Cod Almighty | Diary

Wild about Harry

27 March 2023

Miss Guest Diary writes: Somehow Saturday's game felt like it was taking place much later in the season that it actually was. Town still have ten league games to play, you know that's over a fifth of the season. Maybe it's all the extra cup games I've been to, maybe it was the showery weather at the weekend but I felt as if we were at least half way through April.

It's most likely just the comedown after the excitement of Brighton last week, but the prospect of five more games at Blundell Park is not filling me with gleeful anticipation. Possibly my mood has been affected by the complaints about Town's home form – not least from the chap I sit next to in the Pontoon. No, not Mr Butcher, the chap who sits the other side of me. It's true Town have only won four league games at home this season but if you add in nine draws and the four cup victories, there's been plenty to cheer. I suppose it looks more gloomy if, like my neighbour, you only attend league games.

I admit I was disappointed that Town only drew against Walsall after the hatful of chances they had in the first half but, much like at Mansfield, you can't blame the opposition for changing their tactics at half time to combat our attacks in the second half. Town only have themselves to blame for putting the ball in the net only once in the course of both games. Though it certainly wasn't for want of trying. While I may be filled with inertia at the moment, the players don't seem to be.

It does feel, though, like time to stop all those tortuous calculations about how results need to go for Town to reach the play-offs this season. We are currently poised midway between the play-off and the relegation places and that's where we are likely to stay. I'm fine with that. The last time Town finished in the top half of the fourth division was in 2006, the fateful Cardiff play-off final season, about which the less said the better. If Town could manage to finish twelfth or higher this year, that would feel like real progress on the field to match all of the progress the club's new owners have made off it in the last two years.

Another disappointment for me on Saturday was not to get even a glimpse of Harry Clifton. I just love watching him play. I appreciate that, with his all-out running game, he probably needs a rest but, despite being a stand-out player this season, Harry has barely featured in March. He has started only three of the eight games played this month, not even coming on as sub in two of them. Sod's law says that he will play the full game at Crawley tomorrow (which I'm not going to) then be rested again for the Bradford game. Sort it Hursts!

Before the match Chairman Wow spoke to John Tondeur about moving the club on, improving the playing budget and the long list of things that need doing at Blundell Park. Coincidentally, I saw someone a man on Twitter boasting about having hot water in the Pontoon toilets on Saturday. Still none in the ladies, I'm afraid – in fact, by halftime there is barely any water at all. Another hope for next season, along with promotion, of course.

Rounding up some general news before I go. Stephen Wearne has gone to Gateshead; his departure, much like his time at Bundell Park, was very low key. And three of the youngsters - Braithwaite, Essel and Goundry - have signed loan deals until the end of the season with Whitby Town, Cleethorpes Town and Grimsby Borough respectively.

Oh, and tickets for the Doncaster game on Easter Monday have gone on sale to season ticket holders. It's non-stop isn't it for us fans as well as the players. We'll all have earned a break by the time the season ends.

UTM