson, Coulson (Cowan-Hall, 72), Peacock, Sinclair, Sweeney, Fletcher (Jarman, 68), Wright (Hudson, 75). Subs: Overton, Leary, Atkinson, Wood.
NOTTS: Schmeichel, Thompson, Edwards, Hunt, Jackson, Westcarr (Clapham, 76), Ravenhill, Bishop, Davies (Hamshaw, 94), Hughes (Rodgers, 90), Hawley. Subs: Hoult, Lee, Fairclough, Akinbiyi.
ATTENDANCE: 4,552 (987 away).
19 Comments
View all
by glenn parry, cleethorpes
Monday, February 08 2010, 12:00AM
“found county fans real polite indeed
they were up for the chat and banter .
well behaved real gentlemen indeed
credi to your club”
by Gaz, Notts
Sunday, February 07 2010, 7:31PM
“So John,what you`re saying is that it`s ok for fans to incite trouble and hatred.Why is it that you don`t find it necessary to have a go? Maybe because you realise that deep down you know it`s wrong.Hughesy only reacts when he gets s--t thrown at him.Most games he just gets on with it but when it goes overboard,like from your lot yesterday,I believe he has every right to give a bit back.Any opposition fans are treading on dodgy ground when they have a go at the other teams top scorer.Sooner or later it`ll end in tears.Glad you noticed the two footed challenges and elbows `cause I don`t think the ref did.Perhaps your manager should tell his players not to put it about so much!”
by Bridg4d_Pie_, West Bridgford
Sunday, February 07 2010, 7:02PM
“John Whitfield, Cleethorpes, What a sad life you must lead living at Clrrthorpes, I understand that it is supposed to be a Holiday Resort, would that be the Last Resort.
I suggest you go & mend your Trawlling Nets & make ready your Bath Tub its Monday tomorrow time for work.
I do hope you know more about fishing than you appear to Football as an aside do they have a Vision Express in Cleetorpes or are you not that civilised as yet.
You Pies, I can see why you are one of the Strongest Teams in League Two though.”
by Safo, notts
Sunday, February 07 2010, 6:21PM
“Archer, are you for real with your comments?? ha ha that is pure class. Team are dire, more than likely going down. Beaten by the pies, things are at an all time low, what comment can I make? errr where your money gone? Pure clutching at straws comment!!! comedy. Heading towards the bank account is the answer. to your question. Maybe see you sometime in the future if you ever become a good team again! bye bye. P.S the Hughesy comments are sick. The boy has done his time, will pay for the rest of his life. Cannot fault the boy for reacting to the abuse.”
by Terry, Calverton
Sunday, February 07 2010, 1:19PM
“Seems like sour grapes to me , john, cleethorpes. Grimsby ARE the dirtiest team Notts have played.”
by john, cleethorpes
Sunday, February 07 2010, 11:50AM
“hughes deserves all the barracking he gets. having said that i never get involved in jeering or booing as i dont think it is necassary.
but for hughes to react in a way that the f.a consider to be incitment is ridiclous. he should be above the chanting. the fans where not in any breach of any rules. he was. and that is a fact.
i agree the ref was shocking for both sides. but how the county fans saw only infrigments by town players is beyond me. for instance your number 8 was booked early in the game and then pulled back one of our guys by his arm when we where going through on goal. he should have been off. two footed challenges and elbows all over the pitch.
i think you notts fans need to watch a replay of some of them before making any more comments.”
by Gaz, Notts
Sunday, February 07 2010, 10:38AM
“Very "impartial" El Desparato.........."a team of cheating thugs"”
by Archer, Grimsby
Sunday, February 07 2010, 10:36AM
“WHERE'S YER MONEY GONE ?”
by Gaz, Notts
Sunday, February 07 2010, 10:34AM
“Get over yerself John from Cleethorpes.Hughesy just gives a little bit back of the constant, sickly and abusive stick he has to take week in,week out from every opposition supporters.Don`t give it out if ya can`t take it back!! Posting mardy comments on here wouldn`t have anything to do with the fact Hughesy`s scored the winner for us-again,would it? If you wanted to moan about the game yesterday then I think the ref would have been a better target.He was shocking-and I mean for both sides.”
by David, Grimsby
Sunday, February 07 2010, 10:30AM
“Totally agree Terry,-the ref was a definite 'homer'- at least GY have the consolation that we put 984 onto the usual derisory attendance of 3300.”