Cod Almighty | Diary
Best wishes, Gavin
6 March 2017
Another defeat on Saturday with a Jekyll and Hyde performance. The first half showed some of what Marcus Bignot has been talking about all these weeks, but the second half reverted to plan A.
The positive is that we had chances and actual shots on target. There is one miss which I'm sure Sam Jones will have been thinking about over the weekend. The worrying part is that we reverted to defence above all else for the second half and it didn't work. An unfortunate own goal maybe, but we offered nothing going forward before or after the controversial goal from Paris Cowan-Hall, a substitute at half time.
Irregular Diary sits in the Pontoon right behind the goal and you could tell from the way Gavin Gunning hit the deck that he was out for the count, and you could tell that our players knew. This wasn't a clash: it was a serious injury. He eventually came round clearly not knowing what day it was before vomiting all over the pitch. Gavin was taken to hospital after struggling to come round fully and our thoughts are with him as he makes a gentle recovery from this.
As always in this situation, and more so because we lost the game, we look for blame: the referee, individual opposition players and even opposition fans. I am still cross that the game wasn't stopped immediately as our players tried to alert the officials. Stills from highlights show the referee had a view of Gunning lopped out in the box, and – most worryingly, for me – on his back. The referee has to have a long hard talk to himself; he has apologised so that's alright then? I'm sorry but it took him and his assistant far too long to stop the game.
In fact they didn't: Cowan-Hall's superb finish did. What I will say is that the goalscorer wouldn't have had an idea of the situation and had every right to have a go. GG on the floor or not, Jimmy Mac wouldn't have saved it. But don't get me started on the fact that Sky Sports have it as their goal of the day – that's all a bit distasteful.
The mandatory wind-up celebration in front of the Pontoon I sort of get, but what I find harder to accept is that nobody from the opposition went to check on Gunning. I certainly do not get Town fans letting tyres down on WWFC's official club cars afterwards. What are we: 12 years old?
Looking onwards for the week ahead, the Mariners Trust is hosting another fans forum on Thursday 9 March, this time with Marcus Bignot, his assistant Mickey Moore, John Fenty and several trust board members. Admission is £2 (which you can redeem against a drink at the bar) at McMenemy's with doors opening at 6:30 for a 7:00pm start. If you can't make it then Grimsby Town's YouTube channel is be the place to be. I can't work out if it'll be a good one or not. I suppose like our performances on the pitch, we'll just have to wait and see.
UTM