Market Rasen III 20 Grimsby III 26
Grimsby's rugby season continued with a short run out to Market Rasen. On arrival the weather was typically autumnal with a strong wind blowing from one end of the field to another, and while at a glance the grass seemed a little long the match was eagerly anticipated.
From the beginning Captain Nigel Kempthorne was desperate to get the Grimsby Team working as a unit and supporting each other, he was adamant that this was the way to get a positive result. With a squad of 19 in tow , he was also knew that substitutions would play an important part in keeping the team moving. As the game began Market Rasen appeared to be better prepared and for the first twenty minutes or so, Grimsby struggled to get into the oppositions half ,and spectators would have been wondering if Market Rasen were about to deliver the visitors a lesson in rugby. Despite the constant pressure during this period, Grimsby defended strongly and stopped what might have been an early points onslaught. Both sides played a very strong game in the forwards, but eventually both started utilizing the backs more and the scoring began. Captain Nigel lead from the front taking some balls direct from the scrum and making some crunching runs into opposition. The team rallied around him and Grimsby begin to control the game. The Grimsby back row , who had been tackling well, demonstrated their speed and some superb tries were scored, notably by Nick snale
At half time Grimsby were in front but all were encouraged to continue with the commitment that had been on display. Some tactical substitutions, due to player fatigue were made by Grimsby and the second half was under-way. While the new legs were welcomed it took a short while for the team to settle and during this period Market Rasen managed to score and edge into the lead. However , Grimsby's team was focused and pulled out all the stops. The effort from all was exhibited well when a short tap kick was chased by prop Vinny thornton who then proceeded to demonstrate an impressive tackle on 2 Market Rasen team members in succession to give possession back to Grimsby. Hard effort by everyone saw the forwards put Market Rasen under pressure and then a tactical pass out to the backs saw Grimsby again go over the line with less than 5 mins remaining. This was enough to secure the well deserved victory