Cod Almighty | Match Stats

Saturday 28 January 2023

FA Cup (R4)

Luton Town 2 Adebayo (49, pen), Clark (66)

Grimsby Town 2 Holohan (33), Clifton (67)

Attendance: 8,552 (1,473 away fans)

He has risen! Behold the miracle of Kenilworth Road. Though his career were dead, yet now Gav O'Groves lives: Holohan was omnipresent and matched Clifton for his perpetual motion and general irritation of the proto-Premier dandies.

One day he is going to get carried away. That day won't come soon. The Tyke some people still dislike kept his shape in the face of the global media elite seeking clichés from Gritty Grimsby and the funny fishy folk:

"You want to give a good account of yourself and I think the players certainly did that. I'm proud and really pleased for the players, for the football club…and the fans."

The Shropshire lad knows praise withers quicker than the rose and seeks to assuage the locals with banality of neutrality:

"For the neutral watching it was good but there will be mixed emotions amongst the fans of course, I think they will see that we gave everything."

Incidents and accidents, a sprinkle of stardust, a dollop of fortune and a thoroughly deserved non-defeat to physically and technically superior foes.

The centre was solid, from top to bottom, with Orsi splendid in his isolation. Holohan was the flipside of his Swindon shocker and Harry was Harry, with knobs on. The three centre-backs were balanced and positionally perfect, especially Maher who was a marvel and revelled in the chance to show his footballing brain rather than brawn.

Not everyone was stand-out super, bit players were a little bitty, but hey, Town were playing a team on the fringe of the Premiership. Reality must always be checked. Hunt and Morris were eventually anonymously effective as they grew into the game, and Glennon didn't give in despite Lutonites taking it in turns to spit roast him. All we ask is that they try and do what they are told. They did. They contributed.

Town didn't have any distractions, they blocked out the buzzers and bells. They didn't see the pitch-side advert lights a-flashin', they played with a sense of smell. So got the replay they thoroughly deserved for their perseverance and fortitude.

Given Luton are two division above us, and Town were down to the last boys and men standing, it was all rather heartening.

We may have missed our chance, you know; they won't take Town so lightly again.

Fortunately, they were a little complacent as half the team tried to play one way, the other half another. Doughty gave away their psychology with smiling japery and interplay, they didn't seem fully up for the cup.

Everything about them was bigger, faster, stronger, better. They should be, of course, but were, every single one of them. Can you see John McAtee getting in this team? Really?

You could pick anyone of them and eulogise about their physique, their technique, but why waste time thinking about strangers you'll never meet again (after the replay). One player really stood out: Clark was tremendous, an old-fashioned box-to-box midfield dynamo. He really made them tick. Every team needs a Clark.

Keep your fingers crossed they turn up in jolly japery mode.

We’re happy, hope you're happy too.

Mr T Robinson

Some days you eat the bear, sometimes the bear eats you. Town pushed Mr Robinson over the edge.

Mr T's a bold referee, not a scaredy-cat referee, he knows it takes a smart guy to play dumb. He don't like magic, but he's been known to make men disappear and yellow cards appear for the egregious use of time.

Laugh about it, shout about, but when you've got to choose a score Mr Robinson only loses two points for Osho's freestyle skydiving: 7.01.

You've been harried.

In a word: bouncing