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Grimsby Town
Conference Premier Playoffs | Semi-Finals
May 3, 2015 at 3.30pm UK
 
Eastleigh

3-0

Palmer (35', 71'), John-Lewis (44')
FT(HT: 2-0)

Live Commentary: Grimsby Town 3-0 Eastleigh (Grimsby Town win 5-1 on aggregate) - as it happened

Relive Sports Mole's live coverage of Grimsby Town's thumping 3-0 win over Eastleigh in the semi-finals of the Conference Premier playoffs.
2

Grimsby Town secured their spot in the Conference Premier playoff final with a 3-0 win in the second leg against Eastleigh, giving them a 5-1 aggregate win.

Lenell John-Lewis twice set up Ollie Palmer either side of scoring a goal himself at Blundell Park.

The result leaves them to face Bristol Rovers at Wembley for a place in League Two later this month.

Read how all of the action unfolded with Sports Mole's detailed live commentary below.


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Good afternoon! It's almost time for the second of this afternoon's Conference Premier playoff match as Grimsby Town and Eastleigh both eye a match against Bristol Rovers at Wembley in two weeks time.

The home side are in the playoffs for a third straight season, but they're yet to make it through to the final, having fallen at this stage for the last two seasons. By contrast, Eastleigh were only promoted to the Conference Premier last season.

Eastleigh have it all to do this afternoon, having lost the first leg 2-1. Manager Richard Hill told BBC Radio Solent: "We are still in the tie. It was going to be tough and we have made it that little bit tougher. We didn't play as well as we could have done [in the first leg]. It was quick, fast and a high tempo but I'm sure that was expected. The second leg is a cup tie now."

The team news is just starting to filter through, so let's take a look at the sides...

GRIMSBY STARTING XI: McKeown, Nsiala, Gowling, Pearson, Magnay, Mackreth, Brown, Disley, Arnold, John-Lewis, Palmer

GRIMSBY SUBSTITUTES: Hannah, Clay, Pittman, Parslow, Chapell

EASTLEIGH STARTING XI: Flitney, Partington, Turley, Pell, Green, Evans, Howard, Strevens, Reason, McAllister, Constable

EASTLEIGH SUBSTITUTES: Beckwith, Odubade, Midson, Walker, Burton

The home side are sticking with their winning formula from the first leg, naming on unchanged starting XI from Thursday's win at Ten Acres.

There are two changes for the visitors though, as Harry Pell starts after being left on the bench for the first leg, while Michael Green also returns. Jack Midson drops to the bench, while Dan Spence misses out altogether.

In the two meetings between these two sides in the league this season, Grimsby secured wins in both matches, including a 2-1 win last time the sides met at Blundell Park. They will surely be hoping for a similar result this afternoon.

James Constable could be vital for Eastleigh this afternoon. The striker is the club's top scorer in the league this season with 18 goals, but he picked up a foot injury in the first leg. The knock has left his foot cut and swollen heading into this match, but he's playing anyone. He previously won promotion through the playoffs with Oxford United in 2010, so is no stranger to this process.

Meanwhile, Grimsby's top scorer is Lenell John-Lewis, often referred to as "the shop". He netted 16 times in the league this season, and looked pretty sharp in the first leg without managing to get on the scoresheet himself.

PREDICTION! The players will be heading out in a few moments, so there's just time for a quick prediction. Grimsby certainly have a point to prove, having lost at this stage for the last two years. Eastleigh's first season in the conference has been impressive, but Grimsby's superior experience should just give them the edge, so I'm going for a 2-0 home win this afternoon.

The players line up on the pitch ready for kickoff. Blundell Park is absolutely rocking this afternoon!

KICKOFF! The visitors get the match underway.

It's a reasonable start for the home side as they patiently move the ball around midfield before Disley tries to make his way forward. Brian Howard manages to create something down the other end, with a rather speculative shot from 25 yards out, which McKeown has to flick behind for a corner.

Eastleigh try to create something from their early corner, but it falls to Turley, whose finish really is a defender's effort as he scuff is well wide of the left post.

Grimsby manage to get the ball back down the other end, but Pearson takes a tumble under pressure from Strevens. The hosts are awarded the free kick, but Gowling's teammates's are unable to get on the other end of his long ball forward. It's been a pretty untidy start from Grimsby so far.

Eastleigh look to get James Constable involved for the first time with Evans leading a quick break down the other end, but the ball ends up going behind for a goal kick before the striker can connect with it.

Arnold, who scored twice in the first leg, tried to get the ball through the middle for the home side, but he loses out to Pell, who is quickly brought down.

BOOKING! Scott Brown's foul on Pell earns the Grimsby defender the first booking of the match and gives the visitors a free kick in a dangerous position.

