Cod Almighty | Match Report
by Andrew Lumbard
18 November 2006
Wycombe Wanderers 1 Grimsby Town 1
The sun shone brightly and illuminated the last golden leaves of the Chiltern beech trees on the hillsides surrounding Adams Park, as once again we struggle to find anywhere to park on an industrial estate after 2 o'clock on a Saturday afternoon. What the hell time do these people get to these games?
But what's this? "Hello, we are from Sky Sports News. Amy Rayner has been selected to run the line at the match this afternoon. What do you think of Mike Newell's comments last week? Do you think there is a place for women in the professional game?" Did you see me? Was I on? Or, like the Chiltern leaves on the woodland floor, am I now on the cutting room floor in Isleworth?
Three hundred Grimsby fans had made the journey from various parts of the UK, and were settled in the centre blocks of the Dreams Stand - insert own joke here.
Town warmed up with a few stretching and jogging exercises led by a bald headed bloke in a red shirt; as opposed to the bald-headed bloke in the blue shirt - that was Tommy Mooney.
Wycombe's sprints and jogs appeared to be led by their 4 girl mascots. Cuh, women and football.
The teams were announced, and with Jones in for Toner, the Mariners were Barnes, Croft, Whittle, Fenton, Newey, Hegarty, Boshell, Bolland, Harkins, North, Lump. On the bench, Ravenhill, Murray, Bore, Taylor, and Sir Macca of MacMackington. Handshakes were made, tosses were won, and the traditional photograph in the centre circle contained four blokes and five women -phone call for Mister Newell? Our referee today was named in the programme as Mr P Taylor, but I couldn't vouch for its accuracy due to the absence of a Ms A Rayner being named as an assistant. Anyway, more about the ref later.
Shocking evidence of the new management regime was evident before the kick-off with Town no longer partaking in one of them there namby-pamby love-in huddles. They just stood around waiting for Wycombe to finish theirs.
First half
Town kicked off away from their Dreams and towards the Mena Valley Terrace of the home end. Within a couple of minutes it was clear that the style of play was unchanged from last week: tight and on the ground. With three minutes gone Town won a free kick on the right, halfway inside the Wycombe half. Newey swung it onto the head of the one-man wall, which was standing 14 yards away, and a long defensive punt was projected toward Mooney. Whittle went up with him and both players ended up prone on the ground. Mooney was first up and headed straight down the tunnel; having recovered his senses a couple of minutes later, Whittle followed him.
Wycombe looked lively in attack, with Betsy and Easter prominent, but being given very little time or room, and Stockley looking to attack down the Wycombe right.
Mooney returned after an absence of five minutes, and Town enjoyed a period of pressure with three free kicks on the right. The first two were adequately dealt with, and with Whittle still being mended the options were limited in sending the big men forward. Whittle returned after being off for 10 minutes, sporting a beautiful matching head bandage to Mooney's. At least neither of them would lose much hair when it was pulled off.
The Mariners' third free kick was 'one from the training ground', with Newey squaring the ball for Harkins, who pushed it forward to North, who swung and turned on a volley which went just wide of the right post. A fourth free kick on the corner of the area was taken quickly by Newey, but the weak shot was taken comfortably by Batista in the Wycombe goal.
The period of pressure was over for Grimsby, as Wycombe started coming back into the game. A Betsy chance lacked the power and with the ball sent immediately to the other end North should have made more of his individual chance, poor finishing again making it easy for Batista. Despite looking comfortable on the ball in midfield, Town were not able to push forward. Every loss of possession was giving Wycombe opportunities to attack. Stockley, continuing to press on the right flank, provided chances, and when Easter headed narrowly wide from a Mooney nod-back they had wasted, perhaps, the best chance of the half.
Fenton, Whittle, Harkins and Croft were being called upon to close down the attacks in the penalty area, and not allowing the Wycombe players any time or space. The wonderfully hirsute Doherty should have made more of the time and space he had from ten yards out, but was harried into a mistake.
With 30 minutes gone, and after a neat bit of passing between Boshell, Bolland and Croft, Jones was sprung from within the centre circle. He beat one player and released Hegarty, whose well-hit drive was always on the rise, and found the fans behind the goal.
After 37 minutes the blood was seeping through Whittle's bandage and he was 'sent off' for a change of shirt and more Elastoplast.
Before the end of the half Wycombe could not gain any advantage from a couple of corners, and Amy flagged for us to have a free kick. Whittle went down the tunnel with 30 seconds to go, probably to beat the rush for the treatment room, and the half ended after a spooned Mooney shot.
