A strong Town Reserves side beat a Sheffield United XI in a behind-closed-doors clash at Blundell Park on Tuesday afternoon.

Jordan Maguire-Drew and substitute Keyendrah Simmonds scored the goals as the Mariners recorded a 2-0 victory.

The game provided an opportunity for several members of the first team squad to get some valuable playing time, with Jordan Cropper, Shaun Pearson, Niall Maher, Jordan Maguire-Drew, Stephen Wearne, Lewis Richardson and Danilo Orsi all among the starting line-up.

Maguire-Drew hit the post with a curling strike from 20 yards as Town created the first good chance on 18 minutes before a cross from the right was headed over the bar by Richardson.

Andre Brooks sent a low shot wide for the Blades seven minutes before the break, before another shot from distance failed to test Jamie Pardington in the Grimsby goal.

Left-back Tom Zerboni went close to opening the scoring for Town on 42 minutes with a curling strike which was deflected just wide of the far post for a corner but after Maguire-Drew’s flag-kick turned into another one, the hosts were unable to capitalise.

No further chances came before the half-time whistle, so the score remained goalless at the break.

Simmonds and Jaz Goundry replaced Maher and Richardson before the restart and the first opening of the second half came eight minutes in when Pardington was unable to hold on to a cross from the left, although the loose ball was hit into the side-netting from a narrow-angle.

A free kick from the away right was headed clear by Goundry before the visitors made a triple-substitution on 57 minutes.

Cropper got an opportunity to use his long throw from the right soon afterwards but the referee blew for a foul as Pearson headed the ball on.

Town did not have to wait much longer to take the lead though, as MAGUIRE-DREW found the back of the net with a shot from inside the box.

After getting themselves ahead, the Mariners went on to double their advantage with a quickfire second goal.  A free kick on the left brought an opportunity to put pressure on the away goal and they took full advantage, as Maguire-Drew’s delivery was headed back into the path of SIMMONDS and he did well to get to the ball first and prod it past the United keeper.

A Zerboni cross from the left was headed clear as Town looked for a third goal.

Simmonds then saw a volley blocked for a corner after another Maguire-Dre free kick, this time from the right, then the striker blasted over the bar after the ball from the flag was not fully dealt with.

The visitors changed their goalkeeper with 19 minutes remaining before Edwin Essel was sent on as he replaced Orsi in Town’s third substitution.

Wearne headed over the bar from Cropper’s right-wing cross on 80 minutes, before Pearson was beaten to the ball from another Maguire-Drew free kick.

A free kick in a central position gave the away side an opportunity to test Pardington two minutes from time but the free kick from 25 yards bounced back off the bar and the rebound was deflected wide for a goal kick.

The visitors were unable to threaten again, so Town secured a clean sheet to go with their victory after what was a useful afternoon’s work.

 

Town: Jamie Pardington, Jordan Cropper, Shaun Pearson, Niall Maher (Jaz Goundry, 46), Tom Zerboni, Jordan Maguire-Drew, Aaron Braithwaite, Evan Khouri, Stephen Wearne, Lewis Richardson (Keyendrah Simmonds, 46), Danilo Orsi (Edwin Essel, 73)