Football: Grimsby strike often and early

Grimsby Town 5 West Bromwich Albion 1: West Brom crash to earth

A FOUR-GOAL first-half by Grimsby left the previously unbeaten West Bromwich bemused yesterday. Peter Handyside, Wayne Burnett, Kingsley Black and the former Baggies, David Smith and Paul Groves, were on the mark for Grimsby, with Richard Sneekes replying.

Grimsby opened the scoring in the sixth minute when their centre-back Richard Smith headed on a David Smith corner and Handyside nodded home from close range.

Another set-piece brought the second after 17 minutes. David Smith's free kick was met again by his namesake and Burnett raced in to hit a half-volley past Alan Miller.

Jack Lester was the architect of the third. The striker beat two men down the right before crossing for David Smith to score.

Lester, who came in for some harsh treatment, got his revenge right on half-time when he was felled in the box by Shaun Murphy. Groves slammed the spot-kick hard and low to Miller's left.

The Baggies did have their chances, the best of which fell to James Quinn whose left-foot shot was kept out by Aidan Davison.

The visitors hit back early in the second half with a tremendous goal. They won a free-kick five yards outside the box and Sneekes blasted an unstoppable shot into the top corner.

Grimsby should have made it 5-1 moments later when Lee Ashcroft and Groves set up Lester, but with just Miller to beat the young striker miskicked.

West Bromwich came close to pulling another back on 69 minutes when Murphy beat Davison to a cross but saw his header bounce on top of the bar.

Then Lee Nogan, the Grimsby substitute, took the ball around Miller but the goalkeeper got back to block his attempt to turn the ball home.

Another substitute, Fabian De Freitas, tried to bring the Baggies back into the game and his left-foot shot brought a good near-post save out of Davison.

Two minutes from time Groves set up Black whose shot was half-stopped by Miller but the ball rolled over the line for the fifth goal.

Grimsby Town: Davison, McDermott, Gallimore (Black, 86), Handyside, R Smith, Burnett, Coldicott, D Smith, Ashcroft, Lester (Nogan, 64), Groves. Substitute not used: Widdrington.

West Bromwich Albion: Miller, Mardon, Van Blerk, Flynn (Burgess, 70), Murphy, Carbon, Quinn, Sneekes, Evans (Bortolazzi, 66), Hughes (De Freitas, 51), Angel.

Referee: J Kirkby (Sheffield).