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Saturday 17 January 2009
Football League (fourth division)
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Wycombe Wanderers
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0-1
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Grimsby Town
Jarman (24)
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| Shearer, Casement, Johnson (Moncur 35), Williamson, Woodman, Bloomfield (Balanta h/t), Holt (Phillips 83), Doherty, Zebroski, Harrold, McGleish |
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Barnes; Clarke, Bennett, Atkinson, Widdowson; Jarman, Kalala, Sinclair, Elliott; Proudlock (Llewellyn 78), Akpa Akpro |
Subs not used
Spence, Young |
Subs not used
Hegarty, Heywood, Montgomery, North |
Booked
Balanta, Zebroski |
Booked
Jarman |
Attendance: 4461
Cod Almighty man of the match: Jean-Paul Kalala
It seems churlish to choose an individual, with the whole back four staunch and cool, Barnes unflappable and confident, a tremendously disciplined and purposeful midfield, and the fully functioning never knowingly undersold Jean-Louis partnership up front. Who can it be?
It's who it always is. The man is The Man. He warmed up by coaching Atkinson and Bennett, he cajoled and instructed his midfield followers throughout the game, and towered above Adams Park with his hands on his hips demanding, and getting, obedience. He's slumming it with us: Jean-Paul Kamudimba Kalala. Just call him irrepressible.
Our MoM awards so far this season
Big Rich's Delightful Debutant
Widdowson was a tackling terrier, using his pace to swipe away any spillage, while Elliott looks like a slightly portly and bearded Kevin Donovan. Fortunately he's sturdier and is particularly strong in the air. Except when he missed that sitter, of course. Perhaps he's saving his first goal for Blundell Park: experienced pros do like to time their moments for maximum effect, don't they. It's the first rule of comedy, Spike.
And then there was Dean Sinclair. Did anyone see a flaw in his game? Strong, determined, accurate, disciplined and all -round groovetastic. He even threw in a sexy and sleek Poutonian stepover in added time to send us home shimmering with satisfaction.
Their gaffer says
"We can play better and some players didn't have their best performances for us today, but that doesn't mean they won't play well next week.
"I think any team in any division can beat anyone, and fair play to Grimsby: they were better than us in the first half. We had a couple of chances in the second half but Mike has improved his team, as I knew he would."
Our gaffer says
"We've had to wait for it, haven't we?"
Cod Almighty says about them
Ding-dong, the wicked Wycombites' home record is dead!
Built for containment and speedy awkwardness in attack, they'll always struggle if they concede first. The defence is solid but became soiled by injury, creaking as Town's Jean-Louis partnership sniffed and snapped on the counter attack. Holt and Doherty were simple sentries guarding the fair maiden, dogged and doughty, but with horizons limited to the four defensive walls. Beyond their castle moat they sent galloping jalopies down the wings as outriders and scouts for a blunderbuss and a blunted rapier. Fiddling in the ramparts will undermine their imperial ambitions. Have we started the traditional Wycombite New Year panic?
Any more tinkering by Taylor and they're gonna burn, they're gonna burn, burn, burn, burn, burn, burn, burn, burn...
Official warning
Mr GD Scott (Oxon)
If only Ak-Ak had smacked a shot into the referee we could say Town hit the G Scott. But the referee got out of the way. He was rather strange in that he spent the first tem minutes punishing Wycombists' lunging and pulling, but seeing nary a titter thereafter. He was cardophobic for most of the game and then simply lost his rag with the ragged Hillybillybottom Boys in added time. Overall there is nothing to rage about, seeming quite sane and rational during a good old-fashioned hard-but-fair tacklefest, so the clapometer reads 6.221. Remember, that's just the studio audience, not you at home.
Are you positive?
Oh yes we are! Everything is fabtastic. A team of good players playing well together in front of support supporting together. A new year, a new hope.
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