By Nathan Jackson
April 28 2007

Lincoln City will confirm their place in the playoffs if they avoid defeat next Saturday after a 0-0 draw at Grimsby. It was an even game at Blundell Park that was just shaded by the Imps. Stockport's draw means that they are now the only side that can deny the goalshy Imps a playoff place.

City start promisingly with Jamie Forrester having a chance to give City the lead within the first 20 seconds, but his angled lob went just over the bar and onto the top of the net. Stallard then continued the Imps’ good start when he headed a Nicky Eaden cross goalwards. The head was just kept out by Phil Barnes and it was the first shot on target City have had since the game at Darlington nearly 3 weeks ago.

 

Forrester wasted a good opportunity when his shot went wide after being set free by Beevers. Grimsby went down the other end and almost scored with their first chance, but fortunately Ciaran Toner couldn’t score in this fixture for the third year in a row as he header went well wide of the target. A few minutes later and Grimsby won a free kick, this was wasted as Marriott easily claimed.

 

After a midfield battle for 10 minutes, Toner blasted over from an unmarked position before City went and won their first corner of the game. Hughes’ delivery was met by the head of Mayo but he could only watch as his header missed the target.

 

Nick Fenton should have given Grimsby the lead but Paul Green got in a fantastic last minute block to deny the midfielder an almost certain goal from just inside the area. Mendes almost came back to haunt his old club as he sent a curling effort goalwards, but it was again well saved by Barnes.

 

Jeff Hughes had the game’s final chance when he took a free kick just outside the area. He swung it in and it barely went over the bar. The referee blew the whistle for half time almost immediately after this.

 

Danny North had the second half’s first chance but Marriott easily claimed, the same could be said for Barnes at the other end of the pitch when Mendes mishit his shot. The Imps’ striker was replaced just 9 minutes into the second half by Lee Frecklington. Kerr had an almost identical effort to Mendes’ shot just a few minutes earlier, again this trickled towards the goal and was easily saved by Barnes.

 

Forrester continued his recent goalless trend with a shot that flew over the bar just before Matt Bloomer replaced McDermott for the hosts. Even some Imps’ fans applauded McDermott who was playing his final home game for Grimsby after more than 20 years at the club. Harkins was replaced by Taylor soon after.

 

Gary Jones came on for Hegarty with 10 minutes today before Jamie Forrester was replaced by Ollie Ryan……obviously the Imps were now playing for a draw. A draw they almost gave up when Marriott only just managed to save Danny North’s goalbound effort.

 

The game came to an end without incident on the pitch, although the players did have to leg it to get back in the changing rooms because of a pitch invasion by the home fans.