Goals from Abo Eisa and Danny Rose helped former Alex manager Dave Artell get a win in his first home game for Grimsby Town against Crewe Alexandra at Blundell Park yesterday afternoon.
Manager Lee Bell made 1 change from our last game, a 1-1 draw at Sutton United as Lewis Billington came in for Joe White, who dropped down to the bench where he was joined by Charlie Finney and Zac Williams returning from injuries. Former Alex youngster Toby Mullarkey started for the hosts while Callum Ainley was among their substitutes.
The game’s opening chance came in the 10th minute as Connor O’Riordan headed Mickey Demetriou’s cross with Harvey Cartwright making the save before the hosts took the lead 8 minutes later as a corner was taken short to Eisa who curled in from the edge of the penalty area. They would double the lead on the stroke of half-time with Rose heading in a cross from Anthony Driscoll-Glennon at the back post.
White would come on for Billington at half-time with Aaron Rowe and Williams also coming on before the hour mark. It would be the first sub who got the Alex back into the game as he volleyed in from a Demetriou cross with 12 minutes to play but they were unable to get anything out of the game.
The next couple of games see the Alex host Bristol Rovers in the FA Cup 2nd Round on Tuesday before hosting Accrington Stanley the following Saturday.
Final Thoughts:
It was a poor performance (probably the worst of the season) where the lack of options in areas of the squad currently certainly didn’t help. It doesn’t say a lot for the likes of Charlie Colkett if other players are playing out of position ahead of him while the bench saw players that may not be fit as the youth team played in the Youth Cup at Arsenal later in the day (Lewis Nolan opened the scoring for the Alex who led at half-time before losing 7-1).