A SECOND victory over the Bank Holiday weekend moved Cleethorpes into fourth position in the Yorkshire ECB Premier League table – with a game in hand over the three sides above them.

A comfortable seven-wicket win at Driffield on Monday gave the Meggies a further maximum eight points.

Another good bowling performance saw the home side bowled out for just 141 inside 45 overs.

Alex Osmond picked up his second four-wicket haul of the weekend, with pace bowlers Tumi Masekela and Alex Willerton sharing the other six.

Skipper Bill Kirby won the toss and inserted the home side on what is usually a high-scoring wicket.

His team showed one change from the previous game, with James Osmond taking over behind the stumps.

Meggies overseas player Masekela should have had a wicket in his first over, but a spilt catch gave Ali Asad an extra life.

Aided by a fast outfield, the home side progressed to 45 from the first ten overs before Masekela clean bowled Asad.

Then, with the score on 61, Masekela struck again, having George Drury caught behind by James Osmond.

Suddenly the game swung in favour of the Meggies as three further wickets fell for just ten runs.

Leg-spinner Alex Osmond, claimed two, and Willerton, who had replaced Masekela, took the other.

At 81 for five the home side had to consolidate, and Mark Goddard and Nick Hardgrave put on 45 for the sixth wicket before Masekela returned to the attack and soon trapped Goddard in front.

The Meggies skipper rotated his bowlers and gave the batsmen no respite, with the final four wickets going down for the addition of just 15 runs.

Alex Osmond finished with four for 37, Masekela three for 46 and Willerton an impressive three for 15 from his ten overs.

Driffield's opening quick bowler, Johnny Anderson, extracted appreciable bounce from the wicket when the Meggies replied.

The score moved to 14, when suddenly he had both Jordan Cook and Harry Warwick caught behind by Goddard from consecutive deliveries.

Alex Osmond joined his captain, Kirby, at the crease, and very slowly the pair began to repair this early damage.

The home side appeared to bowl in a negative manner with both batsmen content to watch deliveries pass well wide of the wicket.

This resulted in almost a stalemate as seven overs passed by without a run being scored off the bat.

Finally, in the 23rd over, Kirby smashed a shot through extra cover, quickly followed by a straight driven boundary from Osmond – and 50 was on the board.

Kirby hit the first six of the game, putting a well-pitched ball from Drury over a vacant long-on boundary.

The partnership was worth 59 when Dave Brent found the edge of Osmond's bat and Goddard claimed his third catch of the innings.

Ten runs later the home side missed an opportunity to put the Meggies under pressure when Jack Wilson was put down from a simple chance.

Kirby, looking solid, then pulled a short ball to the leg-side boundary to bring up the 100.

That was before he reached his half-century with a huge straight six which went out of the ground.

Even a replacement ball could not break the pair's partnership.

And with 21 overs left, Wilson tucked away a winning boundary leaving him on 33 and Kirby unbeaten after hitting a responsible 60.

This Saturday, Yorkshire League leaders Harrogate are the visitors to Chichester Road to face Cleethorpes (noon).

CHAMPIONS Louth were first out of the hat in the draw for the Grimsby Town Cricket Club Knock Out.

Last year, Andy Carrington's side defeated Lincolnshire Cavaliers to take the trophy for the first time and will now defend their title against Caistor in the first round of the 2014 competition – the 77th.

The draw was made by Anthony Winn, manager of Handelsbanken and Steve Huke of Unite who were revealed as the new sponsors of the Knock Out and the club's 3rd XI respectively.

Winn said: "I come along most Monday nights to watch and I'm very pleased we're able to support the competition."

Unite's sponsorship is aimed at the junior players who make up much of the 3rd XI.

"It's important to encourage young people into sport and Grimsby Town has a lot of junior players," Huke explained.

It was also announced that a new team would join the Knock Out line-up.

Lincolnshire County Cricket Club applied for a place for its Development XI, giving spectators the chance to see some of the players who will make up the county team of the future.

