Friendlies Clubs· Season 2026
Cleethorpes Town and Grimsby Borough drew 2-2 in the Ken Vincent Cup pre-season friendly at the HPS Plant Hire Stadium, with Devon Brockie's 90th-minute equaliser cancelling out Charlie Burden-Whittleton's second-half strike.
Match Analysis
AI SummaryHow It Unfolded
The first 15 minutes were cagey, but the game opened up when Cleethorpes striker Josh Walker was denied by a last-ditch Bradley Wood challenge. The Owls' number nine had another chance four minutes later, firing at Hayden Rogers from close range.
Cleethorpes took the lead on 23 minutes. Winger Billy Fewster and Lewis Hay combined on the right to set up midfielder Aaron Braithwaite, who bundled the ball home from close range at the halfway point of the first half.
Grimsby Borough responded immediately. After a hydration break, Anane Wireko's quick feet took him down the right flank, and his cross was tapped in by Mason Couch to level the scores in the 29th minute.
Both sides went close before the break. Callum Ainley's shot from range was held by Rogers, while Tristan Drummond's well-struck drive was blocked at the other end. Braithwaite scuffed wide from 12 yards as the teams went in 1-1.
Cleethorpes changed both personnel and system at half-time, switching to a back three, but it was Borough who struck first after the restart. On 55 minutes, Wireko released Josh Clarke in the right channel, and the midfielder's composure allowed him to tee up Charlie Burden-Whittleton to fire home from eight yards and make it 2-1.
Burden-Whittleton nearly doubled the lead moments later, his effort saved by the legs of Battersby when he and Wireko were in on goal. Substitute Harvey Cribb replaced captain Sam Topliss as Borough pushed for a third.
Cleethorpes grew into the game in the final quarter. The ever-reliable Bradley Wood made a well-timed challenge to deny Walker as he shaped to shoot, and Joe Ackroyd drilled over from the resulting corner.
As the game entered injury time, Cleethorpes trialist won possession in a dangerous area and slid the ball across for fellow substitute Devon Brockie, who found the top corner with almost the final kick of the game to make it 2-2.
The Turning Point
Brockie's 90th-minute equaliser — a composed finish after a trialist won the ball in the box — snatched a draw from the jaws of a Borough victory that had looked secure since Burden-Whittleton's 55th-minute strike. Grimsby Borough had contained Cleethorpes' direct approach well through defenders Wood, Sawyer and Bradley, but the late lapse in concentration proved costly.
Key Performers
Charlie Burden-Whittleton (Grimsby Borough) — Took his 55th-minute goal well, firing home from eight yards after Clarke's intelligent setup. Also had another effort saved by Battersby's legs and created a dangerous cross that just evaded Couch at the back post.
Mason Couch (Grimsby Borough) — Scored Borough's first-half equaliser with a tap-in from Wireko's cross, and had an excellent all-round game at wing-back, delivering dangerous balls into the box.
Bradley Wood (Grimsby Borough) — Made several crucial defensive interventions, including a last-ditch tackle to deny Walker in the first half and a well-timed challenge to prevent the striker shooting in the second.
Devon Brockie (Cleethorpes Town) — The substitute's composed 90th-minute finish into the top corner rescued a draw for the hosts.
By the Numbers — Interpreted
The provider data shows a 2-2 draw (HT 1-1), with the four goals spread across both halves. The H2H widget on the match page shows this is only the second time in seven meetings between the sides that over 2.5 goals have been scored (14%), and the first time both teams have scored — the fixture has historically been low-scoring, with a combined average of just 1.0 goals per game across all meetings. Grimsby Borough remain unbeaten in the last four encounters.
What It Means
The Ken Vincent Cup was shared, with both sets of coaching staff satisfied with a competitive run-out. Cleethorpes Town (Step 3, Northern Premier League Premier Division) will take positives from their comeback after a below-par first half. Grimsby Borough (Step 4, NPL Division One East) will be encouraged by their performance against higher-level opposition but will rue the late equaliser. Borough's next pre-season fixture is away to Boston Town on 1 August 2026.
Verdict
A competitive local derby that lived up to its billing. Grimsby Borough were the better side for much of the second half and will feel they should have seen it out, but Cleethorpes' late pressure was rewarded. Both sides look well set for their respective 2026/27 NPL campaigns.
Rivalry since 2022
Cleethorpes Town vs Grimsby Borough Head to Head Results· 7
Cleethorpes Town and Grimsby Borough have met 7 times — Cleethorpes Town won 1, Grimsby Borough won 3, with 3 draws. Their rivalry dates back to 2022. Grimsby Borough leads the head-to-head with 3 victories from 7 meetings. A combined 7 goals have been scored across these fixtures, averaging 1.00 per match (2 for the home side, 5 for the visitors). Both teams scored in 0 matches (0%). Over 2.5 goals landed in 1 game (14%), making it a fixture that tends to produce goals. Grimsby Borough are currently unbeaten in the last 4 meetings. The highest-scoring encounter finished 0–3 in 2024.
Statistics are for informational purposes only. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
API data: 1 Aug 2026