Cheating Refs, We Always Get Cheating Refs!

The most important game of Grimsby’s history was overshadowed by bad referee decision’s.

Grimsby started with the same line up that beat Port Vale 3-0 but started with a 4-4-2 formation.

Grimsby started the first half badly and Bournemouth had 3 or 4 penalty shouts turned down, non really warranted any merit but Bournemouth were seemingly walking Grimsby off the beach.

Grimsby backed by over 1000 travelling Mariner fans were starting to wake up in the final quarter of the first half but with Boshell picking up a yellow for dissent, Widdowson for an elbow and Bennett for not shutting up the Mariner’s were on the back foot.

Suddenly on 41 minutes and with Town on the break ‘Nigel’ Jarman put the Mariners 1-0 up with a header from a Conlon assist.

With this goal fan’s went wild with some bursting onto the pitch, one fan was ejected in the tussle with police and stewards. Which to the many there wasn’t a surprise after about 100 town fans were having to stand at the front due to lack of seats.

Bournemouth came straight back onto the attack and had an instant chance but the Mariners again were saved by inform Henderson, with four minutes being signalled Town look destined to be going into half time in the lead.

The first half threw up many twists and turns for both sides but one final twist happened when Boshell was shown a second yellow, unfairly for a challenge on Molesley who in turn should of been booked for kicking out at Boshell but again the referee failed to see this or the throat grabbing that happened after the whistle.

With the handbags going back to the changing room at half time, things were not looking so rosy for the Mariners 1-0 up with 10 men but there was good news with fans knowing Aldershot were drawing 1-1 at half time with Chester – Chester needed a win to survive the football league.

Grimsby started the second half like they used to earlier in the season, conceding in the first minute when a great shot from Holland hit the cross bar, Feeny was left unmarked to slot the rebound into the back of the net. 1-1.

With Bournemouth continuing to press things weren’t going the Mariners way, but it all changed, the fans went wild, Grimsby didn’t score but Aldershot did, Chester were 2-1 down and regardless of the Mariners score, they were at that stage getting relegated.

Grimsby were soon back in the officials book when Jarman got a yellow for a tackle on Holland – probably the only card deserved to the Mariners players.

With things going wrong at the Dean Court bad news was filtering through from Aldershot, 2-2 was the scoreline. The Town faithful knew only a win for Chester was good enough but with 20 minutes left was another twist to the Mariners season coming?

It wasn’t for another 10 minutes that, that twist came, with Chester still needing a third, Bournemouth got a second. Fletcher put the ball into the top of the Net which sent the home crowd wild who like the Mariners earlier in the game burst onto the pitch.

The Mariners had less than 10 minutes to get an equaliser knowing that a point would mean they would only need a point against Macclesfield on the final day of the season to confirm their status.

Things took another twist with only 4 minutes to go, Town were down to 9 when Widdowson was shown a second yellow for a tackle on Molesley who had, had Widdowson by the throat not 2 seconds before, but this wasn’t seen by any of the four officials yet it was by the 9008 in attendance.

The final whistle was blown at Dean court not long after. Bournemouth 2 Grimsby 1.

The home fans celebrated survival from the drop, but with it still 2-2 at Aldershot the travelling army were stuck to their phones awaiting news, it was a nervous 2 or 3 minute wait but when the news came through it was great news for the Mariners.

Aldershot 2 Chester 2 full time. Chester are relegated, unofficially.

The Town faithful went mental, Chester were all but down, three points adrift of the Mariners with one game left and they needed to over turn a 20-something goal difference, the Town were staying up.

The Mariners chairman John Fenty came across to the Town fan’s on the pitch celebrating and he was crowded by fan’s as he joined in the celebrations, its been a long hard season for the Mariner’s but it was over, all-be-it one game.

The game was over, it was overshadowed by a bad referee which nearly cost Town their league status, the stat’s don’t lie.

Grimsby 5 yellows, 2 reds. Bournemouth 1 Yellow. Bournemouth could of and should of numerous bookings and possibly the same amount of sending off’s but this didn’t happen, it was a shame to have the last away game of the season overshadowed by another crap referee but were Grimsby, were used to it by now.

For a Bournemouth view of the match Click here to be taken to Vital Bournemouth.