Grimsby Town's new treasurer Roy Roberts welcomed the sponsors and said that there were opportunities for other companies to sponsor teams and also for weekly ball sponsorship at the Knock Out.

Knock Out Draw: June 2 – Louth v Caistor; June 9 – Grimsby Town v Messingham; June 16 – Cleethorpes v Fenner; June 23 – Lincs Cavaliers v Lincs Development XI; June 30 – First semi-final; July 7 – Second semi-final; July 14 – Final.

IF IT wasn't for Guiding, I never would have ...

To find out the answer, you will have to read the book written by a 23-year-old Cleethorpes woman.

Rebecca Craven has published the e-book about the ins and outs of Girlguiding as part of her professional writing degree at the Grimsby Institute.

The book offers a positive outlook on the benefits, experiences and opportunities Girlguiding has to offer.

Aimed at senior section members it can be useful to Guides, adult leaders and non-members looking to join.

Rebecca, of Primrose Way, said: "The book tells you all about our history, awards and qualifications that can be earned, and best of all, real members' quotes and experiences not only from the UK, but worldwide, showing how broad, inclusive, and down-right fun guiding truly is."

Rebecca, who rejoined the Guides aged 18 as a senior section member, saw a gap in the market for a book such as hers.

"I noticed there was a market for a book like mine, that tells experiences and includes all the opportunities for us, because most of Girlguiding's publications are for the younger sections."

She added: "I've been in Girlguiding UK in many different roles – I began as a Brownie, and continued into Guides, but it wasn't until I was 18 when I rejoined that I realised what I had been missing; and better yet, how I could make up for it.

"I took on the role of leading a Rainbow unit – girls aged five to seven who are absolutely full of energy and literally brighten up a rubbish day.

"At the same time, I was recommended to join my local Ranger unit for young women aged 14 to 25, and five years later I'm still there, with no intention to leave just yet.

"I also help to run a Brownie unit now, and I'm my county's PR adviser.

"It really is hard to imagine my life without guiding. Within 18 months of rejoining I had already been to France, Belgium and Switzerland, been one of thousands of members taking over Pleasure Island for the centenary, and become part of my Ranger group's committee, meaning I could develop skills and flourish my CV in the process.

"Guiding is a big part of my life and my guiding friends helped me out massively – I wouldn't have been able to write the book without their quotes, book lending, and patience when I pestered them for more answers. I'm not sure they know how truly grateful I am.

"I'd also really like to thank my ex-tutor Chris Dows at the Grimsby Institute because he had faith in me and kept me going – even when I complained – along with family, friends and my fiance for their support."

The book, If It Wasn't For Guiding, I Never Would Have ... costs £3.08 from Amazon.

To find out more about Rebecca, you can visit her blog at beckrumblogs.wordpress.com

THESE six cute ducklings were spared almost certain death by Pleasure Island staff after they went waddling off on their own without their mum.

Workers at the Cleethorpes theme park noticed the ducklings alone near the Galleon ride but their mother was nowhere to be seen.

Despite numerous attempts by several people to find her, unfortunately she could not be traced, leading many to think that something tragic may have happened as it is very unusual for a mother duck to venture far from her babies without good reason.

It is unknown where the ducklings came from but staff were concerned for their wellbeing, so housed them at the indoor quarters of the Furry Friends Farm where they are said to have been snuggling together under a heat lamp, eating and drinking well.

By sheer coincidence, this year at Furry Friends Farm there is a new duck pond and exhibit which is already home to several other ducks.

The hope is that eventually these little ones, once they are strong enough, will be introduced to the other ducks and live with them in their luxury pad.

Farm supervisor Georgia Gough said: "One of our maintenance staff spotted them while he was doing some painting. It's quite unusual for us to find ducklings, so we gave them some time to find their mum but she didn't come back.

"We've got a big lake in the centre of the park so it's possible that they were making their way there, their mum must have made a nest somewhere in the park.

"They looked lost and confused, some of them were just wandering around probably looking for their mum but they're absolutely fine now."

Pleasure Island director Melanie Wood said: "It's never happened before but we're more than happy to look after some unfortunate wayward ducklings.

