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Skegness Town 1
Grantham Town 6
Grantham Town rounded off their pre-season with a comfortable victory on the coast against Skegness Town.
Four unanswered first half goals won the game, although Gingerbreads joint manager Gary Sucharewycz was disappointed to concede a late consolation goal to the home side.
The Gingerbreads were dominant from the start, a fifth minute corner led to nothing but, three minutes later, they were in front. The ball was played over the top of the Skegness defence for Greg Smith who calmly lifted the ball over the goalkeeper to put his side in front.
Smith and Jamie McGhee gave the Skegness defence a torrid time. A deep cross for McGhee on the quarter hour mark was fired wide, then Smith sent McGhee through and this time it took a good save from the home keeper to deny him.
Dan Haystead had to be sharp on his toes to gather a deflected shot at the other end before Sam Purcicoe scored Grantham’s second. The ball was worked well on the right wing and Purcicoe exchanged passes with McGhee to move inside. He hit a shot from 25 yards that pinged into the back of the net off the inside of the post.
Six minutes from half time, Grantham moved the ball well from back to front and added a third goal. Deon Meikle brought the ball out of defence and found Nathan Watson. He delivered a deep cross to Smith who headed it on for McGhee to turn into the net.
McGhee lofted a ball just too high for Rhys Lewis before Smith added his second goal on the stroke of half time. A simple ball into the centre found him 20 yards out with enough time to strike a low shot into the corner of the net.
Shortly after half time, Grantham made it five. McGhee and Smith were involved again, a long ball from McGhee picking out Smith. Smith laid it back to Nathan Watson who gleefully smashed the ball in from outside the penalty area.
Just before the hour, joint manager Ian Robinson made it six for the Gingerbreads. McGhee was again involved in the build-up. His low cross was touched on for Robinson who slid the ball home neatly.
McGhee continued to terrorise the Skegness defence. He got on the end of a pass form Smith, but volleyed just over the crossbar. After 77 minutes, he seemed certain to add his second goal of the game when he took the ball round the Skegness goalkeeper, only to see his effort cleared off the line by a defender. From the corner, his fierce shot was well saved by the home custodian.
Skegness scored a consolation goal two minutes from time when Jake Turner was tempted out of his area. He lost the race for the ball, leaving an empty net for the home striker.
Sucharewycz went close to matching Robinson in the last minute of the game with a thumping header from a corner that rattled back off the Skegness crossbar.
Grantham Town: Haystead (Turner, 45), Purcicoe, Ridley, Paul Lister (Hawes, 26), Meikle, Nwadike (Robinson, 45), Watson, Lewis, McGhee, Smith (Haystead, 80), Keane (Sucharewycz, 62).