Match Report 2001-2002

Saturday 02 February, 2002, Division One

Grimsby Town Away

Carbone when expected, in the least expected place

Cleethorpes in early February. The cold wet driving rain of the North Sea, the temperature dropping rapidly from three o'clock onwards. This is the area where they said that Benito Carbone would not play in when he was signed in August 2000. "Will he stay for trips of Grimsby and Crewe next season?" It certainly seems that way.

One wonders how long Nicky Law had to think about writing Benito Carbone's name in his starting eleven. It was obviously the right think to do, but doing it made him look as if he had caved in to the Italian's tantrum. Not returning Beni to the team would have been petty, Law took the moral high road and did the right thing in restoring Beni to the side, one of four changes from Tuesday night's defeat by Preston.

Alan Combe came in for Carl Muggleton. Eoin Jess finally succumbed to the axe that had been hovering over him for the past few weeks. Jess's role on the right flank was taken by Jamie Lawrence. Wayne Jacobs made his 501st appearance in the place of Lewis Emanuel, Lee Sharpe went wide left with Claus Jorgensen returning to inside midfield.

Of the two men who on Wednesday morning you would have thought would not be playing for City today, Alan Combe impressed more than Beni Carbone. Combe showed the excellent reflexes and good positioning. Carbone looked as one would expect Carbone to look on a wet cold winter Saturday at Christmas. He huffed and puffed through a first half with a shot against the side netting the best the Italian offered.

Grimsby seemed somewhat nonplussed with the City team before them. Lawrence, Sharpe, Carbone, Jorgensen, even Ward are all skilful enough to run rings around the Mariners but on the edge of the North sea, games are more about stamina than skilfulness. After an even first half Town gave City the advantage with striker Robert Taylor being sent off for a seemingly unprovoked kick at Stephen Caldwell. Both players are on loan at there clubs, perhaps this spat had something to do with matters elsewhere.

City started the second half with a kind of calm detachment to the swirling wind and hammer and tongs approach of Town. The Bantams created significant chances, the best being a scrambled effort from Sharpe that went wide.

City began to push forward. Ashley Ward was roughed as a ball fell towards him, the free kick was marched forward to the edge of the box after the home side got lippy.

Benito Carbone stepped up and hit the ball. In the week the Italian had spoken of his frustration at not being able to help his the City team out. Carbone heaped the sum his frustrations on the ball and, to paraphrase, if his chest had been a canon he would have shot out his heart, into the top corner of the Grimsby goal. He ran, oh how he ran, in celebration of a goal that many thought they would never see. Carbone's fifth of the season.

City continued to attack as Grimsby lost their rag. Jamie Lawrence's run produced City's best chance of the time as the Bantams tired to stay above the morass of tackling that had begun, Lee Sharpe incurred the wrath of the home fans and was removed for Eoin Jess.

As Grimsby tired City began to stroke the ball around the hosts. Benito Carbone and Stuart McCall worked an opening for Ashley Ward to head downwards into the chest of Danny Coyne in the home side's goal. Gunnar Halle missed a chance to make the game sure five minutes from time when Ashley Ward set him up after another powerful run from full back. 36 he may be, sometimes someone needs to tell Gunnar Halle that he does not need to hammer up the field in the dying stages of a game when leading 1-0 away from home.

So the man that had Nicky Law spitting feathers on Tuesday had delivered him a second win and first away victory. Carbone had returned in victory with the only nagging question being as to whether the Italian would have been able to do the same on Tuesday night as he did today. Alan Combe had little to do second half aside from a fine save from a free kick but looks like he deserves better than Scottish League under 21 football.

There are 15 games left of this season, seven of them at Valley Parade. At this stage of the season we expected to be scrapping for points to stay above the play off places, instead we will be happy when we are save from relegation and can play out the season with a few meaningless games that decide if we are to finish 12th or 13th?

Tiny aims perhaps, especially with a man who picks up the price of a house next to the ground every week, but today it seems good enough.

Man of the Match

Benito Carbone

Not because he sulked during the week or because he has not played for City for three moneys but just because he was the difference between the two sides on this miserable afternoon where one would not expect the playmaker to perform.

City Team:

Combe
Halle Caldwell Myers Jacobs
Lawrence McCall Jorgensen Sharpe
Ward Carbone

Subs: Eoin Jess for Lee Sharpe when he looked like he might get sent off. Gareth Grant for Claus Jorgensen in stoppage time.