Blue Square Bet Premier
A disputable penalty scored by Alan Connell and a second half header from Micky Cummins, gave the Mariner’s a 2-0 win in a game that, on another day, Luton would have come away with at least a draw.
Luton were rewarded for their attacking play early on with a free kick on the edge of the box after Claude Gnapka was brought down by the Mariners’ Mark Hudson. Kevin Gallen’s free kick was well saved by Grimsby Keeper Richard O’Donnell, despite it taking a deflection.
Gallen was involved again, in the first real chance of the match. It came in the fifth minute when he turned and shot in the box only to see it deflected over the bar. From the resulting corner, Adam Murray saw his 20-yard strike skim the Grimsby bar.
It took nearly 20 minutes for Grimsby to threaten the Hatters with a half chance. Zdenek Kroca intercepted a neat through ball from Lewis Gobern, but the Mariners couldn’t make anything from the resulting corner, as their centre half, Steven Watt, headed over.
This seemed to give the coastal team some confidence as soon after Alan Connell volleyed over the Hatters’ goal.
In the 25 minute, Gnapka made another fantastic run down the wing beating two defenders and putting in a low cross to Gallen, whose shot was again deflected over. Despite winning another corner, Luton couldn’t make the pressure count, and they were nearly punished moments later when Mark Tyler made a smart save at his near post from Connell.
Eventually they were punished from the resulting pressure, in albeit a controversial way. Grimsby won a corner which was headed by Darren Kempson into to arm of Shane Blackett who was harshly penalised by the referee, who pointed to the spot. Connell slotted the ball past Tyler to give the Mariners the lead against the run of play.
Luton responded well, but never had any clear cut chances to get level, until just before half time when Town won a free kick in the centre circle and the lofted ball was headed straight into Grimsby keeper’s arms by Kroca. Right on the stroke on half time, Luton had the chance of the match. A Gnapka header from an in-swinging corner was cleared off the line by Mark Hudson, but Luton had to go in at the break a goal down.
Luton came out for the second half in a determined manner, and in the 51st minute, Luton won a free kick on the edge of the box, but it came to nothing, despite the appeals of the Town fans behind the goal who felt Barnes-Homer had been held as he challenged for the ball. A moment later, Barnes-Homer smashed his shot into the near post after running down the left wing, beating the Grimsby defender, and shooting. Luton were starting to think that the cameras were a curse as nothing was going to go their way, despite deserving to be on level terms.
As the second period went on Grimsby took control of the game, playing neat possession football in the Hatters’ half. Luton’s only outlet to the pressure were long balls down the flanks aim at Barnes-Homer, Gnapka, and the substitute Danny Crow, on for Kevin Gallen.
In the 70 minute Luton were made to pay as Cummins headed home a Goburn corner to double the Mariners lead. Richard Money tried to get a goal back by bringing on new signing Tiawo Atieno, and it nearly paid off when his header was well saved by the Grimsby keeper with ten minutes to go.
In the end, Luton couldn’t turn their late pressure into a consolation goal, whilst it was Grimsby who looked like adding to their lead on the counter attack.