"They're regular mallard ducklings, nothing particularly designer about their look but they are very cute.

"We'll look after them now for as long as we can, maybe forever but they've been able to fend for themselves already.

"We were feeding them first of all but now they're taking much more ownership of their new surroundings – they're our adopted permanent residents."

Had there not been the in-house farm on site, Mrs Wood admits that staff may have been forced to alert the RSPB and take advice from them on what to do with the orphaned feathery friends.

She said: "Thankfully we've got a fully-functional farm facility right here and not only that, the staff are knowledgeable and able to look after them.

"They're very adorable and we hope the public will enjoy looking at them and our other animals."

FORMER Grimsby Town defender Ian Miller is targeting double Wembley success with Cambridge United this season.

The experienced centre-half, below, left the Mariners last summer to skipper the U's.

And after an FA Trophy Final victory over Gosport in March, the 30-year-old is targeting more glory in the Conference Play-Off Final against Gateshead on Sunday, May 18.

He said: "I think it (the Trophy final) will stand us in good stead because you won't be in awe of a big stadium.

"But it's a different type of game against a totally different opposition, with no disrespect to Gosport.

"It's another green pitch we've got to go and play on, the ball and the goals don't change size and there will be 11v11.

"But the boys will relish it. The boys that are still in suits and weren't involved on Sunday – we've all got to get this club where we want it to be.

"We'll enjoy the fact that we're going back to Wembley, but it's a horrible place to go and lose a game.

"I said that six weeks ago when we were there, but we've got two weeks to get our heads right, conduct ourselves in the right way and look forward to it."

Recalling Sunday's semi-final victory over Halifax, Miller added: "They were chasing a goal, the clock was running down and they were throwing more and more men forward.

"But you've got to stand up to that and it won't be any different at Wembley because everyone wants to be promoted and we're still one game away, so we can't get too carried away."

A FAMILY on a day out were shocked to find a hypodermic needle sticking out of the sand on the beach near Humberston Fitties.

Neil Stead, 39, and his two children, Abigail, five, and James, two, were enjoying a stroll on the seafront near to the Fitties site on Saturday when they made the horrifying find.

The needle, which did have its lid on, was near fencing on the beach when it was discovered and Mr Stead said he "thanked his lucky stars" that one of his children didn't see it and pick it up out of curiosity.

North East Lincolnshire Council said it would act on any reports of needles being found "as an emergency".

Mr Stead and his children, from Barrow, had enjoyed a meal before deciding to go for a walk on the beach.

He said: "We were on the beach and I just saw something poking up out of the sand. Then I realised it was a needle.

"Thankfully, they had the decency to leave the cap on, but it's still a shocking thing to find, especially when you have young children.

"It's not in the busiest part of the beach like the Pier, but there were still families and dog walkers milling around at the time.

"I saw a council worker on patrol, I believe they were emptying the bins, and I told him and as far as I am aware he went off to deal with it."

Mr Stead, a regular at the beach as his dad owns a caravan nearby, said the incident might make him think twice about visiting again.

"Considering Cleethorpes won an award just a few weeks ago, I find this very worrying," he continued.

"I will be keeping an eye out to see if there are reports of similar things being found on the beach, as it may well be a one-off.

"When you have young kids it's difficult to keep your eyes on them all the time but I will certainly be more cautious in the future.

"If this is an isolated case then fair enough, but if there's similar things being found it will make me think twice about coming again."

According to the NHS, infections that used needles and sharps can pass on to other people include hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV, and there is also a small risk of other infections being transmitted via contaminate blood such as cytomegalovirus (CMV) and epstein-Barr virus (EBV).

A spokesperson for North East Lincolnshire Council said: "Our advice to people who find needles is to report it to the council on 01472 313131.

"We will act on it as an emergency and a member of staff will be dispatched to remove it.

"Sharps disposal containers are held at the beach safety office in Cleethorpes and the welfare unit at Humberston Fitties."

TRIBUTES have been paid to former Grimsby Town forward Albert Stokes, who has died at the age of 81.

