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Your Sutton United v Grimsby Town Match Reports

OldClactonBlue added 14:30 - May 9 We are so lacking in quality. Too much hoofing from the back. When we got the bal down round their box we looked dangerous. But it happened so rarely.
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Mullet added 16:06 - May 9 Town's season is over and so began the playoffs. A decade in the making 4-3-3 was Mick's choice for the ten outfield he selected. With the regular back 5 in situ, a midfield container of Skuse, Bishop and Bru had the outlets of Varney, Sears and Murphy completing the opening gambit of this meaningful cup campaign. Portman Road was packed and vibrant as the long queues upon entry buzzed with the spectre of the spectacle to come; arousing and arresting the hopes and dreams of 29,000. The blues kicked off and kicked straight into gear, pushing the away side back and attacking from the get-go. It was appreciatively noted from the fans as we swept down the right hand side and wrong-footed Norwich, not for the first time. Both teams carved out chances and while Town chances headed wide, Norwich headed wider when their turn came. The visitors' midfield swirled like an overrated bitch's brew, their movement and pace was apparent from any of the games we've seen this season, but ours would press their nearest man and the advantage. Mick had charged his men to shackle each one of theirs' when they had the ball allowing us to take it and link together moves with the front men. Varney as ever jumped and harried, causing possession to change and bounce from boot to body while the running of Sears made gaps that Murphy could exploit with his class and frame. It clearly painted alarming images for the defenders charged with cutting them down. While Norwich were frustrated by a lack of space across the park eliminating their efforts to put daylight between us and them, Town went close in more than one way from the second ball. Murphy missing a rebound was bettered by Varney only able to head one straight onto Ruddy's hands and back out for a half chance in the best of the early chances. Unfortunately Reg's change of wings lead to a change of fortune. Jumping unchallenged his achilles showed weakness and down he went writhing in agony. The lengthy stoppage and emergence of the motorised stretcher confounded the visitors who voiced their confusion. A horseless cart, open topped and not going around circles to commemorate nothing an obvious bafflement. Enter Anderson. Usually a defensive cog in a 4-4-2 today's changes meant a new role as the right hand side allowed him to play as free-form winger. More akin to that of his youth team position he rolled back the years to glance another headed chance beyond Ruddy and narrowly miss opening the scoring. Norwich for all their financial clout, failed to stack up the advantage they had predicted. All until a ref which came with elite credentials saw fit to see how many fouls Town feet could ride just once too often. We've seen Norwich score fortunate and fantastic goals this season. Their opener in the last fixture perhaps the most impressive we've conceded for some time. Today they were simply clinical. A deadly sharp move down the left, let Jerome cut inside and find Howson unmarked to deposit the ball past Bart. The lead didn't stack up but now we owed them one. The home fans roared and pride was soon to be restored. The volume rose, so did the players. Bassong showed numerous times he couldn't find his man if he was tied to him, all hell broke lose as the ball did too. Sears on the edge was incisive with his run, Ruddy fumbled and in what felt like five minutes of matrix-bending magic, Anderson was ready, set himself and celebrations were go as the thundering of Portman Rd downed and drowned the trilling budgies. They're good, but they're notrights. It was a half where the only stat the recently Premiership side held the lead was fouls. It was even more remarkable when the ref had waited three or four times before reluctantly blowing up as Town attacked. Reluctant to show yellow, it was all he saw despite Jerome's halving of Chambers off the ball early on. For a team with such a Napoleon complex, they had less impact today than they have had in Europe. The game was tighter than parachute strings. The whistle had come just as Town looked to be flying. With the adrenaline soaked 45 over, the pits of the stand echoed with song and analysis. Excitement bouncing off the walls as the prospect of Town striking gold was compared with the deadpan reality of the toll in marking and mauling a team with far deeper resources to draw from on the bench. If tiredness told it was on the faces of both sides. Redmond will be playing a league above next season no matter what, it seems. A little sh1t, but not little and sh1t. His feet and his field of vision move quicker than any of his team mates. Squandering good ground in the face of defensive attentions he got little change from Tyrone, Tommy or Cole as he flittered from wing to wing and his passes frittered past runners and line alike. Whereas in the first half he got away once to get a good shot away, this time he was less measured in his play. Town meanwhile looked to flatten out and catch a breather. None more so than Chambers who put his body on the line twice to deflect not one but two Johnson drives out for a corner. The second one clearly winding him; as the man who quite rightly isn't a right back showed he's more than that. Captain. Leader. Pumper of fist and fans alike. His example was one of many illustrating Mick had done his homework on the opposition. McCarthy's due diligence as a manager meant subs were well-received without setting the stands alight in expectation or the smell of desperation. No more so than when Bru who had been superb, was withdrawn and later so was Bishop. Both had put feet in when needed and tacked and tackled but more importantly they sent feathers flying with the dynamic range of passing and movement that belies impressive debut seasons apiece in arguably Europe's toughest league. It was telling that their equivalents had seen Dorrans hauled off before he might have gone for stemming a dangerous counter at source and calf height. Likewise Jerome was still about until his cynical scythe from behind cut down man and his mouth made sure to do the same to the lino to his caution when it was not beyond the realms could have had the book thrown at them instead today. Where the academy product had danced crossfield like he was forever young, the time came for him to be hooked and Mick to tighten the screws on a side always capable of turnining a corner and something from nothing. The Norwegian meant we had two fullbacks who could flip and flop between defence and attack creating pressure that split apart Norwich more than once. Parr launched a counter forward and sent Murphy away down the left. A wonderful touch to rectify the arc of his run past Martin was enough to see him inside but not in on goal in an exhilarating move that might well have yielded a winner. Whilst Sears ran his socks off on the margins, it's worth noting the tactical exploits cast him in a supporting role more suited to nearly returning McGoldrick. Sat on the bench for today when his season looked over. It was no disgrace to see his understudy put in an understated shift when he is used to a more central and direct line of goal threat. No doubt we all appreciate what a £100k can buy you most days. It became harder to predict if and when an advantage might be taken as the man from obscurity and Hamilton threw on Hoolahan. A surprise omission from the start he seeped through the shadows of tired blues but was far less menacing than Canaries might have hoped for. Indeed Johnson's stroke of luck in throwing a heel skyward and redirecting his cross back to the Irishman was as good as it got. Only Redmond's cushioned header made Bart and blues more uncomfortable as the Pole jigged his feet to touch it over for a corner late on when a catch looked more likely at first. Ending all square and all to play for the sights and sounds of Portman Roads' final hurrah echoed for an eternity. Mick rallying his troops once their media and emotional commitments where seen to. Marching off down the tunnel as those lining the pitch showed them just how much their efforts mean to us, one more time if not one last time. It's been a long and arduous season, with so many games under their belts so many of our side racked up another 90 minutes of heroism. With at least 90 more to go, anything can happen as they left all they had on the pitch today. Do that again and it's more than conceivable they'll need to summon up such monumental efforts yet again beyond that. With Mick in charge of operations, I'd not surrender hope just yet.

