Grimsby Town - 2 (Jeffrey 85. Donovan 88.)
Crystal Palace - 2 (Forssell 42. Morrison 81.)

This game could almost be written up as the match that got away. With only a few minutes left on the clock Palace were cruising to a comfortable win, so much so that many of the home supporters had already left for home. Alan Smith will be upset that the side let the game slip at such a late stage, but at the same time he must be pleased that they have now managed to extend their unbeaten run to eight games in a row.

Grimsby was by far the superior side during the first half of the play, but this did not prevent them from going to the break 1-0 down. Kevin Donovan was the first to go close, his shot just going over the top of the bar. Stuart Campbell saw the ball literally taken from his feet by a quickly advancing Alex Kolinko, but then Palace reminded the hosts that they were indeed in the match. Menno Willems managed to only confuse his keeper, Danny Coyne, and this allowed Mikael Forssell to dart onto the ball, his shot going just wide of the mark. Bradley Allen then managed to elude his marker and fire a rasping shot at goal, which Alex did well to push over the bar. Donovan then saw his shot well dealt with by Alex, but to finish the half it was Palace that started to apply the pressure. Clinton Morrison managed to get past Wayne Burnett, but with only the keeper to beat he blasted his shot over the top. As the clock ran down inexorably towards the break Jamie Smith put in a great centre that Mikael rose to meet first time, his header burying itself in the back of the net. Palace went to the break somewhat fortunate to be one up, but the move was well deserving of a goal.

The second half saw Palace looking for the second goal to kill the game off, and we nearly had it 15 minutes into play. Clinton Morrison rose well at the far post, and his downward header was kept out by a fortunate blend of the keeper's hand and the upright. These bars were certainly becoming a problem as Mikael then hit the woodwork with only 12 minutes left on the clock, and it was starting to look like the second goal would never come. Of course, as soon as one says that the goal magically appears. Clinton managed to steal the ball from Peter Handyside, and as the keeper advanced he simply lifted the ball over his head and into the back of the empty net.

Surely now, we were home? Needless to say this was not to be the case, and woeful defending let the home team in.

David Smith put in a great through ball, and substitute Michael Jeffrey raced on to it and lifted it over the advancing Alex, leaving him no chance to recover. 2-1, but there was only minutes to go now. Jeffrey was again in the action, and he was adjudged to have been unfairly brought down, a free kick being awarded just outside the area. Willems was the one that fired the shot in, and though Alex did well to get a hand to it, his parry fell nicely for Donovan to simply tap the ball home and the game was all tied up.

With no real time left on the clock there was little chance for either side to hit a winner, and though Palace could look at this as extending their unbeaten run Grimsby will be the team looking at it more as a win, considering they were 2-0 down, and had lost the previous four games. Palace fans, in the meantime, will look forward to the home tie against Wimbledon on Tuesday night, hoping to extend their run.

Colin Pryce

Grimsby Town: Danny Coyne, John McDermott, Knut Fostervold, Peter Handyside, Menno Willems (David Smith 76), Kevin Donovan, Wayne Burnett, Stacy Coldicott, Stuart Campbell, David Nielsen, Bradley Allen (Michael Jeffrey 67).

Substitutes not used: Steve Croudson, Matthew Bloomer, Neil Murray.

Crystal Palace: Alex Kolinko, Jamie Smith, Dean Austin, Fan Zhiyi, Neil Ruddock, Hayden Mullins, Clinton Morrison, Tommy Black, Mikael Forssell, Jamie Pollock (Steve Thomson 85), Craig Harrison.

Substitutes not used: Wayne Carlisle, Dougie Freedman, Andrew Frampton, Stephen Kabba.

Attendance: 5,802

Referee: Mr W Jordan (Tring).