Goal frenzy in 'Blunderland'

At the end of 90 minutes of carnage it was Claret blood that had been spilled on the floor as they came off worse in a 11-goal thriller that had fans gasping for air at the final whistle.

Seven goals before the break, another four after it, this was a night of attack and defence - without the latter. It was incredible stuff at "Blunder Park".

And to say that Stan Ternent's game plan did not work out would be an understatement.

"We came to keep it nice and tight in the first 20 minutes and were a goal down after three," moaned Stan Ternent who looked bemused, bewitched and bewildered after the game.

That goal from Steve Kabba set in train the remarkable events of a night that will take some surpassing for the rest of this and many other seasons.

Burnley's solid defence has been a key factor in the recent revival and Ian Cox has been in great form. Having limped off on Saturday he had thought he would be "A-Okay" for last night but it was not to be.

"Coxy was a big miss on the back of that," admitted Ternent as the first ever pairing of Mark McGregor and Arthur Gnohere had a torrid time, so torrid for the Frenchman that Ternent decided he would rather trust Graham Branch in there after 40 minutes.

By then Burnley trailed 4-2 after a first half that must go down as one of the maddest in years,

The tone was set as early as the third minute when a regulation cross from Darren Barnard saw the Burnley defence, and Gnohere in particular, go missing and Steve Kabba fire home unchallenged.

Twenty minutes of relative sanity followed before the half closed with six goals being shared at either end in complete defensive mayhem.

Gareth Taylor levelled for the Clarets with a close range header after Steve Davis nodded back a Dean West cross but five minutes later a great header from former Blackburn striker Steve Livingstone converted another Barnard cross. But once again, surely the cross should have been cut out.

It appeared as though it might not matter as Burnley got back on terms in the 31st minute after great control by Ian Moore saw him spin and smash home Lee Briscoe's ball in from the left.

But joy behind that goal was limited to seconds as Kabba immediately made it 3-2 as the Burnley defence again went AWOL as substitute Terry Cooke delivered into the box and Kabba drove a low shot into the corner.

Cooke was the provider of the fourth goal, this time his cross shot being tapped in by Stuart Campbell at the far post.

Finally in stoppage time before the break it was Burnley's sub Alan Moore who nodded down a cross for Robbie Blake to fire home with his left foot.

The players went off, the fans counted the goals on their fingers to try and make sure they were right and then looked for a quiet corner in which to try and catch their breath.

As well as the goals there had been important saves from Danny Coyne to deny Blake and both managers had withdrawn a centre back.

Paul Raven had come off in the 11th minute for Grimsby with an injury, replaced by Cooke, but Gnohere had hurt nothing more than his pride as he was taken off for Alan Moore five minutes before the break.

All seemed well again when great work made it 4-4 four minutes after half time. Blake fed Moore in the box, his clever turn was followed by a low cross that Taylor swept in for his second goal and fourth of the season.

Game on and surely the momentum was with Burnley and not second from bottom Grimsby. Don't you believe it.

When referee Paul Danson pointed to the spot after Livingstone's cross hit McGregor's hand it looked a harsh decision but skipper Alan Pouton was not bothered as he rammed the spot kick past that master of saving penalties Marlon Beresford.

Almost immediately Davis had a great chance to make it 5-5 - and that is a sentence I never thought I'd be writing - but after being put in by Blake he was denied by the keeper, a couple of defenders and bad luck.

With 18 minutes left Beresford, who did not make a serious save all night, was again clutching for air as the home side went 6-4 ahead as Simon Ford headed home their one and only corner of the night, bouncing the ball into the corner. Six goals, one corner, the stats look crazy.

But that was never likely to be the end of it and having introduced Glen Little, Ternent played his last card by bringing on Dimitri Papadopoulos.

It was he who was adjudged to have been tripped by Barnard seven minutes from time for the penalty that Blake converted with aplomb although the home players were clearly as unhappy as the visitors were when McGregor was penalised.

At 6-5 down and with time running out Burnley bombed forward with only a cursory eye on the back door. No change there, Ternent might have said.

They had scrambles and bobbles, blocks and corners but it was not to be.

If it had got to 6-6 would there have been a tie-breaker? We will never find out.

But it had been a truly remarkable evening by the seaside and the Clarets defence was definitely all at sea.

It is the sort of game that the 5,620 fans who were there will relish being able to say "I was there" in years to come.

But the people I felt most disappointed for were the youngsters presented with prizes for their Hallowe'en costumes before the game.

Apparently they have been asked to return them as they will now be handed to the Burnley defence who had the rockiest horror show of all.

GRIMSBY TOWN 6

(Kabba 3, 32, Livingstone 28, Campbell 37, Pouton 56 pen, Ford 72)

BURNLEY 5

(Taylor 23, 49 I Moore 31, Blake 45, 83 pen)

Blundell Park Att: 5,620

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