14

Robert_Garrett added 18:02 - May 9 Wot a cracker to set the scene but it will be grab and bag at the canary nest. Didnt see the difference the massive parachute payments are supposed to make. Green & Yellow reminds me to be sick!
3

RomfordBlue added 18:03 - May 9 Considering the magnitude, significance, was a local derby and we were at home, I thought the performance was poor. There seemed little passion - and quality from Town and they seemed devoid of ideas. If something doesn't work - like hoofing the ball up to Murphy - time and time again, isn't it time to try something different? There was little football, ball to feet, passing from Town whereas Narwich played more on the ground and passing. We got away with this one, and could have had at least three but for poor heading. Town will need to do better than this next week or it's the Championship again for us next year.

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Nthsuffolkblue added 21:26 - May 9 Both sides had a tendency to play the ball long - norwich utilising the strength and power of Jerome whilst Town tried to feed Murphy to play in Sears. Ruddy's shot-stopping proved sufficient to prevent Town earning a narrow win. Their failure to make the most of possession and what chances they did create will leave them believing they should have taken a lead back to their place. A typical, organised Mick McCarthy performance nullified any differences in quality. It promises to be another tight match to decide who goes to Wembley.

1

Pilgrimblue added 21:14 - May 10 It was great being there. Great shame about Reg hope he's ready for next season. Maybe we lacked quality but not effort so somehow need to find a special moment to win second tie. I'd send Tyrone up for every corner and get more shots on taeget
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