Cod Almighty | Match Report

by Mike Worden

27 August 2013

Quite different conditions to Town’s last visit to Ewens Field on a cold drab evening in November. This time Hyde was sun-drenched and temperatures were pushing 30 degrees. A dip in the adjacent swimming pool was more appealing in this weather than running your socks off in the Hyde sun trap.

The newly laid pitch was immaculate and the arriving Town fans had the choice not only whether to stand or sit but which of the four stands they wanted to watch the match from. Only the little Tiger shed next to the main stand was Hyde territory. "Have you come on a skate-board?" sang the Hyde and seekers but sadly Town fans hoping for a repeat of the Kop’s famous repertoire of fish-related chants were left disappointed. They managed a "Just a town full of mackerel" later on, which must have taken some thought.

Town lined up in the blue away kit and Hyde were back in rightful red. Scott and Hurst were followed across the pitch by a number of TV folk with microphones and headsets, such is the no expense spared of another live football TV new kid on the block. TV presenter Helen Skelton stood with the Town fans behind the dugouts, played on her phone and ate a few mints.

The Town defence comprised McKeown in the sticks with a back four of Hatton, Doig (who replaced the injured MacDonald: a kind of Deputy Doig), Pearson and Thomas. The midfield three were Disley, Thanoj and McLaughlin and the three forward players were Colbeck wide on the right, John-Lewis in the middle and Hearn in an unusual position wide on the left.

First half
The first few minutes were a bit quiet but the game was brought to life by the Hyde danger man Spencer, the number 9. On five minutes he nipped in between Town defenders in the box and only good positioning from McKeown kept his shot out. A wake-up call to the Town defence. From the resulting corner, the Town keeper parried the ball away to safety.

The visitors were making hard work of a game which, had they just tried to keep simple, would have been more effective. On the first attack, Colbeck put in a cross but it was straight to the hands of Carnell. A little later Disley took a shot as if it was a back-pass which brought the wrath of Hurst. Hearn was out of sorts on the left.

Lenell John-Lewis was holding things up well enough in the middle. But with Hearn and Colbeck out wide on a wide pitch and Disley, McLaughlin and Thanoj looking slow and uninterested in picking up his knock-backs and supporting him down the middle, numerous attacks just resulted in Hyde gaining possession.

A good move from Town began with Hatton finding John-Lewis down the right and just keeping the ball in play. He found Colbeck but his shot went wide. A couple of minutes later it was John-Lewis who powerfully met a cross from the right but he was ruled offside. Thanoj was playing a deep midfield role and, picking up the ball, he ran forwards but instead of keeping going he tried to place a pass forward which went straight to a Hyde player.

Three feet behind Paul Hurst, Helen Skelton wasn’t impressed. She sucked another mint and wandered off

Scott jumped up from the bench to make the point that Thanoj should have continued his run. At the other end Pearson felt the end of Scott’s tongue for getting turned the wrong way. "It's easy, Shaun!" shouted Shouty.

Hurst doesn’t shout. He’s the tactician. Observing, holding a piece of paper throughout and making those finger gestures that only football managers make. One finger raised on each hand and then moved forwards and backwards. Three feet behind him, Helen Skelton wasn’t impressed. She sucked another mint and wandered off.

The Town defence looked solid most of the time. Pearson and Doig were winning most things in the air, but then Hyde weren’t really an aerial side. Colbeck was not having a good half and with two minutes left on the clock, he lost possession on the right, chased his opponent back and needlessly chopped him down. First card of the day. Stupid boy.

At half time there was an exodus of fans from the end Town had been kicking towards, round to one of the side stands.

Second half
The pattern of the first half continued into the second. Grimsby would have to either change things or just hope to get lucky. With giving the ball away too easily, though, the Hyde danger was always present and the Town defence got very lucky on at least two occasions when poor finishing prevented the home side taking the lead.

Hearn was having a poor game on the left and the Town bench decided to make a change when he was caught in possession far too easily. Rodman was signalled to get ready. Hearn was unhappy about being substituted. He had been lost so wide out left. It seemed a weakness of the Town attacking tactics to have such a player so prolific in the box not playing closer to John-Lewis in the centre. Scott kept shouting "second balls" to the players but from his wide position Hearn would have been lucky to even get the fourth ball.

Rodman took up Hearn’s position on the left. Thanoj and John-Lewis were booked in quick succession, both for rash challenges. Together with Colbeck’s earlier caution for a similar offence, Town’s tally of three unnecessary bookings out of frustration could prove costly later in the campaign.

The fourth official had gone missing: a smart young man with neat hair and a very nice parting, but easy prey for the anger of Rob Scott

Colbeck’s crossing had generally been poor but on the 70-minute mark he skipped round his man very wide on the right and slipped in a low cross towards the goal. It was met by Rodman, who turned it into the net. The players ran to the corner to celebrate. The relief was palpable and Town started to play with much more confidence. Colbeck in particular started to look threatening on each of his forward runs.

Hatton was caught in an awkward challenge and hobbled off. Scott tried to get Bignot on immediately to bolster the defence but the fourth official had gone missing. "Where’s fourth?" shouted Scott. He was by the hobbling Hatton down the touchline, and arrived to the dugout only after play had recommenced. A smart young man with neat hair and a very nice parting, but easy prey for the anger of Scott.

John-Lewis was getting tired with holding things together up front all on his own and, after missing an obvious pass to the unmarked Colbeck, he was replaced by Cook. A couple of late attacks by Hyde were dealt with, and with the four minutes of added time ticking away the TV people applied make-up to each other behind the dugout, to a series of whistles and insults from the Town fans.

The Mariners hung on to claim all six points from the bank holiday weekend. The job was done, but not convincingly. Too many passes went astray, too many attacks broke down through a poor cross or pass. John-Lewis worked really hard up front but needed teammates to get closer to him once he won the ball. Technique and the system, not completely right yet.