Sheffield-born Stokes made 17 appearances for the Mariners, scoring four goals – the most famous of which came in front of over 25,000 fans at Blundell Park against Wolves in 1955.

Stokes joined Town in 1954 after trials for Leicester City, Leeds United and Walsall.

After national service with the RAF, Stokes proved himself to be a prolific reserve player for Town, scoring a total of 49 goals in two Midlands League seasons.

After leaving Town in 1957, Stokes left to join Scunthorpe – despite rumoured interest from Sparta Rotterdam and teams in Australia.

Having played for a number of amateur and local sides in the twilight of his career, he finally hung up his boots in 1970.

In tribute, his son-in-law John Asher said: "Playing for Town was his whole life – it meant so much to him.

"He played for a lot of clubs during his career, but he made Grimsby and Cleethorpes his home."

Stokes leaves behind his wife Norma, daughters Julie and Joanne, son-in-laws John and Steve and four grandchildren – Olivia, Emily, Thomas and Lewis.

A funeral service will be held at Grimsby Crematorium on Tuesday, May 13 at 1pm.

Floral tributes will be gratefully received by Mashfords Independent Funeral Services of Cleethorpes or donations in lieu may be sent to the Lincs and Notts Air Ambulance, Bentley Drive, Bracebridge Heath, Lincoln, LN4 2QW. Leave your online tributes and memories of Albert – at www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk

ANGRY allotment holders are demanding action to curb the recurring thefts and break-ins to their properties.

According to the tenants, there have been more than ten thefts in the last six months alone.

The Carr Lane allotment site is home to just over 200 tenants and covers nearly 50 acres.

But according to Mark Perritt, poor facilities and fencing has meant upwards of £2,000 worth of equipment has been stolen.

He said: "We are now into double figures for the last six months alone. I'd estimate it has cost around £2,000 in lost equipment and tools.

"The most bizarre one was when they came in and took tea and coffee. It's hard to get your head around that to understand just how petty it is.

"We've talked to the council but they haven't been particularly helpful in my opinion.

"They want to build a new entrance gate but 250 metres along from where the current one is, but that will just create more problems.

"It's been a disaster for the site. The fence is just in such a poor condition and it doesn't take much for them to get through it."

Several councillors paid a visit to the site a month ago after the issue had been raised with them.

But Mr Perritt hasn't heard back from them since, and is anxious that repeat thefts could be on the horizon.

He added: "We raised the points with the councillors, as of yet we've had no official word back and that was more than four weeks ago.

"I would like to see a single gate which could be locked at night by the last person out.

"But they've just cut straight through the fence. They come prepared, but it's in such a poor state.

"It is very frustrating, and it's starting to annoy people now. When it comes to tea and coffee it just becomes ridiculous."

Harold Piggott, 74, is an allotment holder who was one of the tenants to suffer at the hands of these break-ins.

He added: "It's affected everyone here, me included.

"People have been doing it for years though. I've lost a strimmer, which was very frustrating.

"The fence wants repairing or replacing altogether.

"But lorries deliver down here so that's likely to create a lot of problems.

"It seems to be happening every two weeks or so. It's really frustrating and causes a lot of problems for us all."

A council spokesperson said: "The council is aware of the concerns raised by the allotment holders and our priority is to reduce the amount of break-ins and vandalism at the site.

"A proposal to improve security by moving the gate has been put on hold while we listen to the views of the allotment holders to find a solution that works for all parties."

WITH Sunday's defeat still fresh in the mind, the next big decision concerns Paul Hurst – should he be the man in charge at the start of next season?

When Town kicked off their Conference campaign all the way back in August the fans wanted one thing and one thing only. That was a return to the Football League and anything less than that would be seen as a failure.

So here we are, the season has ended and we are still a Conference side.

So is Hurst (pictured) the right man for the job and was this season a failure?

Hurst has a very good track record with the Mariners – back-to-back play-off campaigns and the Trophy final last season – but it's easy to see why so many fans are disgruntled.

Many aren't happy with the style of football which has been played this season.

