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Diary - Tuesday 27 March 2012

27 March 2012

The lead in to this evening's game against Tamworth is a measure of how far Town's promotion challenge seems to have unravelled. Last time the two sides met, just ten days ago at Blundell Park, the Mariners' imperious winter form had already dipped. But there was no shortage of speculation surrounding another goalfest of the type Town fans enjoyed when Bath City, Alfreton Town and several other sides visited Cleethorpes this season. This time the expectation management is in full flow, and the Grimsby Telegraph can be found speaking of the Staffordshire side as "a tough nut to crack". This is a team that's won exactly two of its last 20 games. Or three in 22, if you count a narrow victory in the Birmingham Senior Cup over Bedworth United.

There are those, of course, who have linked Town's dip in form directly with the return to prominence of former chairman and major shareholder John Shelton Fenty (Topman). Your original/regular Diary couldn't possibly comment. And noble John's negative knockers should take heed that the end of the Mariners' Great Run of 2011-12 also coincided with the injury that has kept Frankie Artus out of the team ever since. Granted, Fenty may have still been around when Town were relegated in 2003, 2004 and 2010, but Artus wasn't in the team then either. Coincidence? I think not.

The Telewag reports, however, that a return could be in the offing for Funtime Frankie at the Lamb Ground tonight. Liam Hearn's on/off hamstring injury might be off this evening too. None of the local media seem terribly concerned about why Andi Thanoj has been dropped, which seems something of an oversight to me given (a) Thanoj's outstanding form since returning to the starting XI over the winter; and (b) Town's need for wins rather than draws. Still, I'm sure they know what they're doing. Oh look, there's the mysteriously omitted Kiernan Hughes-Mason scoring a vital goal on his belated return to action as a late substitute at Kenilworth Road.

Tamworth have loaned two players from Bastard Franchise Scum.

All the talk last weekend was of the two former GTFC strikers taking part in the Football League Trophy final at Wembley. But the Diary's flock of surveillance chaffinches has flown home with news of two more. Cultured forward Martin Gritton (well, he does read the Diary, you know) has returned to his native south-west with a move to ambitious Truro City of the Conference South. And Danny North, still enjoying his football in Ireland, transferred from St Patrick's Athletic to Sligo in November. A new interview with SportsNews Ireland explains North's departure from Grimsby in 2010:

"The club's financial situation... meant that he was one of four players whose contract was [sic.] not renewed"

This will come as news, of course, to those who remember the player's contract being not just unrenewed but paid off early by his former youth team coach Neil 'Wood' Woodses. Still, great to see Danny doing well. Wouldn't you like to see him back at Grimsby one day?