McNulty Hat-trick As City Put Four Past Grimsby

 

City: Burge, Grimmer, Hyam. McDonald, Haynes, Vincenti, (Reid 73), Doyle, Bayliss (Kelly 73), Shipley, McNulty, Clarke-Harris (Biamou 76)Subs: O'Brien, Stokes, Barrett, Ponticelli 

 

Grimsby; McKeown, Davies, McAllister, (Berrett 62) Collins, Mills, Clifton, Wilks,(Vernon 57),  Fox, Woodford (Jaiyesmi 62), McSheffrey, Dembele. Subs: Killip, Clarke,  Matt, Hall-Johnson.

 

Att 8,755

 

Goals Peter Vincenti 37, Marc McNulty 55 , 75, 87

 

Coventry City's last Saturday game in March and another chance for a vital three points in the push for promotion were taken with a 4-0 home win over Grimsby Town.

 

Today's visitors to the Ricoh Arena were Grimsby Town, who had not won in 17 games but one that started with former Sky Blue Gary McSheffrey.

 

The City team with Lee Burge back in goal, was pretty much as expected and they attacked the South Stand for the first half.

 

In the fourth minute, Bayliss played in McNulty who fired wide of the right hand post. Grimsby on their first ever visit to the Ricoh, went straight up the other end and won the first of two corners.

 

Three minutes later and a good move involving McNulty and Vincenti won City a corner and then a free kick.

 

McSheffrey took the next corner and when it came back to him, Fox gave the ball to Lee Burge who promptly hoofed it upfield to precisely nobody.

 

There were free kicks aplenty either for petty fouls or offside before the bigger than expected section of Grimsby fans accused the referee of not knowing what he was doing when Bayliss went down the wing.  

 

More free kicks followed before McNulty had a header saved and the visitors won a corner that was inadvertently cleared by Mal Wilks.

 

Both sides were looking to play although the pitch was not in good condition, something which affected Bayliss as he fired well wide in the 35th minute.

 

Then in the 37th minute, the deadlock was finally broken when up rose Peter Vincenti to head City into the lead from a Jordan Shipley free kick.

 

City were straight at it in the second half with McNulty shooting over the bar from ten yards.

 

McAllister shot wide at the other end as Grimsby fans all moved down to behind the goal prompting the attention of the stewards,  

 

Clarke-Harris knocked the ball down for Shipley to win a 54th minute corner.

 

That was cleared. The ball went back to Michael Doyle who picked out Clarke-Harris who ran before unselfishly squaring the ball for Marc McNulty to slot into the net.

 

 

The Sky Blue Song rang out as the stewards surrounded the group of Grimsby fans who applauded a double change in the 62nd minute.

 

 

Bayliss fired over and McDonald headed off the line after Burge went walkabouts.

 

Bayliss and Vincenti were replaced for the last seventeen minutes of a game which saw a Clarke-Harris shot saved for a corner.

 

That came over. McNulty got in a 75th minute header that hit the bar and when it came back, the Scot smashed into the net.

 

 

As the City support celebrated, some in the away end left as did Jonson Clarke-Harris who went off to good applause in a change which saw Max Biamou introduced.

 

There were shout for a penalty when an arm went across McNulty but nothing was doing.

 

Not that it mattered as Marc McNulty completed his hat-trick with a stunning volley which flew into the net from twelve yards, three minutes from the end of normal time.

 

 

McNulty had the ball in the net again but the flag was up, leaving City with their the biggest home win of the season.