Cod Almighty | Match Stats
Saturday 31 December 2016
Division 4
Grimsby Town 0
Blackpool 0
Attendance: 5637 (242 away fans)
Even the corporate snoozers were not in any doubt that we were still seeing the future. Well, someone else's future.
The defence was fine but the clean sheet was guaranteed by the new orange in black and white: Dean O'Henderson. Pay attention to his feet, they move quickly, and that's why three underhit back-passes and scruffles didn't result in a goal being conceded. He even intimidated the ref into passivity. He's not a shot stopper: he's a goal keeper.
"I'm happy with the game in terms of where we are heading as a group. I think there can be a lot of positives taken out of the past two games, particularly with the two clean sheets."
"I'm pleased with the clean sheet. When you come away from home a clean sheet is always pleasing. I'm disappointed that we've not won the game, to be perfectly honest. We've had some great opportunities – their goalkeeper has made the save of the game from [Vassell] in the first half."
Town can defend and have finally realised we've borrowed an exceptional goalkeeper for this level of association football. The rest? Ah…
Summerfield really put his back into the game until his back went, playing with intensity and steel, even failing to do his trademark 'blind pass across the back four' routine. Tombola lost his lottery ticket and couldn't cope with a defender who stood on his toes – he just didn't know what to do with himself. Bogle remained in Big Man mode and Chambers was a waste of space as the second striker. In short, Town were short of inspiration and ability. Town did nothing, rather slowly. Chips and chases spread purple faces.
At least Vose tried a bit harder today and if Town were going to do anything it was going to emanate from his twinkling toes.
We seem to be back to big booming balls. Not pretty and pretty ineffective.
Unimpressively superior? Negatively a bit better? The Blackpuddings played the role of Hurst's Town from the last five years: obsessive shape-keepers who tried to do just enough, but often did not do quite enough to defeat teams of less well-paid footballers. There seemed to be a paucity of ambition, as if collectively gripped by fear of failure.
Mrs Slocombe was rarely sighted, but still managed to look a right flapper – their Achilles heel may be his glowing gloves – but the rest of 'em looked your bog-standard professional footballers: sturdy, sensible, technically adequate and employed to run around within a standard template.
You just get the feeling they could be doing a lot better. Should finish somewhere between sixth and upper 12th, simply through their ability to grimly grind and gurn.
Utterly, utterly bored into total and utter silence.
Mr D England (S Yorks)
Exercise your chuckle muscles, missus, for the Ribena roob. What a beautiful day for seeing a player fall over a goalkeeper's legs and the referee give a goal kick. We're full of plumptiousness and gratitude for that tattyfilarious decision. A man determined to avoid giving a penalty, but generally exceptionally adequate. No regrets and no tears goodbye for today's people-pleasing peeper: 7.999.
I'm only sleeping.
In a word: middling
Town: Henderson; Mills, Collins, Pearson, Andrew; Bolarinwa, Comley, Summerfield (Disley h/t), Vose; Chambers (Jackson 25), Bogle
Subs not used: Davies, Gowling, Jones, McKeown, Vernon
Blackpool: Slocombe, Mellor, Aldred, Robertson, Taylor, Potts, Payne (Cain 81), McAlister, Osayi-Samuel (Philliskirk 82), Cullen (Matt 85), Vassell
Subs not used: Aimson, Gnanduillet, Lyness, Pugh
Booked: Aldred, Osayi-Samuel