New boy has whale of a time on the coast

It is a lofty claim that hardly refers to the second-from-bottom football team, who have not won a game for over two months.

That record never looked like changing last night as the Bantams headed east and won with consummate ease.

Stuart McCall demanded a ruthless touch from his side after the frustrating string of draws. They could have won by even more against awful opposition but he wasn’t disappointed.

And what a capture Simon Whaley looks.

The new boy, given the first start of his loan from Norwich, clearly enjoys the North Sea air.

He ran the show at Blundell Park with Rochdale last month and crowned a similar livewire display for City with a spectacular goal.

It was a night of pure misery for Neil Woods in his first game as full-time Grimsby boss. And especially for Barry Conlon, who did nothing to worry his old club.

The strong wind sweeping down the ground was at City’s backs for the first half and the ball was predictably swirling around from the start.

After a ragged opening, City should have been ahead after nine minutes. James Hanson robbed centre half Paul Linwood and slid an inviting ball across for Gareth Evans but the striker dragged his shot wide when he should have hit the target.

Evans instantly turned provider by drilling in a decent centre of his own but James O’Brien failed to make contact.

City were mastering the difficult conditions and their control of the early possession was causing frustration in the home stands. O’Brien had the room to let rip from distance but it sailed harmlessly high.

Grimsby could not get in the game at all as Flynn and O’Brien took a grip on midfield. Former Mariner Simon Ramsden was getting all the room in the world down the right and Flynn should have done better when set up to cross.

But City got the goal their play deserved in the 24th minute – and what a goal it was.

Simon Eastwood’s long punt downfield was picked up by Whaley 25 yards out and he hammered the shot past stunned keeper Nick Colgan.

“Barry what’s the score” taunted the away end, who booed every Conlon touch.

The goal stunned Grimsby into life at last and only a flying save from Eastwood denied Oliver Lancashire a quick equaliser, superbly turning away his header from the night’s first corner.

Then Jammal Shahin hung a cross dangerously on the wind. Eastwood came for it, realised he couldn’t get there and watched in relief as Conlon missed the ball completely.

But the threat was still there at the other end as Hanson flicked on another booming clearance from the keeper. Whaley was on to it but scuffed his shot straight into the arms of a relieved Colgan.

City were letting themselves down with the number of offsides as the forwards mistimed their runs. It was fast, frantic and untidy at times but they were looking fairly comfortable, although Flynn’s low drive was never going to trouble the keeper as half-time beckoned.

There was a scare in added time when Conlon was picked out totally unmarked in the box but the cross ran straight under his foot – amid mass derision from the City fans ten yards away.

City could still step up another gear, and no doubt McCall would have rammed home that message at the break. On recent form, 1-0 was dangerous territory for the Bantams, who could not afford to let another potential win slip from their grasp.

If anything, the wind had increased its power as City forced an immediate corner which nearly curled straight in. But Grimsby marched up the other end, Shahin catching City cold down the right and Nicky Featherstone was inches away from levelling from 12 yards out.

There was plenty of work still to do for the visitors as the crowd finally started to make themselves heard.

But Whaley wasn’t far off a second from a counter-attack, whistling another long-range effort close.

The loan man was looking a constant handful and intelligently set up Flynn, who surprisingly chose to tee up Evans rather than shoot and a promising opportunity was gone.

A handball 25 yards from goal gave Flynn another chance to have a pop. Instead it was Whaley who took charge but his low free-kick through the wall did not pack enough punch.

City needed a second to ease nerves and got it on the hour. Whaley kept a corner alive and got the ball back to taker James O’Brien, whose cross was nodded towards his own goal by Damien McCrory.

It looked to be going straight in but Steve Williams made sure from close range with a small deflection. City had that precious breathing space.

Grimsby threw on Jean-Louis Akpro as an extra striker but City should have been celebrating a third as Evans was sent clear. The striker turned Lancashire inside out and fired for the far corner – but missed the target once again.

Whaley continued to be the biggest threat and he cleverly latched onto O’Brien’s miscued shot to volley over the angle of bar and post with Colgan beaten.

Luke O’Brien, still eyeing his first goal of the season, hit the side-netting as he galloped upfield.

Grimsby had a brief flurry without threatening and it was no surprise when City made it 3-0 with eight minutes to go. Again it was a precise finish from outside the box, Hanson slamming his seventh goal of the season with a lethal left-footer.

Conlon’s night was also over and he was subbed to an ironic chant of “Barry, Barry” from the City end.