Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Thursday 11 March 2010

11 March 2010

Armchair Diary writes: Don't ask what happened to yesterday's journal, I simply don't know. I've put this one up early to make up for it though.

What I do know though is that Town's youthers beat Walsall the other night, not York. The Telewag have finally clarified this so hopefully Mardy Diary isn't as confused now as he was the other day. Tom Corner bagged the only goal late on to take the MySpace Mariners to the final for the second time in a few years. Now we know who we beat but not how often we have been in the final. Is this the second time in four years as the Telewag claimed in that article from the other day, the second time in five years as the Telewag reckon in the second paragraph of today's article (although towards the end of that article they go for the second time in four years again) or the second time in two seasons as the SNOS reckons. Who knows? I think we can all agree it's not the second time in three years though. Well, whatever, it's a mighty achievement by the micro Mariners.

Continuing the theme of kids winning football matches I ought to tell you that the under-10s side from the school of excellence beat Scunny 2-1 recently. I don't know much at all about football at this level but was enjoying the report until I got to the bit that says "The third period started with..." and was taken back a bit. Football, it's a game of two halves at the end of the day innit Gary? The article goes on to report on a narrow defeat for the under-nines, the under-11s (in only their second proper match), the under-12s and the under-15s but the under-13s bagged a win at the weekend as did the under-14s. I feel sorry for whoever writes those reports. It must be dead hard trying to work out who did what when you've got 20 kids all chasing the ball everywhere round the field and at least one of the goalkeepers getting bored and sitting down in his area or wandering off to talk to his mates. School football is still like that, right?

And did you know Town had so many junior teams? I didn't.

Want news of another win? Would you like some first-team players to have been involved rather than their kids? Alright then. How about a friendly win against Nottingham Forest (presumably a representative XI rather than the first team), will that do you? Adam Proudlock bagged a couple in the 3-2 win at Blundell Park yesterday. Paris Cowing Hell was due to be back for that one but in the end he wasn't. Hamstrung in Hampshire still apparently. I'm assuming Portsmouth still have a physio to treat him after laying off 85 people yesterday else don't expect to see the lad in a Town shirt any time soon. Actually, the way things have been going I doubt we'll see him line up for the Mariners at all. Ever.

That's all the wins you're getting out of me today I'm afraid. I'm going to have to mention the totally unexpected defeat at Crewe now. Who could have expected the Mariners to have lost that after their fantastic winning run? It's a funny old game. Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro is getting a glowing report from Woodses after the last couple of matches and he reckons there is more to come from Ak-Ak. Jamie Devitt picked up an abductor injury on Tuesday night and is now a doubt for the weekend as is Olly Lancashire (foot).

I'm going to finish up today with Dario Gradi's emotional response to Carl Martin's red card in the last stages of their win over the Mariners. Not seeing the incident is very Arsene Wenger but not seeing it because you were bawling with rage is something else altogether. And to say that whatever ban the lad gets is music to your ears is harsh if you ask me. Calm down Dario, it's only a game. Imagine what would have happened had Mike Newell taken the same approach. With all those red cards in the early part of the season we'd have had to bring in almost an entirely new team. Oh.