At this level, especially away from home at the 'smaller clubs', they won't physically allow you to play it on the deck, but that doesn't mean the long hoof-ball tactic should be the first and sometimes only option.

Sections of the fans seem to blast Hurst for his tactical awareness.

He is very like-for-like with his substitutes and rarely makes bold tactical decisions which could throw games in Town's favour, but that isn't always a bad thing.

I believe the boss should be given one more chance, but should be made fully aware that if we don't get promotion then it's goodbye Mr Hurst.

Give him the chance early doors to dig into the transfer market and build a squad he can mould into a dominant force.

This can be his chance to show the fans that he is not a one-plan man and has learnt – from his first solo season as manager – to make maverick decisions which can throw the direction of a tight or scrappy affair in Town's favour.

Some fans need a bit of a reality check. They expect us to win every game simply because we are Grimsby Town.

No team in any division has the God-given right to win every game purely based on reputation.

People need to acknowledge this season wasn't a failure at all – finishing in the lower half of the table would have been a failure.

Should Cambridge beat Gateshead in the play-off final that would make Town the big dog in the league and, for me, leave us and Barnet as the front-runners for the title next season.

THREE Grimsby Town supporters and five from Gateshead were arrested at Grimsby Town's Conference play-off semi final in the north east on Sunday, police have confirmed.

It was initially revealed that eight people were arrested before, during and after the game, which the Mariners lost 3-1 and 4-2 on aggregate.

A 46-year-old man from Grimsby was charged with being drunk and disorderly, and is due to appear at South Tyneside Magistrates' Court on Thursday, May 15.

Another Grimsby man, 45, was cautioned for being drunk and disorderly, and a third, 18, was cautioned for possessing a class A drug.

One Gateshead man has been bailed after being arrested on suspicion of disorderly conduct while another was charged for breaching a banning order, and a third was charged with being drunk and disorderly.

Superintendent Gillian Mitchell, of Northumbria Police, said: "The match was well attended and the vast majority of fans from both teams were well behaved.

"Officers dealt with the small minority who were causing problems."

Police have also moved to quash a rumour that a fan died at the game, and denied that a supporter had been hit by a flare.

However, it has been confirmed an unnamed Grimsby fan has made a full recovery after suffering a heart attack at the turnstiles before the game kicked off.

Investigations continue into fans tearing up seats.

CONSTRUCTION work is underway on a new 80-room hotel in Grimsby town centre, providing 40 new jobs.

The five-storey Holiday Inn Express, in Wellowgate next to Grimsby Railway Station, will run under a franchise agreement and is expected to open in around a year's time.

It will be owned by Lincoln-based Brayford Hotels, which owns the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Lincoln, and will be operated by Leaf Hospitality.

It will include 80 rooms, a bar and restaurant, and conference and meeting facilities, and will precede other new builds in Middlesbrough and Dublin in 2016. And, unlike at many hotels, those staying at a Holiday Inn Express are given a free breakfast each morning.

It is the second major hotel chain to come to the area after, in February, construction began on a 60- room Premier Inn hotel in Cleethorpes, at a cost of £8 million.

And initial ground works began yesterday to bring the new Holiday Inn Express, in the heart of Grimsby, to fruition.

The company has owned the site, the former Burton's Fiat dealership and more recently a car park, for around six years. There were plans for apartments before a fresh planning application was submitted to North East Lincolnshire Council.

Richard Farrar, director of Leaf Hospitality, said he was confident the site, just yards from the railway station, was "one of the best" locations for a hotel in Grimsby.

"We can't wait to open and to get the build finished quickly and safely," he said.

"This is a great location, right in the centre of the town and by the station. We are bringing jobs and a quality brand to the region and hope to play our part in this area's regeneration."

Philip Lassman, director of development for the InterContinental Hotels Group, which operates the Holiday Inn Express brand, said: "Holiday Inn Express is one of the fastest growing brands in the industry and the brand is doing really well in Europe.

"The brand offers friendly efficient service, comfortable rooms and a free breakfast – everything a guest needs and nothing they don't.

