Cod Almighty | Match Stats

Tuesday 5 February 2008

Division 4

Grimsby Town 4 Boshell (19pen, 86pen), North (31), Hegarty (53)

Chesterfield 2 Cooper (73), Ward (83)

Attendance: 4601

Who not to pick? Hunt was quietly efficient, and Clarke was tenaciously graceful. Till was again irrepressible, while Atkinson was the pick of the back five, yet again. On balance one player did provide everything today. He was the first to crunch, the first to support the strikers and to cover the defence; he set up our attacks and he stopped theirs. He also scored two very calmly taken penalties. In short, he gave an all-round display of excellence: it's Danny Boshell.

"It was exceptional. The way we moved the ball around was terrific, really pleasing to watch. It was a fantastic performance. I thought we totally outplayed them in the first half. Our football, our passing and movement, was a delight at times. It even had me applauding."

"The first turning point of the game was another dive by their centre-forward. He's certainly getting better at it because his dive at Saltergate was excellent but this one was even better. You could tell by his face when he got up. He was laughing all over. He knew that he had conned the referee. And the referee bought it and it's galling to concede that kind of goal."

Ah, two unsatisfactory penalties... What goes around comes around, my dear Chesterfieldians. Have a sense of historical perspective; at least you won't get relegated as a result. Fortunately, they ignored the lessons of last month and tried to play something approaching football against Town for an hour. Do these people never learn? Once they'd resorted to type they pummelled Town, for Fletcher, again, was the main cause of our discomfort. And once they'd brought Ward on they had some finesse to add to the sturm und drang of the big Bertha approach. One player who did impress was Lowry, who looked a faster and stronger version of Alan Pouton. He drove them on in their darkest hour. Which was the first hour, wasn't it. In short, it's what we know already. They aren't as good as Town at football, but basketball is another game entirely.

Mr M Russell (Herts)
Well, what have we got to complain about? He was intelligent in his application of the advantage rule and didn't make any decisions that adversely impacted upon Town. Oh sure, he could have sent Roche off first time, but then we wouldn't have got the second goal. He should have sent Roche off once he'd interpreted Jonesy's inability to stay on his feet exactly how we wished. But so what, eh? C'mon, give a little love and be magnanimous in victory. I'm sure no Spireite would give him 8.008, which is why I am.

We're the dandy highwaymen who some forget to mention. We don't spend cash but can play flash and we'll soon grab their attention. This was football, this was Town, this is how it's meant to be. I'm happy, hope you're happy too.