Our prediction for this League 2 match:
Buoyed by back-to-back wins over Mansfield Town and Rochdale, Harrogate will look to give fans yet another reason for celebration when they face Grimsby Town on Boxing Day. The Sulphurites have found their best form of late, but they need to keep on making progress if they are to secure the League Two survival. A man to keep an eye on in the home team will be Luke Armstrong, who scored four goals in total in the last two league fixtures.
The Black and Whites, on the other hand, desperately needed a win against Tranmere, and they managed to get one, with the team regaining a much-needed confidence. Grimsby aim to move closer to the playoffs berth, and seeing that they will adopt an attack-minded approach in the Boxing Day clash as well, both teams to score betting option should be considered. There are no fresh selection worries in the away side.
Highlighted Player (Joe Mattock):
Joe Mattock is a professional footballer who plays for Rotherham United in the Championship. Mattock was born on 11 May, 1990 in Leicester, England and he began his senior career at Leicester City. He plays as a left back and his contract with Rotherham United expires on 30 June, 2017.
Joe Mattock played for West Bromwich Albion, Sheffield United, Portsmouth and Brighton in the past and he represented England on the international stage as well. He has 1 cap for England U17 team, 13 caps for the U19 team and 5 for England U21 team. Mattock started his youth career at Leicester City and he was voted Leicester’s academy played of the 2006/2007 season. He made his debut for the Leicester City senior team on 14 April, 2007, in a 2-1 loss to Norwich City.
He came as a substitute in the second half of the match, replacing Gareth McAuley at left back. Speaking of his personal life, Mattock was sentenced to ten months in prison on October 2011 as he pleaded guilty to a charge of affray.
Highlighted Team (Grimsby):
Founded back in 1878 as Grimsby Pelham, Grimsby Town are a professional football club that compete in League Two, the English fourth tier. Grimsby Town welcome their opponents at Blundell Park, the stadium which has the capacity of 9,027 people (all seated).
The Pilgrims are well known for their black jerseys with white stripes, whilst blue is the dominant colour of their away kit. Grimsby Town made it to the FA Trophy final on two occasions (2012/13, 2015/16), but they have yet to win the title in the competition. The likes of Hull City and Scunthorpe United are regarded as the club’s main rivals.
The Pilgrims registered their biggest win on September 4, 1925, as they crushed Tranmere Rovers 8-0. Speaking of their heaviest loss, Grimsby Town were beaten by Arsenal 9-1 on January 28, 1931. Pat Glover is sitting in top position in the club’s all-time goal-scoring chart with 180 league goals on his account.