Grimsby Borough 4 Thackley 2 - Match Report.

Thackley made their longest journey of the season on Saturday when they travelled to play the team directly above them in the table, Grimsby Borough. Thackley had beaten Grimsby in the reverse fixture at Dennyfield and after winning their last two games were hopeful of getting something out of this one. Borough had surprising gone down to bottom side Athersley last weekend and had won just once in their last five games. After coming on and scoring twice last Saturday, Owen Murphy started along with the returning Kris Hargreaves. Thackley had one of their strongest benches of the season.

Both teams created an early chance before Grimsby took the lead on six minutes, Peter Winn’s free kick headed back across goal and into the bottom corner by an unattended Josh Sunter. It was not the start Thackley were looking for and it seemed to give the home side a lift as they started to control the game. Midway through the half, referee Neil Allsop brandished what turned out to be the first of seven yellow and two red cards, when Jack Debham pulled back Albert Ibrahimi. Both sides were using the long ball to try to break down the opposition defences, Dan Broadbent and Sunter were having an epic air battle, the Thackley striker getting his fair share of knock on’s but no one was there to capitalise. The quality from both sides was poor and other than a couple of long range efforts, which did not trouble either keeper, goal mouth action was non-existent. Harry Burke picked up a booking for running in front of Luke Wilson as he was kicking out, something he would regret in the second half. Just before the break Grimsby had a close range effort rebound from the bar and so the home side went in at half time just about warranting their one goal lead.

Half time: Grimsby Borough 1 Thackley 0.

Thackley conceded a second goal just four minutes into the second half, again it came from a Winn free kick, this time it looked like a shot rather than a cross, Wilson failed to hold onto the ball and Lewis Bemrose slotted it into the net. Five minutes later Thackley had got the arrears back to one, Jack Normanton curling the ball into the top corner from just outside the box. Was this the incentive for Thackley to look for more goals? Sunter and James Rothel picked up the third and fourth yellow cards and Wilson did well to save following a free kick. The game was far from a classic and was becoming a little fractious. Grimsby restored their two goal lead on sixty four minutes when Adam Drury scored for the thirteenth time this season. Thackley made a double substitution, Seb Scaroni and Adam Muller replacing Kris Hargreaves and Ibrahimi, going three at the back. Grimsby were reduced to ten men moments later when Jamie Atkinson saw red for a lunge on Paul Whiteley. Ryan Basi picked up yellow card number five before Scaroni’s long range effort soared over. Ben Grech-Brooksbank replaced the injured Owen Murphy just before the home side were reduced to nine, Burke picking up a second yellow card for a reckless challenge. Simon Poole got the seventh yellow before Thackley again reduced the deficit to one, Grech-Brooksbank firing in from outside the box. As the clock ticked down, Thackley went close to equalising but goal keeper Scott Drury managed to stop the ball on the line but then they fell for the sucker punch, conceding with virtually the last kick of the game. With everyone pushed forward, Debham intercepted Wilson’s cross field pass to score into an empty net. The goal just about summed up Thackley’s afternoon.

Full time: Grimsby Borough 4 Thackley 2.

From a Thackley point of view, a game to forget, nowhere near the performances seen in the previous two games.

Next Saturday Thackley will be meeting local rivals Eccleshill for the third time this season but this time it is at home. They owe their Bradford rivals one after two defeats, let us hope that Thackley put in a similar performance to the one last seen at Dennyfield against Albion.

Grimsby Borough team: S Drury; Jamieson; Winn; Dean-Atkinson; Higton; Sunter; A Drury; Venney; Bemrose (Lovett); Debham ©; Burke. Subs not used: Dixon; Grant; Barrett.

Thackley team: Wilson; Faulding; Hargreaves (Scaroni 67 mins); Whiteley ©; Basi; Rothel; Poole; Broadbent; Normanton; Ibrahimi (Muller 67 mins); Murphy (Grech-Brooksbank 78 mins). Subs not used: Mitchell; Hall.

Grimsby Borough scorers: Josh Sunter 6 mins; Lewis Bemrose 49 mins; Adam Drury 64 mins; Jack Debham 90 + 5 mins.

Thackley scorers: Jack Normanton 54 mins; Ben Grech-Brooksbank 90+1 mins.

Attendance: 60.

Referee: Neil Allsop.