Former Mariner Danilo Orsi returned to haunt his old club when he scored a 96th-minute winner for Crawley in a five-goal thriller at Blundell Park.
Abo Eisa netted his fifth goal of the season to give Grimsby Town a two-goal lead after Gavan Holohan had prodded in the opener from point-blank range, but the visitors bounced back with two goals in three minutes to level the game. After a second half scant on chances, Crawley snatched victory in the dying seconds to end Town’s eight-game unbeaten run at home in the league.
Town had an opening inside the first minute of the game as they won the ball high up the pitch and worked it out left to Anthony Glennon. His cross was just cut out by Crawley goalkeeper Corey Addai, before Gavan Hoolohan registered a shot on target with the rebound.
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Crawley were indecisive in possession, with Grimsby employing the high press effectively and forcing mistakes. This led to early chances. Will Wright under-hit his back pass to gift Rekeil Pyke a chance in a one-on-one with Addai, but the Crawley keeper closed down the angle quickly as Pyke hit his shot against him.
Pyke was again presented with a great opportunity as a result of a loose pass at the back from Crawley. Otis Khan whipped in a teasing cross, but Pyke could not direct his effort goalwards.
Eisa almost added another spectacular goal to his recent collection, whether he meant it or not. He played a give-and-go with Glennon from a corner and whipped the ball over everyone in the box, including the goalkeeper, only to see it bounce back off the inside of the right post – but Holohan was on hand to finish it off.
Eisa may have felt hard done by to not have got the first goal, but the second, minutes later, was all his own work. He breezed past two Crawley defenders down the left channel before entering the box and slotting past Addai.
With just 30 minutes gone, Town seemed in total control, but the game then changed in the blink of an eye. Within two minutes they were pegged back in by another brilliant goal, as Liam Kelly saw Jake Eastwood off his line and lobbed him with a weighted effort from distance. A matter of minutes after that, Kelly turned provider for Ronan Darcy, who arrived late into the box to volley in a cross from the far side.
The second half half failed to live up to the frenetic first period and 15 minutes passed before Adam Campbell was invited to bring the ball forward to the edge of the Town box, only to see his shot go just wide. As the game entered the final 20 minutes Town upped the intensity as they pushed to regain the lead.
Eisa fired just wide after cutting in on his left, but it was proving difficult to break down Crawley, The Mariners countered from a Crawley corner, with the ball eventually working its way to Clifton who charged into the opposition area, but could not get his shot past Addai.
Grimsby huffed and puffed for a winning goal but in the end, it Crawley and former Mariner Orsi whoi had the last laugh, as he prodded home from close range in the 96th minute to give his new team all three points.
Starting line-up: Eastwood; Efete, Mullarkey, Rodgers, Glennon; Conteh (Andrews 64’); Eisa, Clifton, Holohan (Ainley 81’), Khan (Gnahoua 64’); Pyke (Wilson 81’). Unused subs: Cartwright, Waterfall, Amos.
Original story at https://www.grimsbytelegraph.co.uk/sport/