The free kick is whipped in towards Constable, but Pearson does just enough to beat the forward to the ball, putting it behind for a corner, but McKeown manages to claim. Grimsby definitely haven't looked as settled and dominant as they did for spells in the first leg, and they're living pretty dangerously at the back. If they continue to let Eastleigh through as often as they are doing, the visitors will end up getting a goal back sooner or later.

Ben Strevens goes in late on Disley, giving the hosts a free kick in midfield. It's blasted deep down field towards Lenell John-Lewis, who hasn't had much to do so far, but the visitors quickly crowd him out.

Palmer and John-Lewis have had very little service up front for the home side, and they're starting to let their frustrations show as the latter bundles Green down in midfield. That allows Eastleigh to press back towards the Grimsby goal, but Turley's ball into the box is cleared by Nsiala.

Josh Gowling appears to have been caught in the face by accident, leaving the midfielder with a bloodied nose. The physio gives it a good wiggle though, and it doesn't look like anything's broken, so he should be alright one they clean him up.

Eastleigh are continuing to look the more likely at the moment, but their finishing touch has been lacking so far, with Pell and Disley linking up to set up Craig McAllister, but his finish was well wide, much to the amusement of the Grimsby fans behind the goal.

Eastleigh's finishing is going from bad to just comical as the ball falls to Green on the edge of the box. He has Constable ahead of him, but takes the shot on himself, scuffing it so wide it almost makes it for a throw in rather than a goal kick.

Palmer finally thinks that he's going to get a chance for the home side as the ball is blasted forward from a goal kick, landing nicely for the goalscorer from the first leg, but he's flagged for offside.

BOOKING! Grimsby are starting to show a bit more intent, with Nsiala getting forward to help out. He's brought down by Brian Howard though, earning the Eastleigh man a booking.

Scott Brown lines up the resulting free kick, but it ends up in no-man's land, neither testing the keeper nor giving one of his teammate's the chance to head it in. Grimsby had looked sharp on the attack just before the free kick, so it's a bit of a wasted chance.

GOAL! Grimsby 1-0 Eastleigh (Ollie Palmer)

Eastleigh have paid the price for not making the most of their early chances as Lenell John-Lewis shows incredible strength to keep the ball alive in the box, powering past a couple of defender before pulling it back for Ollie Palmer, who struck it into the roof of the net on the turn. That really is the first time Grimsby have looked like scoring, and they certainly made the most of it.

How Eastleigh react in the final 10 minutes of this half will be crucial. If they let their heads drop, Grimsby could easily wrap their place at Wembley up before the interval. The visitors have looked capable of getting a goal or two though, so if they can regain their focus, the two-goal deficit could be wiped out.

Grimsby have really come to life in the last five minutes, with Palmer, Arnold and John-Lewis all pushing forward. Palmer wins the ball in the box, and tries to get another shot away on the turn, but this time Pell is ready and blocks it.

Mackreth skips his way into the box before pulling it back for Brown, who lobs it on to Arnold. Eastleigh just about get it clear, but John-Lewis wins it back straight away, but he's flagged for offside. He also gets into a bit of a tangle with the keeper, who had come off his line to try to block the shot before the striker was ruled offside, and the crowd are unhappy as he clatters into the club's top-scorer.

CHANCE! Eastleigh brilliantly catch their opponent's out with a quick counter-attack, but Jai Reason's shot is blocked after Green whipped a superb cross in.

GOAL! Grimsby 2-0 Eastleigh (Lenell John-Lewis)

Straight from Reason's blocked effort, McKeown blasts it out from the back for the hosts, and Lenell John-Lewis has pace to spare as he race forward, leaving Turley and Pell in his wake to give him just Flitney to beat, and he clinically chips it beyond the keeper to put Grimsby 4-1 up on aggregate. That must surely send Grimsby through.

HALF TIME: Grimsby Town 2-0 Eastleigh

Having been outplayed for the majority of the first half, a strong final 10 minutes from Grimsby Town results in goals for Ollie Palmer and Lenell John-Lenell, leaving them with one foot in the playoff final at half time in the second leg of their tie against Eastleigh.

The sides shared possession evenly in the opening 45 minutes, but it was Eastleigh who created the majority of the chances with four, but none of them were on target. Grimsby had just two shots, but they both ended up in the back of the net.

Grimsby really looked very nervous for the first half hour, and could easily have found themselves behind. Some wayward finishing by the visitors let them off the hook though, before they finally found their rhythm in the final 10 minutes before the interval. If they can maintain that kind of momentum throughout the second half, they could send a real message of intent to Bristol Rovers, who await them in the final.

The players are making their way back out, and it looks like the visitors are making some changes.

SUB! It's a triple change for the visitors as Yemi Odubaje, Deon Burton and Dan Walker all come on.

