By Match report: Town share the points in a closely-fought game with Gills
Grimsby Town were held to a point at home by Gillingham in their League Two encounter this evening.
Ryan Taylor opened the scoring for Paul Hurst’s unchanged side, before Mikael Mandron levelled up proceedings just six minutes later.
It was Gillingham that started the better of the two sides and they had the first opportunity of the contest, with Scott Kashket flashing an effort wide of Max Crocombe’s post.
But Town quickly grew into the game. With six minutes on the clock, Lewis Richardson cut inside onto his left foot and struck a fierce drive at goal that was blocked behind for a corner.
From the resulting set-piece, Taylor bundled the ball home for his first goal of the season following a scramble inside the Gillingham box.
The away side responded well after going behind, though, and enjoyed a strong spell of possession as they went in pursuit of an equaliser.
They continued to push forward and were rewarded for their efforts on 13 minutes after Mandron pounced on a loose ball inside the six-yard box to level things up.
Following a frantic opening 15 minutes to the game, a 10-minute lull then followed with neither side able to create any clear openings.
It was Kashket once again that had the next opportunity midway through the first half, as the tricky forward pounced on a loose ball on the right-hand side of the box and struck a left-footed effort towards the top corner that Crocombe managed to get a strong hand to and tip away.
Shortly after that, Mandron thought he had his second of the evening after he sent a header beyond the Mariners’ keeper and into the net from a corner, but it was ruled out for a foul in the box.
It was then Town’s turn to go closest to taking the lead with 40 minutes played, as Kiernan’s drive was deflected agonisingly onto the bar, before the follow-up was well turned behind by Glenn Morris.
The sides went in level at the break after an even first half, in which both teams had their fair share of opportunities in front of goal.
The first chance of the second period fell to the Gills just two minutes into the half, with Hakeeb Adelakun driving an effort across the face of the goal but there was no one to convert at the back post.
Town were inches from retaking the lead on 52 minutes, as Taylor’s shot was cleared off the line to deny the centre-forward his second of the night.
Gavan Holohan then flashed an effort over the bar from outside the box after the home side broke away on the counter.
They continued to pile the pressure onto Gillingham and the Irishman again went close, but his fierce drive across goal was blocked behind for a corner by a covering defender.
The Gills managed to fend off the Mariners’ onslaught and almost took the lead against the run of play just past the hour-mark through Mandron, whose low shot was well kept out by Cromombe down to his right.
The game then drifted for the next 15 minutes or so, with neither side able to carve out any real chances of note.
Hurst made three changes in quick succession, bringing on Alex Hunt, Stephen Wearne and forward Keyendrah Simmonds for his home debut to try and grab a potential winning goal.
And they almost had it with just over six minutes to play, when Michee Efete broke free down the right and sent a tantalising ball across the box but no Town player was able to get on the end of it.
Mandron was then back in the thick of things, however, this time it was for all the wrong reasons, as he caught Luke Waterfall with an elbow that drew blood from the Town captain. The Gills forward may count himself fortunate to have escaped with just a yellow card.
He was once again at the heart of the action when he thought he’d scored the winning goal just as the board went up for injury time but, after tapping the ball into the open net from a low cross into the box, he was thwarted by the linesman’s flag.
The game ended all square, in what was a closely-fought contest between the two sides.
The point means Town remain ninth in the League Two table and they will be looking to get back to winning ways when they head to Colchester United on Saturday.
