Two Minutes With... Grimsby Town

Grimsby were the visitors to The Hive on Tuesday night. Mariners’ fan and Chair of their Trust, Chris (@ChrisParkerNO6) gives his thoughts in the latest instalment of Two Minutes With...

Tuesday 18^th February 2014
Barnet v Grimsby Town
9^th           7^th
Previous game:
Barnet 1-0 Tamworth (Conference)
Cambridge United 2-1 Grimsby Town (FA Trophy)

Pre-match

How did you get to the game?

I had business in London so made sure I arranged the visit for a Grimsby away day in the capital. I was also able to meet up with my son who lives and works in London

What did you make of The Hive?

I made the visit for the Trophy game earlier in the season so knew what to expect. New, modern, with a bit of a ‘Centre Parcs’ feel about the place, but ultimately a bit soulless like so many modern grounds

If you went to Underhill, how did The Hive compare?

I actually played at Underhill many times in the late ’70s/early ’80s. At least The Hive doesn’t have a slope!

Match

What did you make of the game?

Must have been a decent game for the neutral. I thought Grimsby did enough to earn at least a draw but accept that it was finely balanced

Who (from either side) impressed you?

For Barnet, Stephens was very strong and mobile; whilst I like Jake Hyde, he is quite an intelligent footballer. Grimsby’s star man on the night was Scott Neilson who had an excellent game wide on the left

Who (from either side) could have done better?

Marsh-Brown is highly rated but on the night I thought he was all pace and no substance and was amazed to see he was awarded man of the match. For Grimsby Alex Rodman needs to stay on his feet more, he looked to go to ground when he didn’t need to. Very disappointed with him

Post-match

Was the score line a fair reflection on the game?

Not in my view. As mentioned above I thought a point apiece was about right

Who do you play next and how do you think you’ll do?

The games come thick and fast, as we have five games in hand of some of those teams above us. First up is Cambridge in the FA Trophy semi final second leg, followed by Southport away in the league. 1-0 in 90 mins is my prediction for the cup game followed by a 2-1 away win in the league. You’ve got to be positive haven’t you?

Ratings

Price of match day ticket

£20 for a seat to watch Conference football is scandalous. Seriously, that is just wrong –1/10

Purchases made at the ground

No hand pulled ales in the away bar but still enjoyed my pint – 6/10

View

Prefer a side position (but not at £20) so stood behind the goal. Uninterrupted view – 7/10

Quality of football

Considering the level, very good – 9/10

Overall experience

Despite the result I enjoyed my evening out alongside over 350 travelling Mariners. That’s a decent following on a Tuesday night in February – 7/10

Total = 30/50

Post Match

Table – Barnet 6^th / Grimsby 8^th

Following game

Wrexham 0-1 Barnet (Conference)

Grimsby 1-1 Cambridge (FA Trophy)

Thanks Chris!

If you’ve been to The Hive this season, give me a shout and you can be your club’s voice. Additionally, if you know you’re heading down for your game, let me know - @Luuuce_x