Second half
Wycombe kicked off towards their fans and Town played towards their Dreams. Whittle was turned out in his fourth change bandage. The first chance of the half was Matt Bloomfield's, with a long-range shot saved by Barnes high to his right. Wycombe held the bulk of possession for the first ten minutes, but began to lose imagination, with everything tending to go to Betsy on the right, and for him to cross. A twisting, turning half volley from Mooney was pulled high and right.
A chance to make something of a sniff of possession was wasted by Gary Jones, who looked up and saw no-one with him in support when in the opposition half. After 58 minutes the time for change arrived, and Danny North was replaced by Peter Bore. He first run forward was completely unsupported by the rest of the side, and later he appeared to repay the sentiment, when he really should have been up with play.
Town continued to enjoy the occasional forays forward while the defence smothered Wycombe's efforts. Harkins released Croft with an accurate pass which resulted in a free kick. Bolland received the cross but could do nothing with it, except to win a throw-in; Harkins' cross from the throw was gathered by Batista.
Mistakes were presenting more chances to Wycombe. Easter's long-range shot went wide after Whittle and Fenton challenged for the same header from an attacking free kick. Boland's long square ball was intercepted by Oakes in the centre of the field, but his run was brought to an end by a strong Fenton tackle on the edge of the area. Wycombe began to up the pressure but the crossers and crosses were being blocked and defended.
Palmer came on for Oakes, and Wycombe won a corner on their left. The ball was left to bounce dangerously across the face of the goal but with no player threatening its existence.
With 71 minutes played Bore released Croft for a run down the right. His cross looked too deep, but hello, here's Hegarty, completely unmarked on the far side of the box. He controlled it and took it closer to the bye-line. The cross went across Batista and found Gary Jones three yards out for a simple tap-in and a one-goal lead.
Town quickly gained possession from the kick-off, and Newey's rampage down the left ended with a tricky cross-shot which was dealt with by Batista. Wycombe continued to look strong, and it only took five minutes for the equaliser. Scott 'Playing His Last Home Game For The Club' Goldbourne took the ball into the Town half with a strong central run, shimmied one way and took the ball the other to leave Whittle on his pants, and then spanked a left-footed shot into the top corner of Barnes' goal. Unstoppable and well taken, sir.
Town still looked to get another break with Fenton releasing Jones, and Bolland to Bore. With 10 minutes of regular time left the referee decided to play his part in the game. Up until this moment he had been completely unnoticeable. Some might say anonymous, but as he was named, how can he be anonymous?
A Wycombe player sent a diagonal pass from the centre of the field toward Betsy, who was on a run from the flank toward the area. This pass inevitably turned Newey, who then ran across the line taken by Betsy. This act was interpreted as a professional foul by the ref, and some of the crowd, and Newey received a red card. It looked to me nothing more than a very messy obstruction, but that's football innit? The resulting free kick was taken quickly and saved by an alert Barnes at the foot of the post.
While Sir Macca prepared for his entrance to the field of play to defend the point, the remaining 10 men were still prepared to go forward. A Harkins run was foiled by a lack of grip once in the Wycombe area, and a Bore break was stopped by a tremendous covering tackle. The ball went straight to the other end and Easter was foiled by a terrific outrushing Barnes save.
Macca replaced Boshell with six minutes remaining, and Town pushed down the right. Antwi shepherded the ball out for a throw about 10 yards from the Wycombe corner, and was somewhat surprised to find that a Wycombe player was the last to touch it. Croft took the throw, and Hegarty, although isolated, managed to find Bore in the corner. Town's youngster decided to take on the two Wycombe defenders with the ball pushed to the right, and the body running round the left of them both. He found his way to the ball inside the penalty area, but appeared to have picked up a passenger, in the form of Doherty, who had both arms wrapped around him, and a handful of shirt. Bore went down, but sad to say, the referee didn't see any of it. This was not a popular decision in the Dreams stand.
So that was about it. Bore's shirt pulled again; four minutes of added time; a Wycombe corner; a Mooney shot; Ravenhill on for Harkins; final whistle.
Nicko's unsponsored man of the match
Gary Harkins had a tremendous game, hard graft in the midfield, and intelligent use of the ball. Mentioned in dispatches: Fenton - great defensive tackles, and a couple of strong marauding runs.
Official Warning
Oh, dear. It was all going so well for Mr P Taylor with 80 unblemished minutes of uncontroversial decisions. ThenÂ… oh, wellÂ… 2.176. Lots of room for improvement, but he could have been worse if you think about it.
The Other Lot
They'll be up there again this season. Love him or hate him, Mooney is an inspiration. Betsy and Easter need to work harder for their chances, and need to work better together. Their man of the match: Sam Stockley, who had a great game overlapping on the right. Good luck for the Charlton game.