Preview: Grimsby Town vs. Harrogate Town - prediction, team news, lineups

Two teams that could truly bash with a win, albeit for precise antithetic reasons, volition spell head-to-head astatine Blundell Park connected Thursday arsenic Grimsby Town play big to Harrogate Town.
 
The location broadside are presently successful the hunt for a spot successful the promotion playoffs, portion their visitors are seeking to enactment immoderate daylight betwixt themselves and the relegation zone.

Match preview

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Wins implicit Accrington Stanley and Morecambe by a combined people of 8-2 astatine the commencement of December raised immoderate expectations of a fruitful festive play for Grimsby, but defeats against Crewe Alexandra and Swindon Town since past person dampened the mood.
 
Given their level of dominance against Crewe, David Artell's men were possibly a tad unlucky to person travel distant empty-handed, but their show against Swindon past clip retired was deservingly punished via a 3-1 defeat.
 
The Mariners fell down aft conscionable 2 minutes to Ollie Clarke's opener and saw their shortage treble 4 minutes shy of the half-time whistle acknowledgment to Kabongo Tshimanga's strike, aft which the guardant added to his tally conscionable past the hr people to wrapper things up.
 
With conscionable 7 points separating 2nd spot from 11th successful the League Two table, eighth-place Grimsby stay good and genuinely live successful the contention for a playoff spot, but each constituent dropped from present connected retired could beryllium costly fixed however choky the standings are.
 
Still yet to endure 3 league defeats successful a enactment this term, Thursday's hosts volition beryllium hopeful of keeping that tally going, though their grounds against the distant broadside is simply a origin for interest with 5 defeats from the astir caller six encounters.

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In keeping with what has mostly been a Jekyll and Hyde run truthful far, Harrogate were beaten for the 4th consecutive crippled successful a regular 2-0 decision to Walsall successful Saturday's matter astatine Exercise Stadium.
 
Nathan Lowe's opener, coupled with Josh March's sending disconnected 4 minutes apart, near Simon Weaver's men successful a heavy spread astatine fractional time, and immoderate hopes of a fightback were enactment to furniture 22 minutes from clip by Albert Adomah.
 
Since ending November with 3 consecutive wins, the Sulphurites person embarked connected their longest losing streak of the play which has sucked them into a spot of a relegation scrap, with lone 2 points present separating them from the bottommost three.
 
Currently with the third-fewest goals scored (17) and the fourth-most conceded (32) successful the division, Harrogate are successful request of important betterment astatine some ends of the transportation arsenic they look to spark a renaissance heading into the 2nd fractional of the season.
 
Having won conscionable 1 of their past 9 matches distant from location up of Thursday's affair, the visitors person it each to bash successful the archetypal of 2 consecutive matches connected the roadworthy to extremity the year, aft which a travel to Fleetwood Town awaits.

Grimsby Town League Two form:

Harrogate Town League Two form:

Harrogate Town signifier (all competitions):

Team News

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Josh March is ineligible to play immoderate portion for Harrogate Town present aft helium received an aboriginal bath for 2 bookable offences against Walsall.
 
March's lack has opened the doorway for an contiguous instrumentality to the starting lineup for Jack Muldoon, who had to marque bash with a cameo quality conscionable implicit fractional an hr past clip out.
 
Following his consolation onslaught against Swindon, Danny Rose has present been straight progressive successful a 4th of Grimsby's 28 goals truthful far, making him 1 to support an oculus on.
 
Charles Vernam has been without an quality for the location broadside since September owed to a genu injury, which volition support the guardant retired of Thursday's contention arsenic well.

Grimsby Town imaginable starting lineup:
Wright; Hume, McJannett, Rodgers, Cass; McEachran, Davies, Green; Barrington, Luker, Rose

We say: Grimsby Town 2-1 Harrogate Town

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