Cod Almighty | Diary

Lost in Coddington

23 October 2019

Miss Guest Diary writes: There were times last night when I doubted whether I'd get home to write this diary. A convoluted and badly signposted diversion in Cambridge caused by roadworks on the A14 and a similar diversion in Newark due to the A46 being closed led to a very frustrating journey back from the match. We passed the Town supporters coach on the A1 and I felt heartily sorry for the fans who would still be wending their way through the Wolds when I'd be tucked up in bed in Lincoln.

But none of us would be as frustrated as the Cambridge team in failing to penetrate Town's defence. That Town did not concede was due, in no small part, to the fine performance of Mattie Pollock. Town have kept only five clean sheets this season and in three of those games Pollock has started at centre-half. A coincidence? I don't think so. If Mr Jolley could settle on a regular back four (or five) the defence might start to look like a coherent unit rather than a bunch of blokes who've turned up at the ground hoping to get a game.

Actually, I think the same could be said of the whole team. But what do I know? I haven't done any fancy coaching courses, or even played the game.

Some might be disappointed at the 0-0 scoreline from last night; I was not, for two reasons. Firstly, a draw after three defeats in which Town scored one goal and conceded seven feels like a small step in the right direction. Secondly, I have a fondness for that scoreline because a 0-0 draw on a Tuesday night in Ipswich in April 1992 marked my birth as a real Town fan.

It was two years almost to the day after my first sight of Town at Southend towards the end of the 89-90 season. I had gone along to quite a few matches after that and even sometimes enjoyed them. But I was not committed – still a spectator, not emotionally engaged. I cannot now recall what it was about that night in Ipswich, what made the difference, but after that game I was all in.

Another thing I particularly enjoyed about last night was the penalty save from Macca. I have come to realise that our keeper saving a penalty is somehow more satisfying even than the team scoring a goal. The annoyance and disappointment of conceding the penalty is instantly wiped away to be replaced by the triumph of actually taking a goal away from the opposition. Schadenfreude with knobs on!

I am afraid I have to disagree with yesterday's diarist about the FA Cup tie against Newport being a decent draw. I can think of little more tedious in footballing terms than playing the same team in the same place two weeks running. And Newport have a habit of beating us. Our record against them this century is: won four, drawn four and lost six. If you had to choose which of the two games Town could be guaranteed to win, which would it be?

The FA Cup game happens to coincide with my birthday and I tentatively suggested to my other half that we might possibly, you know, give it a miss. No prizes for guessing his response. UTM