Cod Almighty | Match Stats

Saturday 18 January 2020

Division 4

Grimsby Town 0

Exeter City 1 Law (67)

Attendance: 6021 (180 away fans)

We know the corporate cash cows like to meet and greet the new kids in town. Or perhaps they just liked the colour of Billy's boots.

Why? Why are you asking? He eats Cow Pie and They Shall Not Pass. And he's even beginning to pass the ball with big booms.

In between the patented jibber-jabbering the part-time litter warden noted Town's general adequacy against competence, although he may not have used those words exactly. And he did recognise that his substitutions didn't work:

"We've got a few new lads and when I made the changes it didn't really do what I wanted it to do – they didn't do themselves justice because they've only just got here."

More on this

The Grecian Gaffer was most complimentary to everyone, everywhere and everything was beautiful in its own way for the victor who spoiled our party.

Honest, reasonable and accurate. He'll never have a future in the game:

"Maybe you ride your luck, maybe your keeper makes saves, but the defenders wanted to defend today."

More on this

Town started cagily, and a little chaotically, but the future is ours to see: intensity, passing and movement at speed. It was all a little unstructured and on the hoof, but there was no hoofing.

An absence of height led to fraught moments at every set piece. Note that down for future reference: scouts will have done already.

There's nothing much to grizzle about, which is grounds for complaint. They gave it a go, there was a pace and purpose about this Town, playing on the front foot and taking the game to, and the ball off, Exeter. Two posts and some Devon stoutness got in the way of home happiness, that's all.

They've promised us much. Let them keep that promise.

New Kids In Town

Glennon played almost as an auxiliary winger, being frequently 10 yards further forward than the person he was marking, with the occasional tendency to pose and promenade. Note that down for future reference: scouts will have done already. He seemed perfectly adequate when defending.

Tilley's introduction weakened Town, in every respect. He looks lightweight. Note that down for future reference: scouts will have done already.

Clarke ran around but ran out of steam with 20 minutes left. But still steamed on. A persistent pest.

Benson wasn't particularly conspicuous, but did have a desire to ping passes to the periphery promptly.

These Grecians beat Town simply because they are bigger, older and wiser. They had nous, they knew what to do and when to do it.

Without Maxted, Parkes and Law they would have been buried in an avalanche of positivity and whirlygigging. But they have Maxted, Parkes and Law. So they weren't.

Exeter have the look of a team about to be promoted and they know it. They were just compact, confident, and competent and should go up automatically given fair weather and good health through their spine.

And everything was strange and new, but nobody even considered a boo.

Mr A Haines

Apart from an extreme approach to playing the advantage, he was extremely adequate, above all having the virtue of consistency. He just let the rough and tumble go and the game did flow, so who can say no to 8.456?

Operating, generating: new life.

In a word: nous