Cod Almighty | Match Stats

Monday 13 April 2009

Division 4

Notts County 0

Grimsby Town 2 Atkinson (52), Boshell (79)

Attendance: 5890

These men refused to die. If we survive, do not underestimate the importance of these two men on this day. They rose above the waves to hold the crashing rocks back, allowing safe passage for the good ship below.

"The linesman flagged against Adrian Forbes but, in this day and age, Bosh was onside."

"We had a good shout for a penalty early on when Myles Weston was brought down and there was a foul on Jonathan Forte which I felt was possibly a red card. I also thought the lad was offside for their second but I'll need to look at it again. At the end of the day, no matter how good or bad, the referee was that wasn't the reason we lost. I won't blame him."

They slapped Town and still lost. In truth, only Henderson stopped them being several up by half time, and Atkinson built a dry stone wall across their footpath afterwards. They were sharp and slippy until they saw the whites of the goalposts. Butcher was an excellent Grovesian raider, whilw Johnson bear-hugged Conlon out of existence. Like a fading burlesque dancer, they were just a bit shoddy up front and behind.

Raucous, rumbustious, rippling their vocal cords and moistly choking their emotional bile back. This was supporting. This was a statement of intent. When the chips are down the fish gets frying.

Mr M Haywood (W Yorks)
A total coward throughout until his Damascene conversion to sense and sensibility. He had his back to play when Pilkington handled outside the penalty area and then proceeded to tell the linesman what he hadn't seen. The Bennett tackle, the Conlon handball, the Johnson mauling of the wagtailed Ak-Ak: he avoided those contentious decisions near the penalty areas. And where did he get the added time from? He gets a Brucie bonus for at least being consistent in overruling his linesmen, eventually in Town's favour, but 4.998 doesn't seem a yard too far. He was par for this league.

At last, an undeserved victory! There is a light yonder. Can we tell what it is yet?