NON-LEAGUE blogger of the year 'Too Good To Go Down' reflects on a goal-laden weekend for the Mariners...
WHAT a difference a week makes!
Just seven days ago a minority of Grimsby Town supporters were calling for Paul Hurst's head and the Mariners couldn't buy a goal after failing to beat Bristol Rovers, Nuneaton and Dover in the first week of the season.
But after firing blanks, the Mariners suddenly found their shooting boots – and how! Revenge was sweet up at Gateshead on Saturday as Town knocked in six goals, with another seven chalked up in the demolition of Alfreton.
In the space of just a few days, Grimsby Town went from struggling to break teams down to destroying them.
In my column in this paper last week, I wrote about how the scene was set for Scott Neilson to dish up revenge for his controversial sending off at Gateshead in the Play Off Final and he couldn't have penned the script any better.
Chasing down Craig Baxter – the man whose theatrics got Neilson sent off back in April – the hapless Heed defender passed the ball into the back of his own net and it only got worse for the home side from there.
Town's 6-1 thrashing of Gateshead was no flash in the pan either as the same starting eleven went one better against Alfreton on Monday.
Fans were sent into seventh heaven as the Mariners put in one of the best team performances for many a year to beat a hopeless Alfreton side managed by ex-Town boss Nicky Law.
With so many injuries and suspensions it perhaps was obvious that Grimsby Town would make a slow start to the season.
Perhaps we, as fans, were asking too much without the attacking threat of Scott Neilson and Jon-Paul Pittman. But with both back in the team, the Mariners have looked unstoppable.
Introducing both into the team has also seen a change in tactics and credit needs to go to Paul Hurst for some fairly significant changes.
In both games over the weekend Town pushed far further up the pitch and pressed the opposition defenders, harassing them and forcing mistakes.
The first three Town goals on Saturday were a result of Town's efforts into forcing mistakes, none more so than Craig Baxter's comical own goal.
Credit also needs to go to the central midfield duo of Scott Brown and Craig Clay who not only defended exceptionally well, but made intelligent forward runs to get beyond the opposition defences.
Clay, on Monday especially, managed a number of intelligent runs from deep and was rewarded with two great goals to cap a fantastic three days.
Town had previously been a little flat footed and one paced with their attacking play, but with players back from injury and some speed and guile up front, they look a totally different side.
It was inevitable Grimsby Town would eventually hit the goal trail, but I don't think even the most optimistic Mariners fans could have predicted this weekend's goalscoring bonanza.
