Cod Almighty | Diary

When the sun comes out and 2-0 isn't a dangerous score

8 October 2018

Trentside Diary writes: It's a clear sign you're home when you drive over the brow of the hill at Irby (well, slight rise in the road; not sure it classes as a hill) and there is your first glimpse of the Dock Tower standing tall, a beacon guiding you towards Grimsby and nowadays, I like to think, Blundell Park. Like the fishermen of yesteryear who knew their trip was almost over when they saw it in the distance as they sailed up the Humber.

It was a gloomy scene on Saturday, the rain driving straight off the river in what turned out to be the first game of winter. This is when the diehards can be found, still turning up, still in anticipation, still not giving up on our team. Oh it was cold, bitterly cold, and as our feet turned to ice and we shivered in clothes that were too thin, we were struck by the curse of the exile. We had forgotten the "Grimsby factor". Two degrees colder and forget what the BBC weather site says, there's always a cool/cold wind coming off the North Sea. In October at Blundell Park it goes straight through you.

But with that glimmer of victory from Tuesday night we came with hope. Our faith was rewarded in seconds. Yes, seconds. How often does that happen? Was this to be 90 minutes of stress as we scrabbled to hang on to our slim lead? Had we scored too early? Don't believe in it myself – it's like "2-0 is a dangerous score". When we have recently gone six matches without a point, I don't care when we score.

Port Vale were poor but so were we last Saturday. You can only win by playing whoever is in front of you, and for a spell there at Blundell Park, the sun came out. Yes, real and metaphorical sun. And with that sun the confidence of the team started to grow. I've been following Town for too many years and seen too many late goals against us to join in with those that started the "olé" chants as our passing improved. But a second goal gave us a cushion, and no, it really wasn't a dangerous score.

The majority of us stayed to clap our team off the pitch. Bizarrely, according to the Grimsby Telegraph, a Town director preferred to hurl abuse at the Port Vale manager. I'm not sure why anyone would be surprised. If they can be rude and abusive to fans at the forum, they will be rude and abusive to anyone.

Here's to next Saturday and our trip to Mansfield. UTM!