Cod Almighty | Match Report

by Simon Wilson

2 August 2004

Halifax Town 1 Grimsby Town 1

A misty day in the deepest depths of the Pennines, a brief shower having freshened the pitch and the air, lowering the humidity a bit. Conversation amongst the assemble, sitting in the seats marked "away director", was of Halifax trips past. Gone is the muddy bank with offices that used to line one side of the pitch. Now the concrete base of what promises to be an impressive new stand has been placed, with a moss of seats starting to grow across it. Standing areas lay behind both goals, shielded by roofs not held in place by view-obstructing stanchions. The pitch looked lush, ideal for a game of on-the-deck football.

New Town chairman John Fenty did some dithering, choosing how far up the stand he wanted to sit before settling on a place right on the back row. The appearance of a visibly very weak Peter Furneaux, who struggled and stumbled on the first step, saw Fenty beat a hasty retreat down to the front of the stand to join the other board members. The Roger Moore fashion corner noted a rather stylish cream-coloured effort from one of our executive number.

According to the tannoy announcer Town were to start with "in goal: John McDermott", before a moment of thought, and the decision to "read out the squads". For your information, Town lined up wearing their home kit (complete with the very swanky red stockings) in a 3-4-3 formation: Williams; Whittle, Ramsden, Jones; Crowe, Pinault, Fleming, Young; Sestanovich, the trialist 'Sammi', Parkinson. An assortment of subs sat far, far across on the other side of the pitch; most of them, as you will read, got a game. Apart from Steve Croudson. Halifax, all blue (their kit, that is) lined up 4-4-2, five players with number one shaven heads.

First half
Town kicked off, defending the away end where about 55 travelling fans were spread in little groups. The largest group was stationed at the top of the stand: for the view or because of the access to the burger van up there? The game started stutteringly, both teams knocking together a pass or two before knocking a more direct pass forwards to bounce off any part of any player that got in the way.

The first meaningful action of the game came in the fourth minute, when Parkinson, scampering down the right, crossed in for Sammi to volley over. A couple of minutes later Halifax reached the edge of the Town area, where their short forward laid the ball off down the right flank. The resultant cross was cushioned over to the opposite flank by a Town head, where their left winger snapped in a lovely cross which was belted well over.

The ball continued to be knocked around the middle third, but Town were starting to impose themselves, Fleming bustling about a little and Pinault with a swagger and a little delicacy, his balls seeking the runs of Parkinson and Sestonovich into the inside forward positions - notably in the tenth minute when Parkinson nearly latched on to such a ball, only for it to drift out for a goal kick. A foul on Sestanovich on the right wing resulted in a free kick which Pinault arced to the far post, where Jones fluffed a header.

Immediately Halifax booted the ball upfield, where it. fell for one of their many scuttling midfielders, who fed it to their pacy, overlapping left-back. He took one touch before hitting a low shot that was blocked by the legs of a player who looked like Jones. Slack marking at the resultant corner allowed an attacker a decent chance but the header went over.

Town kept the ball for about eight passes, working it up to the humongous Sestanovich. From the edge of the area, with a small stride, he slapped a crisp rising shot about two foot over the bar. Town recovered possession from the goal kick and a quick ball was stroked into the inside-left for Parkinson to run on to. The referee blew his whistle for offside, and the linesman woke up and raised his flag.

Halifax gained a couple of free kicks. The first Williams came out and caught comfortably; the second saw yet more slack marking and a free glancing header which went wide. At this humdrum point of the game you could hear the Halifax team shouting, bawling at each other, while the Town players relied on some non-verbal forms of communication: pointing, glances, falling short of getting out some semaphore flags. A Shayman stole a yard or two while taking a throw-in, prompting the referee to ask: "Can you move back... please?"

More moments of note? Erm... Whittle dallied on the ball, inviting a rush from a Halifax player, and Whittle's long ball clattered off the sole of the forward's foot before dribbling out. One of their wingers contrived to bobble the ball about on a run into the box, but Williams was alert to pluck the ball out of the air.

By the half-hour mark Pinault was anchoring the midfield, with Fleming and Sestanovich playing in front of him. Town lacked width but this seemed a moot point as Whittle slipped the ball to the edge of their D, where Sestanovich swerved and twisted with the ball at his feet. Sensing no inroads, he played it back to Fleming, who hit a first-time pass into the inside-right berth for Parkinson to run on to and place a lovely shot across the keeper, and just inside the far post. The linesman belatedly raised his flag, possibly at the whim of the 20 Halifax supporters in the stand by him.

The same was to happen two minutes later when, after their number 10 missed a good chance at the far end, the ball was moved quickly to Parkinson down the right wing, who had run 10 yards with it before the linesman again raised his flag at the request of the home fans.

It was a brief respite, as Parkinson was to receive the ball in a similar position a minute later, and after a couple of steps the gawky-looking forward curled in a cross that was just waiting for a near post runner. Unfortunately there was no-one there and the keeper gathered the ball and hoiked it upfield for a bit of pinball footie. Eventually the ball rolled down to the right wing where a blue-shirted player curled in a neat cross to the edge of the box. A Halifax head met the ball, but Williams comfortably collected what amounted to a backpass.

