Two goals from Darren Bent saved a woeful Town from defeat against lowly Grimsby. An early goal from Paul Groves, which appeared not to cross the line, gave the Mariners the lead before Bent equalised with a header. A James Pullen howler gave Michael Boulding a goal but Bent hit back again late on.

Town lined-up as they had against Wolves on Wednesday but with James Pullen starting his first league game in goal for the Blues. The former Heybridge Swifts man was given a tremendous welcome by the North Stand as he took his place between the sticks prior to kick-off.

Skipper Matt Holland hit the first chance of the half wide after Marcus Bent had laid the ball off to him.

However, a Grimsby goal was only two minutes in coming. A Richard Hughes cross from the right wasn't dealt with by either goalkeeper or defenders and Paul Groves stabbed the ball goalwards. Thomas Gaardsøe appeared to clear the ball off the line, but referee Ray Olivier, taking advice from his linesman, decided that Gaardsøe's intervention came just too late.

It was just the start Town didn't need, but only four minutes later the Blues hit back. John McGreal played a ball down the right for Marcus Bent who crossed to the near post where Darren Bent headed past Danny Coyne.

Town and the crowd enjoyed their best spell of the game after Bent's goal and on 14 Marcus Bent tried a spectacular overhead kick from a Tommy Miller cross but was lacking in control. Jim Magilton picked up the loose ball but ran into too many defenders.

A minute later Darren Ambrose just failed to get a proper contact on a Darren Bent cross from the right when not far out, the ball screwing wide.

The Blues were having the best of it but it wasn't all going their own way and in the 17th minute Grimsby loanee John Oster had a shot well blocked by Thomas Gaardsøe. From the resultant corner James Pullen saved Groves' effort to his left.

Within a minute Darren Ambrose sent the ball over the bar from a Darren Bent knockdown. Bent was again in the action a couple of minutes later when his clever back header from a Magilton cross went very close to Coyne's post.

But, the next goal was to come at the other end. In the 23rd minute, Michael Boulding took a pot shot from 20 yards out which caught John McGreal and squirmed under James Pullen. It was the kind of save which keepers make 99 times out of 100 and nerves, along with the deflection and the increasingly dreadful Portman Road pitch, must have played their part.

From there it was to get tricky for Town. As so often in the past Grimsby put men behind the ball and proved difficult to break down. The Blues' only real chance in the remainder of the first period came after Tommy Miller was felled on the edge of the area. Darren Ambrose curled his freekick wide of Coyne's post.

Town had been well below par and Joe Royle decided that changes were needed at the break. On came Jermaine Wright and Richard Naylor while Jim Magilton and John McGreal, an injury worry prior to the game and again out of sorts, were left in the dressing room. Matt Holland reverted to the defence.

It was Holland who was to have the first opportunity of the half, the Town skipper hitting a freekick wide after Ambrose had been fouled around 25 yards out.

On 55 Marcus Bent looked to have timed a ball to Darren Bent perfectly, however a linesman's flag belatedly stopped the youngster in his tracks.

Three minutes later Richard Naylor had a golden opportunity to put Town ahead. Darren Bent crossed from the right and Naylor, unmarked in the middle, headed back across Coyne, but wide of the post.

Just before the hour Matt Holland had a shot blocked after an Ambrose freekick had been cleared to the edge of the area.

Town were hardly an impressive sight with passes constantly going astray and the midfield failing to create chances. However, on 63 Marcus Bent tried to hold on to the ball on the left edge of the area before a defender's toe played it into the path of Tommy Miller. The ex-Hartlepool man looked likely to get the Blues back on terms but his shot went the wrong side of Coyne's post.

The lack of quality was provoking boos from some quarters, chants of ‘Reuser' from others and even calls for Joe Royle to ‘sort it out'. With 13 minutes left Reuser was sent on for Ambrose who, as against Wolves, was not his usual self.

The Dutchman's set pieces were to have a big effect on the remaining minutes. On 87 he sent in a corner from the Town left which Richard Naylor diverted on to the bar. The ball fell to Thomas Gaardsøe who headed onto the post before Darren Bent showed them all what to do firing home to notch his 15th goal of the season. Bent is now Town's highest scorer and has already met his goals target for 2002/03.

In injury time another Reuser corner caused havoc, Grimsby keeper Danny Coyne clashing with Thomas Gaardsøe as he punched the ball away from the Dane at the near post. With the keeper grounded Town tried to find a route to goal but the defence remained resolute, as they had throughout the second half.

Another poor performance from Town, although once Darren Bent had equalised the first time it could have been a very different story had chances been taken. The second half was as poor as we've seen this season despite the visitors failing to have a shot on target after their second goal.

James Pullen will be unhappy at the way both goals were conceded, the first perhaps the result of poor communication between the new keeper and an unfamiliar defence while the second looked to have an element of nerves about it.

Elsewhere, the few chances which were created were largely squandered while at the back the Blues only looked to have any solidity once Matt Holland had moved back from the midfield.

If Town are to continue to press for a play-off place they will certainly have to play better than in the latter stages against Wolves and for all but brief periods against Grimsby.

Town: Pullen, Wilnis, Makin, McGreal (Naylor 46), Gaardsøe, Holland, Magilton (Wright 46), Miller, D Bent, Ambrose (Reuser 77), M Bent.

Photo: Action Images

Ipswich Town Polls