Cod Almighty | Match Stats

Thursday 26 December 2019

Division 4

Macclesfield Town 1 Ironside (49 pen)

Grimsby Town 1 Vernam (59)

Attendance: 1991 (439 away fans)

Robson got stuck in again, to make up for the curiously wan Hess, but it would be irresponsible to ignore the irrepressible Slim Charles Vernam any longer. He played with intent and intensity and scored that historic first goal of the decade for Town.

The Hobart Hurricane was rueful but truthful in his sunny delight at the late flowering Vernam, but google-eyed at the gloop they had to play on:

"I thought the pitch made it difficult for both teams. We knew it was bad, but we didn't know it was going to be as bad as it was."

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Behind blue eyes and a blue pay wall, but the local press have copied and pasted the Irish rover's pithy summary:

"There was a lot of endeavour and hard work but not a lot of good decision-making. It was just an ugly game of football, really."

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Blimey, what's got into Charles Vernam? Has he finally realised there is more to football than the ability to kick the ball nicely?

As an attacking force it was the young 'uns who gave us some flickering moments of hope for a better tomorrow. Little Harry and Robson were battling tops, making up for an alarmingly insipid Hess, whilst the defence was much healthier when Pollock arrived.

Life is what it is until the replacement buses come along - we know we have no left-back and the centre-backs are always six inches from being Norman Wisdom. But they tried hard.

It is now not just the stuff of fantasy fiction for Town to win another game this season. It is possible to see how it may happen.

The boggy bottom boys were like they were when we last played them. They can play nicely if you let them, but can be easily corralled into pens by snarly sheepdogs.

They are lightweight and so got stuck in the mud. Points deductions and pudding pitches may well send them down before their finances implode, or any Knights in White Satin come over the hills. They may well be reaching the end despite the letters their owners keep writing.

Two dozen morons from outer space spoiled the party.

Mr P Marsden

Could have been a lot worse. The pastel peeper at least tried to be sensible in not over-reacting to every slip and slide, with egregious errors emanating from the linesmen.

Hey, it's Christmas, good will to all men and all that. And referees: 7.112

Jumping Jehosaphat, it's as clear as mud.

In a word: boggy