After recording their first win of the season on Tuesday night, Leyton Orient will be keen to put together back to back victories as they travel to Blundell Park for their second away trip. Here we preview Saturday’s game:

Grimsby Town

Last Season

National League: 4th FA Cup: 2nd round  Top scorer: Pádraig Amond 35

Last term, Grimsby won promotion to the Football League via the play-offs.

Paul Hurst’s side finished the season in fourth place on 80 points, 21 points behind champions Cheltenham and two points ahead of sixth-placed Tranmere.

They faced Braintree Town in the play-off semi-finals and though they lost the first leg by a goal to nil at Blundell Park, they won the away leg 2-0.

The Mariners faced runners-up Forest Green Rovers in the play-off final. Omar Bogle’s first-half brace put Grimsby in a strong position. Keanu Marsh-Brown pulled a goal back for Rovers on the hour, but Nathan Arnold scored for Grimsby in stoppage time, making it 3-1.

That wasn’t Grimsby’s only trip to Wembley last season, they also made it to the final of the FA Trophy but they lost 1-0 against Halifax Town.

Pádraig Amond’s goals were key to the Mariners’ success last term, he scored 37 goals in all competitions and finished joint-top goalscorer in the National League. However, Grimsby’s player of the year signed for Hartlepool during the summer.

 

Summer Transfers

This Season

League Two: 16th  League Cup: 2nd Round

Grimsby’s first Football League match for six years ended in a victory as the Mariners beat Morecambe on the opening day of the season, despite going down to ten men in the second half.

However, since then Paul Hurst’s side have suffered three straight defeats. Firstly, they were knocked out of the League Cup by Championship Derby, though they did only lose by a goal to nil.

Last weekend, they travelled to Adams Park where they conceded a late goal in stoppage time, which sealed a 2-1 win for the Chairboys.

The Mariners were then on the road again in mid-week as they made the trip to Colchester. A poor first half proved costly for Grimsby. The U’s took the lead through Ben Dickenson after ten minutes and Kurtis Guthrie doubled their lead twenty-four minutes later. Dickenson then found the net again just before the break.

Grimsby reduced the deficit early in the second half thanks to Craig Disley’s header from an Ashley Chambers cross. Despite an improved second half, the visitors only managed to cut Colchester’s lead in stoppage. Omar Bogle fired the ball past Sam Walker but it was too late for the Mariners and it proved to be nothing more than a consolation goal.

Last Line-up:

McKeown

Davies  Gowling  Boyce  Andrew

Chambers  Berrett  Summerfield  Bolarinwa

Jackson  Bogle

(4-4-2)

Substitutes:

Warrington, Pearson (Boyce 35′), Disley (Bolarinwa 45′), Vose, Browne (Chambers 83′), Vernon, Jones

Team News

Grimsby boss Paul Hurst is expected to have close to a full squad to select from when the O’s visit on Saturday.

The only likely absentees are Sean McAllister who is awaiting a scan to determine the extent of his groin injury and Zak Mills (hamstring) could also miss out again, though he did return to training this week.

However, on Tuesday night Mariners captain Craig Disley returned to action after missing the start of the season due to a concussion. He came off the bench against Colchester and he scored with his first touch of the ball. Disley is now in contention to start against the O’s.

Ex O’s

Luke Summerfield had a three-month loan spell with the O’s in September 2009, during which time he made 15 appearances in an Orient shirt.

 

Leyton Orient

Last time out, Leyton Orient produced a much-improved performance which saw them claim a comfortable 3-0 win over Stevenage.

The visitors created  a couple of good chances early on, however, Orient took the lead after 20 minutes.

Jamie Jones saved Jay Simpson’ near post effort from point-blank range, but the ball came to Cornick who headed towards goal. Jones parried that effort too but Gavin Massey was on hand to fire the ball into the Stevenage net.

Shortly before the break the O’s went 2-0 up. Harry Cornick picked out Dean Cox with a cross to the edge of the penalty area and Orient’s talisman surprised everyone when he headed the ball in off the post, leaving Jones rooted to the spot.

After the break, Stevenage had opportunities to get back into the game, the best of which fell to Jobi McAnuff but he missed the target with his effort.

Orient continued to look bright but they had to wait until the 75 minute to go three goals ahead. Substitute Jordan Bowery was released on the right flank by Cornick and the former Aston Villa man delivered a low cross. The ball deflected to the far post where Massey was waiting and he swept the ball home to claim his third goal of the season.

Team News

There is just one new injury problem in the Orient squad ahead of Saturday’s game. On Tuesday night Nigel Atangana fell victim to a rash tackle and though he continued he was substituted five minutes into the second-half due to the knock. The Frenchman’s injury is not serious but it is likely that he will be forced to miss this weekend’s match.

O’s captain Robbie Weir replaced Atangana against Stevenage and it is likely that he will return to the starting lineup.

Though there were doubts over Jordan Bowery’s fitness due to a knee injury, the striker came off the bench with just under half-an-hour to go on Tuesday night and therefore is expected to be in the squad to face Grimsby.

Paul McCallum, however, was not in the squad on Tuesday night. It is thought that there were concerns over the knee that suffered cruciate ligament damage and he may have been left out to avoid aggravating the problem. It remains to be seen whether he will be back in contention for the trip to Blundell Park.

Andy Hessenthaler was able to welcome Jay Simpson back into the starting lineup on Tuesday which was a pleasing sight for everyone. Jay is expected to continue in the side this weekend.

The O’s will, of course, be without Armand Gnanduillet as he has completed a permanent move to Blackpool.

Sammy Moore also left the club on loan this week, joining Dover Athletic until January.

The change in formation to a 4-2-3-1 was very effective on Tuesday and you would think that Andy Hessenthaler will stick with that winning formula against the Mariners.

Ex-Mariners

Ollie Palmer had a loan spell with the Mariners during the second half of the 2014/15 season and he scored eight goals in 16 appearances for the club, including a brace in the playoff semi-final that helped book Grimsby’s place in the final.

 

 

 

It has been over ten years since the two sides played each other and their last encounter won’t have lived long in the memory as they played out a 0-0 draw at Brisbane Road.

Orient were victorious on their last visit to Blundell Park in October 2005. Craig Easton scored the only goal of the game on the brink of half-time to seal all three points.

Grimsby’s last home win over the O’s was in September 2004. Jason Crowe put the hosts 1-0 up just before the hour and Thomas Pinault scored a penalty in stoppage time to make it 2-0.

 

 

Match Officials

Referee: Graham Salisbury

Assistants: Michael D’aguilar and Steven Copeland

Fourth Official: David Benton

 

Blundell Park

Post Code: DN35 7PY

Capacity: 9,052