Steels 2-0 Grimsby Borough

Stocksbridge Park Steels fought through the wet weather to beat Grimsby Borough 2-0.

The first half was a struggle for both sides. The Stocksbridge pitch does a very good job of draining but a combination of the rain not being forecast and how heavy it was coming down was giving the pitch a huge test. It also wasn’t good for quality football and the players struggled to adjust for a long time. It meant chances were limited and neither team impressed too much.

In the second half, both teams were able to get used to the rain and some actual football got played. But it was some direct play from Stocksbridge that got the first goal. Ben Townsend’s free kick from inside Stocksbridge’s half was flicked on by Luke Rawson to Danny Deakin. He smashed the ball over Liam Higton and the Steels were ahead.

Grimsby Borough struggled to make much up front and Townsend was rarely called into any meaningful action. Still, with the conditions as they were the Steels had to be wary as one mistake could cost them all three points. But it was the home team that would get the next, and most decisive, goal. Stocksbridge cleared a corner and immediately got onto the counter attack, with Kurtis Turner’s pass finding Rawson in plenty of space. He passed a defender before finishing coolly past Higton.

With Grimsby not being able to make much happen in front, this allowed Stocksbridge to have a relatively stress free end to the game and claim another massive three points.