"It's truly ideal for meeting the needs of corporate and leisure travellers."

Mr Farrar continued: "We think the construction work will take about 12 months, and we will be working in as considerate a way as possible for the people of Grimsby.

"We are a local company and we all live within an hour of this area, so we have local knowledge."

And he backed plans for a new direct train service from Grimsby to London in the near future.

"Hopefully this hotel can be another reason why a rail franchise might like to operate a direct service," he said.

TWO dogs thought to be potentially dangerous pit bull terrier types face being destroyed after an order was made by a court.

Luke Lond, 24, of Milton Road, Grimsby, found himself in trouble after his ownership of the two dogs was brought to the attention of the authorities.

A civil case against him was heard at Grimsby Magistrates' Court and it resulted in destruction orders being made against the two dogs, called Ruby and Drago, under the Dangerous Dogs Act.

Lond, said to be the owner of the two dogs, was told that the animals would be destroyed within two months of the order unless an exemption was obtained.

This was because the dogs could not be released to him because, to do so, would put him in breach of the ban on owning such dogs. The dogs had a large number of characteristics associated with pit bull terriers, the court heard.

Costs of £200 for each dog must be paid to the police, the court ordered.

THE Lincs Turkeys processing site in Grainthorpe is to close, with the loss of up to 80 jobs.

Bernard Matthews, which acquired Lincs Turkeys just over four years ago, confirmed a staff consultation has begun with the workforce at the factory after Christmas order numbers for this year fell.

The news comes just months after a company farmer, based at Fulstow, was featured in a festive advertising campaign for top supermarket chain Waitrose.

Turkey producer Jonathan Martin appeared in the 2013 Christmas advert, promoting turkeys from his family-run business.

It was hoped at the time that turkey sales would significantly rise and that if Waitrose stores continued to expand, new farms would potentially be built, resulting in the creation of job opportunities on farms and in the factory. However, orders have significantly reduced and the processing site is no longer economically viable.

The farm is not affected by the decision and will continue to run as normal.

The news comes just a week after we reported that Stallingborough chemical plant Arkema Coatings Resins Ltd, formerly a substantial part of the Cray Valley operation at Stallingborough, proposes to stop production. A total of 58 jobs could be lost from a workforce of 75, with speculation that the work could be transferred to France, the company's home country.

A spokesperson for Bernard Matthews said: "Bernard Matthews can confirm that it has begun a staff consultation process with its workforce at its Lincs Turkeys processing site at Grainthorpe in Lincolnshire, as a result of the company's proposal to close the site.

"The consultation is expected to result in a reduction of approximately 80 employees out of a workforce of 2,130.

"The decision to make this proposal was not taken lightly, but due to a significant reduction in Christmas orders for Lincs Turkeys in 2014, the site will no longer be economically viable, and processing requirements will be integrated into the Norfolk and Suffolk sites and the factory in Grainthorpe will be closed.

"The business remains firmly committed to the Lincs Turkey business and its farming operation will remain unchanged.

"The company is currently entering into consultation with affected staff, which we understand may cause a degree of uncertainty for these individuals, but staff will be offered the opportunity to relocate to one of its other sites and they will be kept regularly updated throughout the process."

The 2,130 workers mentioned refer to the total number of employees across the entire Bernard Matthews company.

Bernard Matthews Holdings announced the acquisition of Lincs Turkeys back in 2010 and at the time, the serving UK managing director Jeff Halliwell said: "We are delighted to have been able to acquire Lincs Turkeys, a successful and profitable company with an excellent corporate brand.

"Lincs Turkeys will continue to be run as a stand-alone business within Bernard Matthews Holdings and we have no immediate plans to introduce any significant changes.

"Lincs Turkeys employs an impressive and knowledgeable team, who we look forward to welcoming into the group.

"We are pleased that John Martin has agreed to stay on and continue to be involved in the business."

As previously reported by the Grimsby Telegraph, Lincs Turkeys has supplied Harrods in London and the Mitchells and Butler carvery chain.

