Grimsby Town 4 Nottingham Forest 3
Saturday 15 January 2000 | Football League Division One | 6,738
A seven-goal thriller between the Mariners and their visitors from Nottingham certainly warmed up nearly 7,000 fans in Blundell Park, as this Division One clash survived a bitterly cold spell on the east coast.
Alan Buckley’s side had been struggling coming into the game with just one win in their previous eight games in all competitions, and had just limped out of the FA Cup at the fourth round stage with a meek 2-0 home loss to Bolton Wanderers. The Town boss had injury worries too; Mark Lever was deemed fit enough to start in defence, but with no other recognised centre halves, striker Steve Livingstone stepped into the defensive breach.
The hosts, recently relegated from the Premier League, had plenty of quality in their ranks, including prolific strikeforce Dougie Freedman and Stern John, were looking to reclaim their place in the top flight at the earliest opportunity.
Forest perhaps shaded the opening exchanges, before the game sprang into life on the half-hour. Jack Lester, recently transfer-listed in a bid to raise funds for the cash-strapped hosts, won a free kick on the right-hand side. Kevin Donovan and Lee Ashcroft worked the set-piece well, with the latter crossing low for Lester to slide in and fire past former Mariner Dave Beasant in the visitors’ goal.
The Mariners doubled their advantage just two minutes later. Ashcroft caught Forest defender Jon-Olav Hjelde napping and advanced to slide the ball underneath Beasant. Town fans barely had time to catch their breath before the visitors replied. A long ball forward from the kick-off was nodded down for left back Alan Rogers to fire home spectacularly from 20 yards.
Town held their lead going into the break but Forest were level within two minutes of the restart. Freedman did well on the right-side of the area, crossing low into the Town box where Lever could only divert into his own net. It was the big defender’s last real action of the game, as he succumbed to injury on 53 minutes, being replaced by Alan Pouton. This change saw Town skipper Paul Groves drop into the back four, making an unfamiliar centre half pairing with Livingstone.
Forest were enjoying plenty of possession, without making much head-way on the Town goal. Indeed, it was Buckley’s side who would take control of the match with two uncharacteristic long clearances leading to the dismissal of two Forest players. On 66 minutes, Groves hammered a ball over the top of the visiting defence, with Ashcroft again catching Hjelde napping—this time the Norwegian dragged the former Preston man down in the penalty area. The result was not just a spot kick but a straight red for the Forest centre-half. Ashcroft dusted himself off and dispatched the penalty with great accuracy to the bottom left.
Just six minutes later, Forest were reduced to nine men. This time Livingstone was the outlet, with Lester running onto the clearance. He attempted to lob the onrushing Beasant, who only succeeded in handling well outside his area—another straight red offence—Mark Crossley replacing substitute defender Mathieu Louis-Jean to fill in between the sticks. Buckley looked to press home his side’s numerical advantage, bringing on an extra forward in the shape of Bradley Allen, before Ashcroft spurned a good chance for his hat-trick as he fired into the side netting.
The fourth goal did arrive seven minutes from time. Donovan started the move in midfield, spreading the play wide for Allen. His cross was expertly chested down by Ashcroft, into the path of the former West Brom winger, who curled his shot expertly inside Crossley’s left-hand post.
There was a sting in the tail for the hosts though. Forest worked a short corner in injury time, and Rogers’ cross somehow evaded everyone to nestle in the bottom corner, leaving Buckley’s men with an unnecessarily nervy ending.
MARINERS: Coyne; McDermott, Lever (Pouton 53), Livingstone, Gallimore; Donovan, Groves, Coldicott, Black (Allen 74); Ashcroft, Lester. Subs not used: Buckley, Croudson, Butterfield.
FOREST: Beasant; Dawson (Louis-Jean 46 (Crossley 73)), Scimeca, Hjelde, Rogers; Prutton, Bart-Williams, Brennan, Gray (Bonalair 70); Freedman, John. Subs not used: Harewood, Williams.