Town again showed some width and Crowe burst forward from the flank, taking a pass from Parkinson, but glanced his effort wide. In the 43rd minute the Halifax left-back again made a surge forward into the Town box, nipping past two weak challenges, before the ball was cleared upfield. The ball was gathered by Sestanovich ten yards outside the Halifax box. Glancing up, he proceeded - wittingly and unwittingly - to dribble the ball while holding off the bodies of Halifax defenders, and from the edge of the area looked up before hitting the ball across to his left and into the bottom corner of the goal. A smattering of applause, and the big man seemed to carry more of a look of relief on his face. [You could see God? - impressed Ed]

The remaining minutes of the half saw only one more move of note, when Halifax won another free kick which was pumped into the box. Again no marking allowed a header on goal, but luckily it was straight at Williams, who showed firm hands.

Second half
The start of the second half and the start of a massive game of Name That Player. The ineffectual Sammi and the promising Parkinson were withdrawn and replaced up front by a player wearing 17 and another with no number. The 17 turned out to be Bermudian trialist Steve Astwood, while the other was Clint Marcelle (good job he has a name, as he certainly wasn't a number), resembling a dwarfish Louis Saha. Someone else was replaced - Whittle, I think - with Darren Mansaram. Relax, Flash didn't slot into the back line. Young moved in to left centre-back, and Mansaram seemed to occupy a left midfield position, with orders to make diagonal runs inwards.

While Town worked out who plays where and how, Halifax decided to take advantage. Six minutes in, a long ball down the left wing was reached by their number 10. He lost control of the ball, but it bobbled back to his feet for a shot, and the diving Young just helped the ball over the line. This brought hollers from the crowd sounding like "Come on Leeds!"

Town won a corner after a lovely, cleverly stroked pass by Marcelle. The corner came to nothing, much like the next five minutes. Our gaze at the lightning flashing over the opposite stand was broken in the 47th minute, when Marcelle slipped another of those balls through. Mansaram ran into the box to be blocked by the two centre-backs. Crowe picked the ball up out wide and knocked it into Astwood, who dallied, took a touch, dallied, was brushed by one of their defenders and flopped to the floor.

A few minutes later more substitutions, as Jones, Fleming, and Pinault were replaced by McDermott, Coldicott, and Hildred, to the position. Yes, this meant McDermott lined up at centre-back. Halifax also swapped two players. One of Hildred's first touches was to give a bad pass away which allowed Halifax to break in numbers. For once, Town were resolute and snuffed out the danger convincingly. Normal defensive service was resumed as a right-wing cross was put behind for another corner, and another fluffed Halifax header. Halfway through the second period and the Halifax 7 and 17 combined neatly to create a shot which flew into the side-netting.

Hildred put his opening spell behind him and started to get busy in midfield. From a free kick right in the middle of the Halifax half, he knocked a sharp ball to the left wing. Unfortunately the recipient couldn't decide whether to do anything decent so ended up wellying the ball well over the bar, nearly the stand. Soames came on for Sestanovich and a minute later, another free kick - this time for Town - was lofted into the box. A defender got a touch on the ball, but it fell invitingly for Coldicott about 15 yards out and 15 yards over.

Other highlights? A through ball from Halifax saw Williams come out and chip the ball over the onrushing Halifax player. Cute. Town managed some sweet interplay on the edge of the Halifax box with the ball played to an offside Astwood. Another high ball into Williams' area was meekly headed by Ramsden, but he recovered to clear with a forward close by. The ball was hit back in but clipped a Town player. Another clear header from a corner, this time a diving effort, flew wide.

With five minutes to go Halifax nearly took the lead. A deep cross from the right was headed away, sparking a melèe on the edge of the box. A sudden run from a Halifax player ended with a shot nearly sneaking into the bottom left corner. Shortly after that Town won a corner, knocked to the edge of the box, where Hildred cracked in a smart half volley that drifted narrowly wide.

For remainder of the match all the chances were Town's. Mansaram did all the hard work, getting on to a long ball into the area, but proceeded to have an air shot. He nearly made amends a minute later when he went on a saucy run, dribbling into the box, but managed to shoot over when placing the ball would have been far easier. And in the last minute of official time, our Flash was again on the end of a long ball, with only the keeper to beat, but shot straight at him.

More was to come, but this time Soames showed startling and surprising acceleration, dodged a couple of tackles, jinking into the box, and with time at his disposal caressed the ball beyond the despairing keeper - and the post. Hildred had a great crack at goal from the edge of the box after the ball was sweetly played upfield. But the finale was a calamitous miss. The ball was swept to the left, a cross fired in to the far post, and with the goal at his mercy Mansaram fired into the side netting. And then the referee blew his whistle.

Both teams added some real energy to their performances only in the last ten minutes, each feeling they could nick a result. The game was messy and scrappy. Get used to it. There'll be plenty more games like this when the season starts.