By Match report: Town held to draw at home to Newport
Grimsby Town had to settle for a point at home to Newport County in League Two this evening.
A lovely half-volley from John McAtee in the first half was cancelled out by Priestley Farquharson’s second-half leveller to ensure it ended 1-1 at Blundell Park.
Paul Hurst made a number of changes from the side that suffered a 2-0 defeat at Carlisle United on Saturday, with Josh Emmanuel, Luke Waterfall, Anthony Glennon, Gavan Holohan, Harry Clifton, Evan Khouri and McAtee all being drafted into the starting lineup.
It was Newport that started the game the better of the two sides, with Max Crocombe pulling off a decent save to deny Calum Kavanagh at his near post.
The visitors then broke quickly a few minutes later, as a neat move saw former Town forward Omar Bogle go one-on-one with Crocombe, but the keeper got down well to his left to push the ball away from danger.
As the Mariners struggled to string a sequence of passes together, it was County that continued to force the initiative and a dangerous free-kick into the box on 17 minutes saw Mickey Demetriou head wide of the post.
The hosts had their first chance of the game midway through the half when Holohan did well to work some space on the right, before whipping a ball into Waterfall, who headed wide of the goal from an effort he really should’ve done better with.
The Town captain had another opportunity half an hour in, as the ball dropped kindly for him at the back post following a free-kick into the box and his sweetly hit half-volley was well turned behind by a defender.
The Mariners then took the lead on 35 minutes after George Lloyd did well to win the ball high up the field and lay it off to McAtee, who picked his head up and sent a superb, looping effort over Joe Day and into the back of the net.
Newport started the second half the brighter, as they went in pursuit of an equaliser. A series of long throws caused chaos inside the Town box, but the defence managed to throw their bodies in front of the ball to prevent Crocombe from having to make a save.
They did find an equaliser on 55 minutes, though, when Farquharson found himself free at the back post from a corner and tapped the ball into the corner of the net. It was almost a carbon copy of the goal Southampton scored against the Mariners last week.
There was a bit of a lull in the game over the next 15 minutes or so, with both sides largely cancelling each other out. Crocombe was then called into action down to his left to keep out Nathan Moriah-Welsh’s low effort following some quick footwork by the midfielder.
An excellent move by the Mariners on 75 minutes saw substitute Andy Smith fizz a ball across the box that evaded everyone, before Glennon picked it up on the far touchline and sent in a dangerous cross that found Smith at the back post and his half-volley went just over the bar.
The visitors then had a chance to take the lead themselves when a quick counter saw Bogle lay the ball off to Moriah-Welsh inside box, but his effort was straight at Crocombe.
Town had one final chance to secure the three points as injury time approached, with Ryan Taylor seeing his low effort well saved by the keeper at the near post to ensure the game ended all square.