TALENTED cricketer Jack Harrison went "off the rails" when his life "unravelled" after his dreams of becoming a professional sportsman fell apart, Grimsby Crown Court heard.

Richard Hackfath, mitigating, said nobody was injured as a result of the crash on Chichester Road, Cleethorpes, apart from Harrison and the bad driving was over only a short period of time and for a short distance.

"He is fortunate that there were not more serious consequences to this incident," said Mr Hackfath.

"There was a near miss with the pedestrian. It's through no effort on Mr Harrison's behalf that there was a miss. The driving was obviously of a very poor standard."

Harrison had, until recently, a promising future and was "one of only a very small percentage of the population" who had the chance of making a career out of his talents as a sportsman.

"It was his long-held hope that he would be able to make something of himself in that way but he was not able to succeed professionally," said Mr Hackfath.

"After that, he has lost his way in life. It might be said his life has unravelled to some extent. He was drinking too much.

"He accepted that he was taking illegal drugs and associating with people who were an entirely negative influence on him.

"All of those things no doubt played a part in him going off the rails in such a spectacular manner at the age of 21."

Harrison had shown genuine remorse and had taken positive steps to keep out of trouble. He had kept off alcohol and found work.

"He realises the folly of what he was doing at the time and the fact that it has led him into trouble," said Mr Hackfath.

"It has been the wake-up call that he quite obviously needed to change his behaviour."

Harrison had been dealt with by a London magistrates' court in March for an assault offence that was apparently committed shortly before the driving matters, said Mr Hackfath.

JOHN Fenty admits watching Grimsby Town fail in the play-offs for the second successive season 'hurt like hell'.

But the Mariners director insists any boardroom decisions taken this week will be done so with clear minds and in the 'cold light of day'.

Following Town's defeat to Gateshead – little over a year since Hurst's side fell to Newport at the semi-final stage – Fenty and his fellow board members are expected to have a busy week.

The future of Hurst as manager and player retention are among the issues to be discussed at a meeting later this week, but Fenty has vowed their decisions won't be solely influenced by Sunday's disappointment.

He told the Telegraph: "The result at the weekend was a shocking blow, of course it was – we all wanted better and to get back to the Football League.

"For many of us, the disappointment that now isn't going to happen is still taking time to sink in, but we've now got to regroup.

"In doing that, we've got to be very sensible and look at things in the cold light of day.

"While some people might complain about the type of football that has been played and the way things have ended, we have to be level-headed and take stock of what we've achieved this season."

In speaking of his obvious disappointment at Sunday's events, Fenty said the hardy Mariners fans will bounce back quickly, ready for another crack at a Football League return.

"Losing to Gateshead hurt like hell, there's no doubt about that but at the end of the day, Grimsby fans are very resilient," he continued.

"We've hit on very difficult times in the past and we've come through it.

"I'm sure we'll all re-group and be back again at the beginning of the season.

"Hopefully there'll be a good World Cup in between to put all of this disappointment to the back of our minds.

"We'll be up and ready for a new season come August.

"For us, the objective doesn't change from one season to the next – we want to build on the last two seasons.

"We've achieved a play-off place in consecutive seasons and hopefully it can be third time lucky."

A WOMAN narrowly avoided being hit by an out-of-control car driven by a well-known local cricketer whose life had "gone off the rails" when his sporting dreams were shattered.

The car suddenly hurtled towards her at high speed before crashing through garden walls and hitting a parked van.

The "huge" impact of the smash pushed the van into a car parked next door and caused serious damage to the vehicles and the garden, a court heard.

Jack Harrison, who has played for Cleethorpes Cricket Club, hoped to become a professional sportsman but he went "off the rails" when his dreams came to nothing.

Harrison, 21, of Wyndham Road, New Waltham, admitted aggravated vehicle taking, failing to stop after an accident, having no insurance and driving with only a provisional licence on December 22.

Craig Lowe, prosecuting, told Grimsby Crown Court that Harrison took the keys for an Audi A3 after visiting the home of friends and later drove off.

