 | Macca! Legend! |
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The Mariners had there fun this evening but went down 1-0 to a strong Hull City squad featuring the majority of there first team players. Craig Fagan scored in the 85th minute of the game in a second half dominated by the club legends. The Mariners used current club players in the first half, however Rob Jones, Gary Croft, Tom Newey, Jean-Paul Kamudimba Kalala, Paul Bolland, Ciaran Toner, Simon Francis, Andy Parkinson, Michael Reddy, Gary Cohen and Gary Jones were rested.
Mildenhall continued in goal, in defence legend McDermott lined up next to Tony Crane, Simon Ramsden and Glen Downey. Town fans had there first real chance to see new signing Tommy Taylor as he played in midfield alongside Terry Barwick, youngsters Alan Lamb and Danny North, while Martin Gritton started up front alongside trialist Anthony Benson who was formely of Hull City youths.
Both teams created chances in the first half, Hull pressed but Craig Fagan
 | Handyside: Looked Sharp! |
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and Scott Wiseman both spurned chances. Town but decent pressure on aswell with a couple of goal mouth scrambles saw efforts from Crane and Benson turned away by Hull keeper Sergio Leite and centre back Robbie Stockdale. Benson created two good chances against his former side and made two good saves out of Leite.
Down the other end Hull were looking more and more threatenin and Fagan wasted two more opportunities, one sheet was beat down by Mildenhall and turned away by McDermott and the other fell wide of the keeper's right hand post.
 | Mendonca: Showed his face! |
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On 35 minutes keeper Steve Mildenhall was taken of and replaced by John Lukic, who did not have much to doin his 10 minutes on the field. Former Hull skipper Justin Whittle was brought on for Grimsby and was stuck up front, obviously hoping to get one over on his former team mates. Whittle only had one effort, a close range header which Leite comfortably held onto.
The Mariners brought of there entire side via Macca for the second half and after an impressive first half could the legends live up to there old expectations by holding onto the game to give the fans something to smile about and something to remember.
 | Gary Childs, had 15 minutes! |
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The second half caused drastic changes and with a number of legends not able to attend as originally planned the club made additional changes. Paul Groves, Lee Nogan, Kevin Jobling and Wayne Burnett and Ivano Bonetti could all not make it, and Jack Lester, Tony Gallimore and Clive Mendonca who all attended declared they could not play, however they were announced as subs. Daryl Clare aswell was seen warming up with the other legends and was kitted out but oddly was not used or announced as a sub over the tannoy system.
Graham Hockless, the fans favourite from the past 2 seasons played instead, and former striker turned Youth team coach Neil Woods played up front, also Kingsley Black against odds turned up to the game, and former midfielder Gary Childs who played for the club in the early and mid-nineties, who is now the clubs Sport in the Community Officer was amongst the team.
Aidan Davison, David Smith, Peter Handyside, Mark Lever, Kingsley Black,
 | Neil Woods! Looked Shattered! |
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Alan Pouton, Jim Dobbin, Kevin Donovan, Graham Hockless and Neil Woods started the second half along side McDermott and the 10 veterans and one youngster started of well passing the ball about. Donovan and Black tested Leite and Neil Woods despite looking tired from the whistle caused a few problems whilst inside the penalty area, as he managed to belly barge his way through the Hull defence before scuffing his shot straight to Leite.
Pouton, Donovan and Black passed the ball about well and Dobbin managed to look at least 25% of the player he was back in the early nineties. Hull burned forward with power and there flair shined through, however there strikers should have bagegd 4 or 5 goals, only one can think that either they were poor on the night or did not want to score to ruin the atmosphere.
 | Jack Lester: Un-used Sub |
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Donovan managed a darting run into the box and took it round 3 Hull Players before firing just wide of Leite's goal from 10 yards out. Grimsby took keeper Davison off and brought John Lukic back on. Also Sir Macca was brought off and replaced by an unknown trialist player. Handyside, Donovan, Black ,Woods and Pouton were all then subbed and replaced by Gary Childs, Paul Futcher and an erray of youth talent. Paul Ashton, Nick Heggarty and Alan Lamb were all sent on, however with 5 minutes on the clock Craig Fagan found himself in space between Lever and Futcher to fire Hull 1-0 up against the run of play. Grimsby pushed for an equaliser but Heggarty and Ashton failed to deliver. 5,200 enjoyed the game with 76 fans coming from Hull. Grimsby Town MAD would like to thank Peter Taylor and his Hull City lads for being our guests and playing in this friendly, and to there coaching staff and 76 travelling supporters. To the club legends who returned to Blundell Park for Macca, to the fans for great support and to John McDermott himself for 20 loyal years as a Grimsby Town footballer.
GRIMSBY TOWN FIRST HALF LINE UP!
1)Steve Mildenhall(Lukic 35 mins)
2)John McDermott
4)Simon Ramsden
5)Tony Crane
17)Glen Downey
27)Tommy Taylor
14)Terry Barwick
00)Alan Lamb
26)Danny North
10)Martin Gritton(Whittle 37)
00)Alistair Benson
SUBS!
13)John Lukic
6)Justin Whittle
21)Paul Ashton
23:Nick Heggarty
00)Niall Flynn
GRIMSBY TOWN SECOND HALF LINE UP
1)Aidan Davison(Lukic 75 mins)
2)John McDermott(Unknown Trialist 75 mins)
3)David Smith
4)Peter Handyside(Futcher 80 mins)
5)Mark Lever
6)Jim Dobbin
7)Kevin Donovan(Heggarty 80 mins)
8)Kingsley Black(Childs 78 mins)
9)Neil Woods(Lamb 77 mins)
10)Alan Pouton(Ashton 78 mins)
11)Graham Hockless
SUBS
13)John Lukic
14)Gary Childs
15)Daryl Clare
16)Jack Lester
17)Clive Mendonca
18)Tony Gallimore
19)Paul Futcher
21)Paul Ashton
23)Nick Heggarty
00)Alan Lamb
00)Niall Flynn
00)Unknown Trialist