Game 36 - The Mariners (H)
Team - Grimsby Town
Date - 28/02/2026 15:00
Where - Meadow Lane

What would your starting line-up be? What will be the key areas for the Magpies to get a victory? What do you think the final score will be?

Have your say below, join in with the Pride of Nottingham match discussion.

I think this is going to prove to be one of the desive games which will reveal if we are a playoff contender or automatic promotion, but at the same time the result really could swing either way. I mean more about how the group of players we have handle the situation, if we can control the game and play with confidence. Grimsby won't be a pushover, and I do expect them to make things difficult.

Thier attacking threat is more of a concern, than how they defend and I can see that there's areas where we can exploit to get in behind them. Yet, it would be encouraging to see a strong performance after how we dominated Tranmere Rovers.

Gaining confidence in that manner, is something professional footballers thrive on and instead of daunting or being natural about an upcoming game, it can give players something to drive forward. I really hope the conditions do not play an impact, and that Grimsby look to play football. They can be a very good passing team, that aren't fixated on structure and can be robust when trying to break teams down.

Grimsby are a team that remind of us in past seasons. Like to play football, but have a soft side to them. We are much more aggressive in the press this year and have a more physical side to us. I think that will give us edge in this game and we can get all three points. At the same time like with any game in this league if you don't perform your best you can get beat by anyone. I think for that reason I would start Ndlovu up front and if Dennis starts play him as a 10 otherwise put him on the bench for later in the game. If Norburn and Palmer are not fit, then Iorpenda alongside Robertson would work well in midfield.

Good posts. Yes, it will be a much tougher test - Grimsby are genuine play-off candidates.

That doesn't mean we can't win handsomely.

Our players got the taste of something different last week. They were finally reminded how much better it feels to win by a big margin, and bag a lot of goals - a much better feeling than scraping by on the odd goal. They'll be hungry for that taste again. Grimsby are good but they should be worried about that.

Grimsby visit Meadow Lane having won just 1 of their last 5 League matches. Notts beat Grimsby 0:2 at Blundell Park on the 13th December. Grimsby currently stand in 12th place on 49 points in League 2, with a record so far of 13 wins, 10 draws & 9 defeats over their 32 matches.

Notts have a good record against Grimsby since their return to League 2. Notts are unbeaten in the 5 matches played with 4 wins & a draw, the draw being the unforgettable 5:5 draw at Blundell Park on the 13th Jan 2024.

Notts will be hoping to repeat their great performance, which they achieved against Tranmere last Saturday, when they recorded their biggest win under Martin Paterson, an emphatic 5:0 win which would have had the rest of League sitting up & taking notice.

Grimsby will be a much bigger test for Notts this Saturday, & they must not be underestimated. They will bring a large following with them & it should be a bumper crowd at Meadow Lane with a great atmosphere.

Notts will be hoping that Ollie Norburn has recovered from his knock against Tranmere, & there is more encouraging news about Palmer & Jatta getting closer to fitness, that could see one of them make the bench on Saturday.

I expect to see Lee Ndlovu lead the Notts line after his great performance against Tranmere. Matt Dennis may start the match just behind him. Upfront for Notts will be a key area for me. If Notts can continue with their good form & take their chances, we should see a Notts win on Saturday. My score 3:1 to Notts.