Town can change fine margins into more points and go up

MARINERS WEREN'T FAR AWAY LAST YEAR, THIS SEASON THEY COULD GO CLOSER

- BY DANIEL NEWBOULD

FINE margins are often spoken about in sport.

A refereeing decision, a linesman’s flag incorrectly raised or not raised, a toenail offside, a deflection, a bad defensive mistake, miscommunication, injuries, suspensions, just sheer hard luck, you name it, football has it.

Every team and every fanbase will have their delusions about what they could and should have done had these all gone their way. But Grimsby Town really do have a case.

As attention turns towards next season, after fixture release day gave them the visit of Exeter, and improving even more, looking back at last season and where they went wrong and what they missed out on can help.

Strictly speaking, on the face of it, they only just snuck into the final play-off spot ahead of the likes of Barnet and Swindon, two and three points respectively separating the two from themselves playing Salford in the play-offs, which is nothing over a 46 game season.