Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Tuesday 11 March 2003

11 March 2003

Despite having just scored perhaps the finest team goal the Diary has ever seen from the Mariners, Paul Groves will still take a bottom-placed side into Saturday's clash with Watford following last night's entertaining 2-2 draw at the City Ground. Forest took the lead from a deflected and wrongly awarded free kick; but just before half time Groves applied the finish to a fantastic move of many passes like that cool one Brazil did in the 1970 World Cup. After the interval Alan Pouton expertly drilled home a loose ball from 20 yards, prompting an excellent rearguard action; but Town's maddening propensity to concede late goals re-emerged in injury time, when slack defending by Simon Ford allowed Gareth Williams to force in an equaliser from a crowded box (and the Diary would like to point out an unpunished foul on John Oster in the build-up to this goal). "To concede so late on was very disappointing but we battled well and deserved to hold on," said Groves after the game.

The Independent today damages its chances of becoming the new official newspaper of the Diary by continuing the time-honoured media tradition of not knowing the names of Grimsby players, as its so-called professional journalist Jon Culley appears to believe Town have a midfielder called Andy Pouton, and the sub-editors are apparently too lazy or ignorant to put him right. As a paid-up NUJ member, the Diary urges its colleagues in the strongest possible terms to get their bloody posh southern house in order.

Alan Pouton, meanwhile, today discovers the extent of his punishment for his sending off against Sheffield United last week. Alan received a straight red card in the match, and may face further FA disciplinary measures beyond a three-match ban because it was his second of the season, reports Town's official site. BBC Humber Sport, meanwhile, says Alan has already received a four-match suspension; while the Grimsby Telegraph speculates that he may have to sit out as many as six games. Whichever way you look at it, it bodes dodgy.

Town trio Darren Barnard, Danny Coyne and John Oster have again made the cut for the Wales squad, all three being called up for the principality's forthcoming World Cup qualifiers against Azerbaijan in Cardiff on 29 March and Serbia & Montenegro in Belgrade on 2 April. The Mariners' home game against Wolves coincides with the Azerbaijan match and is expected to be postponed.

And on a lighter note, Junior Lewis has been told by Leicester he can leave the club on a free transfer. The idle, arrogant midfield get recently turned down a loan move to Town in favour of doing nothing at the Walkers Stadium, but after the Foxes made it clear to the player that he had no future with them, he'll be doing nothing at the dole office from now on. Or at the Kingston Communications Stadium, as Lewis has now been linked with a move to third division Hull to link up again with Peter Taylor, who wasted loads of Leicester's money on him. No sniggering at the back there.