Cod Almighty | Diary

Endeavour

14 November 2019

 The score line probably tells the story, accurately and fairly:
FA Youth Cup (Round Two): Crewe Alexandra under-18s 2 Grimsby Town under-18s 0 (After Extra Time)

Throughout the 110 minutes Middle-Aged Diary was able to watch, Crewe had most of the possession, and most of the shots on goal. Towards the end, Hugo Banks pulled off two great saves to keep us on level terms: one high from a header; the other low, twisting and diving instantly to keep out a very close range shot.

There were a few near misses, but not loads. Town were very well drilled, hard to break down. It was my first sight of Mattie Pollock, and I'd not picked up before that not only is he a formidable defensive obstacle, he uses the ball well. He curled out two 60-yard passes to the wings that inevitably had me thinking back to Paul Futcher. The whole back four had a bit of a 1990s feel to it, with Duncan Idehen Lever-esque in his bravery. The full backs Cameron Painter and Joey Hope were neat and cool, and Hope showed both strength and control in one gallop down the left: more Gallimore than Croft, perhaps.

There was no aimless hoofing, but in the first half the defence was at times forced to clear hastily, and, with the midfield also presenting a deep bank of four or five, Lennon Stead wore himself out chasing after balls for which he was never favourite. There was an injury break just before half time and Neil Woods was perhaps gesturing to his charges to push up. I've never known a Town team catch the opposition offside so often as we did in the second half.

That second half was more even, and we saw much more of the Grimsby midfield. Luis Adlard twice took the ball fluently from inside our own half to the edge of the Crewe penalty area. Evan Khouri showed good control when he was on the ball, and Joe Starbuck exuded a certain authority.

It is invidious to single anyone out - no doubt on another day, another player would have caught my eye - but last night the one I noticed was Owen Davey. Short, with dark, curly hair, he has an impish, celtic quality: in another life, I could imagine him playing scrum half for Wales (There is little higher praise in Middle-Aged Diary's sporting vocabulary.) He wore the number four shirt, like Joe Waters used to: a midfielder with the quick feet and the wit not just to shield the defence but to seek inventive little passes through the tightest of gaps.

Town's best chance came in the first period of extra time. Breaking from our own half, we had three forwards running at two defenders. It's the kind of situation that you feel there ought to be a goal at the end of it, but all too often the chance is wasted. This time, Town's three did everything right, or almost right. No personal glory-hunting: just the right passes at the right time, with Brandon McPherson having a bit of space inside the Crewe penalty area at the end of it. But one touch somewhere was not quite perfect. The Crewe keeper was out quickly and bravely and although McPherson got his shot away it rebounded to safety.

The whole game had been played below 300 fans scattered in twos and threes in Gresty Road's huge stand, to smatterings of polite and encouraging applause. Nothing like a league game, a non-League game, or a friendly: just a good contest between young men keen to show what they could do.

Finally though, Town cracked against an older-looking team. One of their forwards found the ball in space, took it to the corner of the penalty area and finished smartly, low across goal. I was on my way to the train when applause broke out for the second.

Town were out of the cup, but they had nothing to feel down about: not in the long run. They had done us, and themselves, proud.