RESTART! Grimsby get the action back underway.

So Eastleigh are making their intentions clear right at the start of the second half, making all three changes at once to try to turn the tie around. To confirm, it was Harry Pell, James Constable and Brian Howard making way for the visitors. However, it's Grimsby who get forward first, but there's a stoppage as Gowling gets a flailing arm from Burton in the face. It's the second time that the midfielder has been caught in the face today, and it sets his nose bleed off again.

Well, he's now got all sorts shoved up his nose to stem the bleeding, but Gowland insists that he's fine to continue! Eastleigh try to press forward, but Arnold wins it back for the home side, but one of his teammates if offside.

Arnold is showing his pace down the left as he bursts down the flank before firing the ball into the box, but Evans did just enough to divert the ball away from goal. Grimsby still look very much in control despite the changes Eastleigh made at the interval.

It seems like a good time to issue a reminder that if Eastleigh to somehow manage to oveturn the three-goal deficit and get the scores back on level terms, then we would go to extra time. There is no away-goals rule for playoffs, so if the scores are level after 90 minutes, it's extra time. That seems highly unlikely at the moment though.

CHANCE! Eastleigh have finally made McKeown do some work in the Grimsby goal as Dan Walker carved out a brilliant solo move, cutting around a couple of defender before trying to squeeze the ball inside the right post, but the keeper made a diving save to keep it out.

Mackreth charges down the left flank for Grimsby, with John-Lewis waiting in the middle. Evans catches up to him though and wins possession back for the visitors. The Grimsby man wanted a free kick, but referee Ben Toner was having none of it.

Burton battles hard to try to create something for the visitors, but Grimsby are giving them very little room at the moment, and he's unable to get it to Strevens.

A chip forward find Palmer on the edge of the box for Grimsby. He has three defenders making things difficult for him, and twists and turns a couple of times to try to shake them off, but they ultimately crowd him out.

SUB! Scott Brown, who was booked in the first half, makes way for Craig Clay.

GOAL! Grimsby 3-0 Eastleigh (Ollie Palmer)

Even the most cautious and pessimistic of Grimsby fans must be getting ready for the trip to Wembley now as Ollie Palmer rifles the ball into the back of the net for the second time today. John-Lewis is involved again, muscling his way into the box before sliding the ball on for Palmer, who smashes the ball in from close range.

Deon Burton was sent on at half time to try to get Eastleigh back into the match, and now that they're four goals down on aggregate he isn't giving up. The veteran battles his way down the left flank before crossing in for McAllister, but the offside flag is raised against the striker.

SUB! Ollie Palmer makes way to a standing ovation from the home supporters after netting a brace this afternoon. John-Paul Pittman will take his place for the last 10 minute or so.

Even with a comfortable lead, Grimsby are still pressing for more as Arnold tries to find Pittman in the box, but Turley is on hand to make the block for the visitors. McAlister quickly gets involved down the other end, but he can't get his low finish on target.

PENALTY APPEAL! Eastleigh look tired as they let John-Lewis ease his way through again. The striker is furious as Turley appeared to have a handful of his shirt to stop him getting his shot away, but the referee doesn't see it.

SUB! The hosts make their final change, with Arnold heading off for Ross Hannah.

CHANCE! Grimsby have a corner, and John-Lewis rises highest to meet in just a couple of yards out, but he mis-timed his jump and nods it over the crossbar. He's already scored once today and set up the other two, but he still looks disappointed.

The home supporters are starting to make their way down to the edge of the pitch ready for the customary pitch celebration at full time. It's absolutely tipping it down at the minute, so it could be a bit of a mud bath, but something tells me they won't care.

CHANCE! Craig Clay tries his luck from distance, and it's well struck, forcing Flitney to turn it behind for a corner. Taking the set piece is easier said that done, as the home fans are lined up on the goalline ready to celebrate, and they all want to hug Ross Hannah or take a selfie with him as he goes over to take the corner. He manages to get it done though, but the home side can't create anything from it.

FULL TIME: Grimsby Town 3-0 Eastleigh

With the fans a bit to keen to start their celebration, the referee cuts the three scheduled minutes of stoppage time short, leaving the supporters to rush on and celebrate with their players, as they secure a 5-1 aggregate win to reach the conference playoff final.

That's all from this match, but you can find all of today's scores and match reports on our fixtures page, including details of Bristol Rovers win in the other Conference Premier playoff, and the final day of League One. Thanks for joining me this afternoon. Goodbye.

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Nathan Arnold of Grimsby (L) celebrates with team mates after scoring during the Vanarama Football Conference League play off 1st leg match between Eastleigh FC and Grimsby Town at Silverlake Stadium on April 30, 2015
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