The Tide is Turning

By: Dave Boylen
Date: 20/09/2006

IT seems to me that maybe the tide is turning a little bit for Graham Roger. The much needed away win against Chester was very welcome indeed. I was especially delighted for Gary Jones who scored his first goal of the season.

To my mind he has had a slow start to the campaign with not a lot of luck going his way. On paper it looked like a tricky game, but Rodger has always said that he was looking for his defence to have clean sheets and he could build the confidence of the team from there.

What was also pleasing was the fact that young Andy Taylor scored a very good late goal with more or less the last kick of the game to secure a 2-0 win. It is satisfying to see that young players are now getting a chance under Graham Rodger. Young starlet Peter Bore again made an impact by hitting a tremendous shot against the bar.

Peter has really made a big impression in the first team this season and long may it continue. I have always advocated that we must have a youth policy at Blundell Park. Over last few years the youth system has been ignored by numerous Town managers much to my annoyance

There are other young players waiting to get their chance, but it has to be done in the right manner. Too many youngsters in one go can be fatal; you have got to get the balance right. A mixture of youth and experience is the answer, so you supporters please be patient

The other week when I praised the signing of Peter Beagrie I was ridiculed in some quarters for the fact that Peter's age was against him. Not true. I know that Beagrie has been working with these young lads in training and they can only learn a great deal from his experience. He has played at the top level, the young lads will gain so much knowledge from him. Sometimes it takes a brave manager to play young fledglings. The pressure to get results is so intense, but put it this way I would rather have a local kid from the Willows or the Nunsthorpe estate who I can relate to, being a Town fan, and I know that he will give 100% out on the football pitch rather than some journeyman who is just filling in time to waste away the season.

Town have now got two home games against Stockport and Hartlepool, both will not be easy tasks, but I am sure that the win against Chester will have boosted morale and I think it is vitally important that the fans get behind the lads and roar them on to another important win.

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