Mariners sink off-colour Rovers
FOREST Green lacked panache as David Hockaday’s side slipped to their second home defeat of the season.
An uncharestertic misjudgement from Forest Green captain Jared Hodgkiss led to Michael Coulson’s first half winner and enabled Grimsby to claw themselves from the bottom end of the Blue Square Premier table.
In truth, both teams were far from their best, but the Mariners showed a workmanlike guile to edge a clash lacking in quality.
Predatory striker Reece Styche had a creditable second half claim for a penalty waived away on a day of utter New Lawn frustration.
Earlier, Hockaday elected to tinker with the side who overwhelmed Bath City on Bank Holiday Monday. Curtis McDonald and Wayne Turk were relegated to the bench with Chris Allen and Charlie Griffin returning to the fray.
Hockaday’s preferred free-flowing passing game was off the menu as his youthful midfield struggled to click against the nous of Frankie Artus and Craig Disley.
Rovers were off the pace and should have gone 1-0 down on 27 minutes.
The otherwise exemplary Jamie Turley missed a torpedo kick from keeper James McKeown, but former Cheltenham Town striker Damian Spencer inexplicably dragged his strike wide with just James Bittner to beat.
Rovers tried to find a foothold. Allen wrestled back possession, but his daisy-cutter failed to raise the New Lawn roof.
On the cusp of the interval Rovers pushed the self-destruct button. James Rowe’s free-kick was blocked and the Mariners swiftly turned defence into attack.
Hodgkiss, under pressure from Serge Makofo, dropped a short back-pass to Bittner and the fleet-footed Makofo nipped in to tee-up Spencer, who saw his goal-bound striker superbly blocked by Chris Stokes on the line, but Coulson was on hand to rifle home with punishing aplomb.
Moments later James Norwood saw yellow following a grapple with his marker as tempers rose.
Rovers started the second period in purposeful fashion. A flowing moved finished with Hodgkiss allowing Norwood to body swerve Jamie Green and fire into McKeown.
Eleven minutes in and Hockaday chucked on Yan Klukowski and McDonald for the hard working Griffin and Allen respectively.
The changes almost proved a masterstroke with Klukowski a hair away from finding parity.
Styche, well contained by former Forest Green loanee Darran Kempson, turned provider as he floated a ball into the box, but agonisingly Klukowski failed to muster headed purchase.
Rovers had their foothold. Norwood went close with a header from a Stokes cross and Styche arrowed wide following a surging Keiron Forbes run.
Forbes left the action with a sternum injury, but Rovers still chased their elusive goal.
Rovers were denied a penalty shout on 72 minutes.
Turk’s long ball saw Styche go shoulder-to-shoulder with Shaun Pearson, who appeared to knock him down in the box, but despite picking up a booking the foul was adjudged to be outside the box.
Rovers huffed and puffed. Rowe’s cross-field pass released the fleet-footed Norwood, but last-ditch defending from Pearson denied a certain goal.
As time faded, Rowe’s quick feet saw him floored in the box, but any penalty hopes were blunted.
