The incident that was a Grimsby Town loss and Cheltenham Town gain in 2006 play-off final: View | OneFootball

The last 20 years have, on the whole, been difficult for fans of Grimsby Town. The umpteen relegation scraps - some successful, some not - have outweighed the positive campaigns. Yet the events at the end of the 2005/06 League Two season still stand out to the Blundell Park faithful as a 'sliding doors' moment, and while there are many factors behind the events that unfolded, an early injury to striker Michael Reddy in 2006's play-off final ultimately proved pivotal.

The 2005/06 season, in the main, was a strong one for the Mariners. Having stabilised a little the previous campaign following back-to-back relegations from the second to the fourth tier in 2003 and 2004, then manager Russell Slade's side were in the promotion picture throughout, as well as memorably knocking Premier League side Tottenham out of the EFL Cup before an Alan Shearer goal saw fellow top-flight side Newcastle United beat Grimsby in the following round.

However, the conclusion to the season was a heartbreaking one for the Mariners as they were denied promotion to League One at the final hurdle on two separate occasions. Heading into the final game of the regular season, Grimsby and Leyton Orient were vying for the last automatic promotion spot. When Congolese midfielder Jean-Paul Kamudimba Kalala's penalty fired Slade's side into a second-half lead against already promoted Northampton Town, Grimsby looked set to join the Cobblers in the third tier. But it wasn't to be.

An injury-time equaliser from Northampton midfielder Ryan Gilligan coupled with an even later winner for Leyton Orient at Oxford United saw the O's go up at the Mariners' expense, leaving Grimsby to fight for the right to join them through the play-offs. After a hard-fought 3-1 (on aggregate) semi-final success against local rivals Lincoln City, Slade's side set up a play-off final showdown with Cheltenham Town at Cardiff's Millenium Stadium.

Having done the double over the Robins in the league that season, the Mariners arrived in a confident mood as they looked to take that final step. It didn't materialise, however, as Grimsby put in a disjointed performance in a 1-0 defeat, and the failure could be traced back to an early injury to Irish striker Michael Reddy that day.

Reddy joined Grimsby after his release from Sunderland in 2004. While taking a season to settle in and reach full fitness on the East Coast, the striker excelled in the 2005/06 campaign, proving himself to be one of the very best players in the fourth tier and perhaps playing below the level of his talents.

Those abilities included genuine pace with and without the ball, quick feet, strength and composure, and his attributes were absolutely vital in how Slade set his side up that season. The Mariners often played on the counter, using Reddy's speed, physicality and direct running to overpower defenders left exposed by teammates that had overcommitted. Slade's side often used to put long balls over opposing backlines into areas for Reddy to attack and get his side up the pitch territorially.

The forward was the Mariners' main man, both in terms of threat and tactical approach, and his injury-forced withdrawal early in the Cardiff showpiece saw Grimsby lose their way, putting in an uncharacteristically disorganised display and deservedly losing out 1-0 as Cheltenham progressed where the Blundell Park side couldn't.

Reddy injury changed the dynamics of the play-off final

Reddy was withdrawn, along with Cheltenham's Craig Armstrong, midway through the first-half in Wales, both sustaining head knocks following an aerial challenge. While Gary Cohen, a very capable player himself, replaced the forward, the reshuffle led to the largely ineffectual Junior Mendes moving up front to partner Gary Jones in the Mariners' attack.

Mendes, who failed to find the net during his time at Blundell Park, lacked the speed, strength, presence and conviction of Reddy, whose partnership with the aforementioned Jones, a clever, experienced foil, was almost telepathic, and vital to Grimsby's approach and hopes of success.

It's fair to say the Mariners never really got going on that day in Cardiff, with the considerable threat of Reddy's pace in behind their defence removed, Cheltenham were able to force Slade's side back for long periods and clinch victory - despite missing a late penalty - thanks to Steve Guinan's second-half strike that bobbled beyond Grimsby goalkeeper Steve Mildenhall at the far post.

Reddy's career was blighted by injuries

While Reddy's head injury in the 2006 play-off final was unfortunate, it was in-keeping with his career on the whole, where he was unable to fulfill his undoubted promise due to persistent niggles and problems as his body struggled to deal with the rigours of the game.

Starting his career in his native Ireland with Kilkenny City, Sunderland saw his potential, taking the 19-year-old to Wearside in 1999. He quickly showed his talent, impressing enough to force his way into the first-team picture at the Stadium of Light and winning the club's Young Player of the Year award in 2001, and taking in loan spells at the likes of Swindon Town, Hull City, Barnsley and Sheffield Wednesday.

It was a serious injury that led to his release from Sunderland, joining League Two Grimsby in the summer of 2004, perhaps only dropping to that level due to concerns over his fitness.

The steady 2004/05 and the much-improved 2005/06 campaigns followed, before further fitness issues - this time a recurring hip problem - saw Reddy rarely available during the 2006/07 season under new manager Graham Rodger (quickly replaced by Alan Buckley), who took over from Slade after his departure to Yeovil Town, and ultimately led to him having to officially hang up his boots in 2011 after spells in Greenland and the Falkland Islands with FC Malamuk and Port Stanley Albion respectively.

Reddy was an incredibly gifted footballer who had the misfortune of consistently suffering with injuries, and the knock that affected him that late May afternoon in the Welsh capital could be considered as a factor in Grimsby's trajectory in recent times.