Grantham Town's great escape attempt is still on

Northern Premier Division East

Grantham Town 1

Bridlington Town 0

A single second half goal secured Grantham Town another vital win as they battle to stay out of the relegation area.

In their penultimate game of the season, and their last at home, the Gingerbreads did all they could to ensure maximum points and hopefully stave off the possibility of going down.

Much like the Premiership, the league is extremely tight at the bottom of the table and, despite the victory, other results on the day meant Grantham remained in 16th place, just one spot above the relegation play-off zone and one point and one place below their afternoon's opponents Bridlington Town.

A decent crowd of 483 witnessed a tense affair at The Meres with the tension being quite palpable at times as both sides battled for every single ball throughout the 90 minutes.

The beautiful game it was not, the first half being particularly scrappy with real chances on goal being few and far between.

The home side's first attempt came in the eighth minute after a quick break, but Lee Shaw's shot was charged down by former Gingerbread James Williamson.

Shaw was the target man for Nathan Tyson's 19th minute cut-back but he was unable to run into the box quickly enough to connect.

Both defences were proactive in defusing any attacks, putting paid to any flowing football, with the ball pinging from end to end, head to head and out into touch.

Bridlington's first opportunity on goal came in the 25th minute but skipper Jack Griffin's scissor kick went well over its intended target.

Seasiders goalkeeper James Hitchcock was brought into action three minutes later, catching Shaw's cross at the near post to deny any Grantham players a touch on the edge of the six-yard box.

Gingerbreads defender Matt Tootle had a pretty clear shot on goal in the 33rd minute but dragged his grass-cutter just wide of the far post.

Three minutes later, Grantham were awarded a free kick after a foul on Greg Smith. Tootle's kick found Smith whose header went to skipper Jake Wright but his slightest of touches merely trickled past the post.

The final chance of the first half went to Brid's Griffin whose cheeky, nonchalant side-foot shot forced a save from Dan Haystead.

The second period began with more of a sense of urgency from both sides and saw the visitors' Williamson hitting the post with a header four minutes in.

And two minutes later, the ball was in the back of the net at the other end after Smith headed down in a scramble to Tyson who knocked in past Hitchcock to put Grantham in front.

With the game now well and truly livened up, the Gingerbreads' next chance came in the 67th minute from a Brad Munns strike, but a Brid defender headed the ball over at the expense of a corner.

Four minutes later, Grantham had another chance from a Tootle free kick. The ball found Ashton Hall who headed towards Tyson but he was unable to connect.

On 74 minutes, some fancy footwork from Tyson ended with him squaring to Hall whose header floated over the bar.

A minute later, at the other end, Grantham had a let-off when Seasiders substitute George Harrison's header came off the near post from a close range attempt.

The Gingerbreads had the ball in the back of the net a second time in the 84th minute, Hall heading in from the edge of the box from a Tootle corner kick. But referee Mr Parke simultaneously blew his whistle for a shirt pull in the box and so the goal was null and void.

Bridlington's final opportunity to rescue perhaps a point came in the 87th minute when Grantham sub Dan Cocks conceded a free kick after only being on the pitch a minute, but his blushes were saved by Haystead who was equal to Andy Norfolk's effort and punched the ball clear.

Grantham Town: Haystead, Tootle, Stacey, Munns, Wright (c), Hall, Shaw, Waldram, Smith, Lee (Cocks 86), Tyson (Hayes 90+1). Subs not used: Durrell, Tultulwana, Jemson. Att: 483.