At 2.30am, a 20-year-old student was in Chichester Road, Cleethorpes, when she saw the car heading towards her. It was "completely out of control" and was travelling very quickly and was at least twice over the 30mph speed limit.

"It was swerving all over the road and she thought the driver was not in control of it at all," said Mr Lowe.

Harrison lost control on a bend and was travelling so fast that the car took only a couple of seconds to reach her. The car mounted a grass verge and footpath and she had to run out of the way to avoid being hit.

She later said that, a second later, the car "would have driven straight over me" and the "consequences would have been terrible".

The car hit a wall and the front bumper broke off and flew into the road. The vehicle hurtled across to the right-hand side of the road, crashed through a brick wall and careered into a garden before hitting a van parked on a drive.

The force of the impact was so huge that it pushed the van sideways and into a car parked next door. The car driven by Harrison also crashed through the brick wall of the second house.

The garden of the first house was badly damaged, a wall was demolished and bricks were strewn across the lawn. A tree was also damaged.

Malcolm Chidley, the occupier of the first house, was in bed when he heard an "incredibly loud bang". He looked out and heard a woman "screaming hysterically".

The crashed car was "full of smoke" and the woman who narrowly avoided being hit went up and asked Harrison why he was driving so fast. He told her: "Shut up, shut up."

She later said the speeding car passed so close to her that she "felt the wind from it".

She added: "The driver sounded annoyed I was asking him about his driving. I realised how lucky I had been. It only just missed me."

She was left "really upset, shaking and crying" and was thought to have told Harrison: "You could have killed me."

Harrison later left the scene and "wasn't anywhere to be seen", said Mr Lowe. Blood was later found on the driver's air bag.

Harrison was later spotted but he ran off. The car was traced from its number plates and he was found at the home of the car owner.

The Audi, valued at £9,500, was written off and the van, almost new and valued at £17,000, was also a write-off. The other car damaged was repaired but the owner lost a £400 excess. She claimed she lost about £1,000 of business from her work as a mobile nail technician.

Harrison was jailed for a year and was banned from driving for three years. He must take an extended retest.

Judge Kate Buckingham told him: "This course of driving is so serious that only a custodial sentence can be justified. I can't ignore how very dangerous that piece of driving was and how great the risk was, particularly to the lady that you narrowly missed.

"It is only by good fortune and good luck that you are not facing a much more serious charge with much more tragic consequences."

He had caused a "great deal of upset, inconvenience and distress" to the other vehicle owners.

PAUL Hurst's future as Grimsby Town manager will be decided at a boardroom summit meeting this week.

The Mariners boss will sit down with the club's directors to discuss a range of issues following the disappointing Conference play-off defeat to Gateshead at the weekend.

Chief of which is whether the 38-year-old will lead Town into next season, for what will be the club's fifth attempt at sealing a Football League return.

Speaking to the Telegraph, director John Fenty explained: "The plan is to meet Paul later at some point this week.

"We want to discuss our disappointment at how the season ultimately finished, what we felt worked and what didn't and outline areas in which we can look to do better.

"If you were seeking to change a manager and sifting through CVs, if Paul's came across the desk and showed that he's achieved the play-off semi- finals for the last two years, you'd say he's a strong contender.

"So you have to take a little time and look in the cold light of day at what has been achieved.

"What I would say is that, as is always the case, management decisions are always a board decision.

"It is never ever one person's decision – it has to be a collective agreement. Not everyone always agrees, but the majority has to win the day.

"It's how it should be, how it is and how it always will be."

Hurst assumed sole control of first-team affairs in September, following the shock departure of his former joint-boss Rob Scott.

Under his stewardship – in a repeat of last season – Town claimed a fourth-placed finish before crashing out of the play-offs at the semi-final stage.

When pressed about Hurst's future, Fenty replied: "I don't know of any discussions being held about releasing the manager.

"Logically, while there are some hot-headed thoughts going around, we have to stand back and take stock.

"We know things have gone wrong at times throughout the season and different decisions may have been taken, but I maintain that it's always easier to do someone else's job.

"You have to realise that when you are making decisions from the hot-seat, because then it can look a little different."