Cod Almighty | Match Stats

Saturday 29 February 2020

Division 4

Grimsby Town 0

Northampton Town 3 Goode (8), Morton (28, 82)

Attendance: 4879 (303 away fans)

They have to give it to someone and the Jogging Ant was far from the worst candidate for corporate contrition duties.

Harry Clifton ran around a lot. That really isn't enough, it's merely the basic requirement.

At least The Pied Piper admits his flaws and failures:

"When you look back at it, we were probably a little bit lightweight to play against Keith's experienced team. You can only blame me for that."

Don't worry, we did.

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The Curlywurlyman was at his most charming and accurate, whilst positively purring at Cobbling excellence:

"They showed us a bit of respect by changing their personnel around and that might have impacted them a bit and disrupted their rhythm but that rhythm was nullified by our desire to get close to them and stop them from playing.”

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Shorter, lighter, slower, weaker.

For the first half hour it was like watching the last dregs of Jolleydom. For the last hour it was watching the first cuckoos of the Limbrick Spring.

Every decision by everyone was wrong: the selection, the tactics, the formation, to pass, to shoot, to dribble, to welly. Every little thing Town did was tragic.

Town were simply bullied by superior athletes, superior footballers and a superior manager.

Taller, heavier, faster, stronger.

A direct, athletic team similar to Town circa 1984 – all lithe rangy running, fast flick-ons and dribbles. They bullied Town, they bullied the ref. They knew what Town were going to do before Town failed to do it. Goode is far too good for the fourth division. He humiliated Town on his own.

They're the same as they ever were: a big, beefy set-piece counter-attacking team.

These Cobblers have no excuse for failing to get promoted as they have all the attributes needed: they are physically stronger than Crewe, less flaky than Exeter and matched Swindon for all-round competence.

We have nothing to declare other than it was tedious.

Mr C Pollard

The word clueless is much overused by the trite and emotionally incontinent such that when someone really is without any understanding of the matters which they oversee then a different descriptor is required.

A much ruder one in this case.

Some of his 'decisions' were unfathomable, without logic or proportion. Above all he was cowed by the Marooners and disdainful of the Mariners. Getting through an entire game avoiding booking any of the Cobblers, especially Goode, was a feeble-minded feat demanding a public enquiry before a High Court Judge.

He lacks the character required to manage men: 2.11, for the pitch was unfortunately playable and so at least one decision wasn't wrong.

Pushed aside, brushed aside and, as an aside, Town were barely a side.

In a word: small