Cod Almighty | Match Stats

Tuesday 12 August 2008

League Cup (R1)

Grimsby Town 2 Hunt (20), Kay (og, 54)

Tranmere Rovers 0

Attendance: 1858

Barnes made two excellent saves and started to command his area and Mr James Hunt prowled and growled through the middle of the middle, both continuing their rehabilitation in the eyes of the dwindling doubters amongst the dwindling crowds. Who to be, who to be? "Of the outstanding candidates no candidate was outstanding," said a T-shirt seller. They all worked so darn hard, with Heywood and Hope throwing their all at everything. Butler was tireless and effective, with LuluLewellyn being nothing less than tireless and effective. With Heslop and Hunt not only effective but tireless, it could have been any one of the starting eleven, but it is Peter Till who was extremely tireless and a constant thorn in their cloven hoof.

"Of course they had chances and you expect that against a team from a higher division, but we played some good football ourselves at times on the night."

"We bossed the game and yet we still lost. The number of chances we created and wasted was astounding and on another day we could have won by five."

They started robotically neat and tidy, with mechanical fluid moves, and briefly found a range, taking pot shots at Barnes from outside the area. The bar, a post, and Barnes's fingertips frustrated, then they simply got progressively worse at shooting. They moved well, they meant well, they seemed a little too concerned with aesthetic beauty. A better footballing team than Oldham, but not as nihilistic and committed, Tranmere are destined to delight occasionally and annoy frequently. They need a psychopath in their team somewhere. They were too nice: it was like watching a Town team from the 1990s.

Mr A Bates (Staffs)
Distressingly sensible. He selected bon mots rather than Olympic flag waving as his preferred method of control. Only a 30-second spell of mud wrestling spoiled his perfect pitch on our perfect pitch. Softly softly catchee 7.876.

Ooh yeah, baby! Defending and attacking and, with a little luck, we turned it on. There can be no misunderstanding.