Grimsby 24 Market Rasen 0
Grimsby were claiming double delight as they defeated bitter rivals Market Rasen and Louth - to dump the reigning champions out of the Lincolnshire Senior County Cup. The Blues kept their second clean sheet in a row at Springfield Road to emerge victorious in a tough encounter with the Red and Greens. Penalties were the visitors' downfall, with an over-enthusiastic referee blowing at least 20 times for infringements.
On a day ideally suited to rugby, Rasen started the better with ball carriers charging forward through loose Grimsby tackling. But having got within yards of the line, Grimsby right-wing Darren Daly and full-back Dan Evans forced an error and were able to clear. But the penalty count started to rise and fly-half Ben Pharaoh was given the chance to kick for territory. The Blues pack nailed the lineout early on, with number eight Mike Newman soaring on several occasions to set up Blues attacks. The Grimsby scrum was strong all game. After 15 minutes the pressure told and, from a driving maul, after a five-metre lineout, second row Nigel Kempthorne emerged to dive over for the opening score. Pharaoh made the difficult conversion from wide out. Worse was to follow for Rasen as they continued to concede penalties and ultimately were reduced to 14 players after the sin-binning of flanker Banham. From the pressure they were now able to apply, Grimsby scored their second from a lineout . Another catch and drive in the right corner saw lock Marc Burke peel off and power over for the second try but this time Pharaoh's kick hit the post. A chip and catch from Pharaoh in his own 22 set Evans away. He exchanged passes with centre Kevin Dufton before a forward pass scuppered the move.
In the second half Rasen continued to press the Blues, only to infringe and surrender possession, much to the delight of a strongly partisan crowd. A late tackle from Blues flanker Gavin Kempthorne led to the sin-bin for 10 minutes, but the Blues defence continued to hold firm. There were passages of good handling and running from the Grimsby backs in loose play, but much of it was in their own half. When Rasen's Mawer was adjudged to have late-tackled Pharaoh, a penalty kick led to a close in lineout. Having been reduced to 14, Grimsby shouted for uneven numbers in the line. Rasen felt the referee awarded the free kick despite their scrum-half Neesham having correctly positioned himself behind the try line and not technically part of the lineout. The free kick was upgraded to a penalty when Mawer was deemed to be too quick onto the kicker and, from the resulting tap penalty, the ball was passed down the backline. Miller made a try-line tackle on Dufton, but it was to no avail as the off-loaded pass found Pharaoh, who found the strength both to score and add the conversion from beneath the posts. Rasen continued to try to find a chink in the Grimsby defence and Miller went close before being stopped just short. Wright and Barnard both had charges to the line before Andy Neesham knocked on, allowing Grimsby the chance to clear. By this stage Rasen were conceding penalties at will and from a lineout, another maul from the Grimsby forwards, saw Burke again make the break and feed hooker Greg Robson, who squeezed into the left corner for a try. Daly was timed out for the conversion.