Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Tuesday 5 March 2013

5 March 2013

So the Mariners will now play Macclesfield on 3 April, two days after our visit to Stockport (book your Cheshire accommodation now), which is in turn two days after we entertain Barrow. Three games in five days? Luxury. When Middle-Aged Diary were a lad, we'd play three games in four days come Easter. Bah, anyone would think footballers were people, nowadays.

Let's acknowledge that the early end of the Conference season is yet another instance of the way that football as business is distorting football as sport, and then get on with it. Getting your excuses in first is often an effective means of ensuring you need those excuses.

Tonight, we travel to Forest Green. Paul Hurst's reflections in the Telegraph appear under a headline 'Mariners have improved since victory over Rovers', which compares the team to the one that won 1-0 in September 2012, rather than the one featuring Johnny Scott and Jimmy Fell, whose 7-0 win at a different Rovers is the subject of Graham Precious's latest Mariners Memories. Shaun Pearson is injured, though possibly in contention for a place on Saturday, making it a safe bet that Tom Naylor will join Ian Miller in central defence.

It is tempting to call every game 'must-win' but there will be slips, involving us, involving our rivals, between now and 20 April. Three points would be nice, one point would be OK and a defeat won't bring our world crashing about our ears. Enjoy the game.