By theimps.tk
November 19 2009

Saturday will see our most important game of the season so far, a relegation six pointer against one of our arch rivals, Grimsby Town. Both sides look in danger of playing non-league football next season, and a win for either side would send their opponents closer to the dreaded drop. There are games every now and then that you just look at and know that this will define how the rest of your season goes. Normally it comes in the middle of a busy period such as Christmas, but more often than not it's the games that aren't near a glut of fixtures that change everything. Saturday's game against Grimsby is one of those games.

It's a game that is massive for both clubs. A defeat for Grimsby could easily spell doom for them as they don't seem to have a lot of fight and character, again on course to win just a mere handful of games before Christmas. A defeat for the Imps would drag them closer to the drop zone, something that they can certainly not afford. Whether it's a good or a bad thing is unknown, but it isn't a complete disaster is City draw this game, but anything less than a win for Grimsby would put tremendous pressure on them.

Neither side have won in the League for over a month. The Imps haven't won since a hard-fought 1-0 win over Macclesfield Town on October 10^th,  whereas Grimsby haven't won since a 2-0 win at Torquay United on September 19^th. Since then they have lost six of their nine League games since then, drawing the other three. They also suffered recent embarrassment by being beaten at home by lowly Bath City in the FA Cup.

On paper, City should do well in this game. We won our cup game, our last League win was more recent, we've only lost twice since Sutton took over and although we're not getting the results we deserve, we are now generally controlling games, it's just a lack of a striker capable of scoring many goals that hampers City.

Also, the Imps know that they're due a win against the Mariners. City haven't won since a 2-0 win over the Mariners in 2006/7, ironically coming at the end of a run of just one win in six games, a similar run to what City are on now and it was followed by three more wins. Grimsby also lead the League Two head to heads 7 wins to 3.

Rob Burch has been linked with Doncaster Rovers in recent weeks, but for now will continue to occupy the City goal, aiming to get his first clean sheet since a 0-0 draw with Torquay on October 17^th. In front of him is very difficult to predict these days. Joe Heath is set for a rare game as both Aaron Brown and Eric Lichaj are serving three game bans for red cards. Adam Watts missed last week's game against Cheltenham, meaning that it will be likely that we'll see Kovacs and the impressive Baker in the middle.

The right back position is set for a very competitive fight for it. Cian Hughton has been the first choice right back so far this season, but with Swaibu doing a reasonable job covering for him in the game against Cheltenham, as well as Paul Green coming back from injury, Hughton will have to fight hard to retain his place. Realistically speaking, it probably will be Hughton starting.

The midfield is also becoming fairly competitive these days, with only Scott Kerr seemingly having no chance of getting in when fit. Sergio Torres is out following an ankle injury picked up in his last match, meaning the left midfield position will either go to Khano Smith or Stefan Oakes. Sutton rates Oakes, but will also be keen to give Smith the chance to get used to the English game.

In the middle will almost certainly be Shane Clarke and Anthony Pulis, with last week's impressive debutant, Michael Gordon, continuing on the right. Up front will depend on if Rene Howe is fit. Jamie Clarke will fancy a repeat trick of scoring a home hatrick against Grimsby, something he managed for Accrington Stanley last season, he will more than likely start having scored in both of his last games. If Howe isn't fit, it will likely be Chris Fagan partnering Clarke up front.

Grimsby with be without Rob Atkinson, a regular in their defence over the last year or so, he was sent off at Northampton last Saturday. However, they have strengthened their ranks with the capture of Barnsley striker Michael Coulson. He joins a side that isn't exactly impressive, no offence intended, having said that though, Barry Conlon and Adam Proudlock do have a habit of scoring past City. Jean-Louis Akpa-Akpro also scored twice against City last season.

Other than those three, you'd struggle to find many Grimsby players who you could rare as match changers. This could partly go to explain why Grimsby have only 27 League games in the last two and a half seasons, 15 of which came in 2007/8. It is a worrying stat for a side that have only once managed this century to finish in the League position higher than the previous season once, that being the 4^th position in 2005/6 after finishing 18^th the season before.

We have reached the point of no return

Discussion started by theimps.tk (IP Logged), 19/11/2009 13:52

theimps.tk
19/11/2009 13:52

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StratfordImp
19/11/2009 20:05

Got 0-0 written all over it!!!

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davidimp
19/11/2009 20:38

Really cant see any other result!
The weather and the game both look like being terrible

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