Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Thursday 18 September 2003

18 September 2003

After scoring for Town's reserves yesterday Phil Jevons could become the seventh striker to appear for Town's first team this season when Chesterfield come to town on Saturday - but at considerable personal cost. The Scouse frontman, whose lavish appearance-related contract is believed to have Roman Abramovich worried about football's unsustainable spending, faces a race against time to sign a new deal that allows Paul Groves to select him without having to sell Blundell Park to property developers or send the ticket office staff to stand around on Riby Square. Should new terms be agreed by Saturday, the player may figure against the Spireites as Jonny Rowan could be kept out by the ankle injury picked up in Tuesday's home defeat to Swindon.

The reserves' match at Sheffield United was a Pontins Holiday League Cup tie, apparently, but it was no holiday for the Blades' second string as Town ran out 3-0 winners. See, I can do straight journalism. Other goalscorers were Giovanni Carchedi, who opened Town's account on 11 minutes after a nifty one-two with Ashley Hildred, and Iain Ward, who netted from close range shortly after Jevons despatched a rebound from Hildred. Trial striker Bobby Lawsam, or Lewsam, or Lewsham, depending on who you believe, didn't get off the bench.

Another contender to step into Rowan's boots for the visit of Chesterfield (or "Chesterfield Town" if you're the Grimsby Telegraph) is Mr Darren Mansaram, whose recovery from a blood-curdling injury sustained in a reserve game last month has been of similar celerity to his movement across the BP turf. Speaking to BBC Humber, Mr Groves has not unreasonably appealed for fans to desist from moaning and booing and burning effigies of Mansaram's family when he fails to beat 61 defenders and score goals that would make Thierry Henry retire in jealous despair. "He's young, he's learning his way and he needs an arm round him at times," says the Town boss. "And he needs encouragement. At times he ends up getting criticised." But this is Grimsby, Paul; just because they're called supporters, doesn't mean they support.