A visit to Grimsby Town should have been an inviting opportunity for a Leeds United side whose mediocrity was frustrating their players and supporters alike.
The Mariners had gone 15 matches without a victory, a sequence which began after a 2-0 win over Leicester City on February 19, 1983, but that dismal record was ended at United's expense at Blundell Park.
Leeds were struggling to give their season
impetus, and a 2-0 loss in Grimsby left Eddie Gray's side with four points from a possible 12 and plenty to ponder.
A spate of injuries was further hampering Gray's search for consistency, with both Peter Barnes and Andy Ritchie ruled out of the visit to Blundell Park, and the effect of the disruption was evident in an unconvincing performance.
Grimsby took the lead when the prolific Kevin Drinkell applied a fierce finish to an awkward bouncing ball, and a debatable penalty decision with 20 minutes remaining left Leeds with no chance of stealing a point from the match.
Martin Dickinson was penalised for a foul which few in the crowd had spotted, and Joe Waters stepped forward to convert Town's second goal and wrap up their win in front of 7,975 spectators.
United: Harvey, Aspin (Donnelly 75), F Gray, Sheridan, Brown, Dickinson, Watson, McCluskey, Butterworth, Thomas, Gavin.
Ends
The full article contains 227 words and appears in EP Leeds First & County newspaper.
