The Score No One Wanted

By: Black Haddock
Date: 24/02/2008

WE started slowly and finished slowly, in fact we did everything slowly. Three at the back with Clarke and Hegarty as wingbacks, Till and North up front. Wrexham looked keener and meaner than us, the first ten minutes saw us penned back offering nothing but blocks and tackle.

The 150 or so Town fans were outnumbered by bip wearing junior school children with horns, no not that sort of horns, they blew into them for the whole match. I can still hear them now!

Slowly, oh so slowly we began to find our passing game but it wasn't slick and it wasn't quick. The swirling wind didn't help, but neither did Wrexham, they worked harder than us and any loose ball seemed to find one of their players, we looked like a punch drunk boxer at times.

Wrexham have big lads all over the park and they used their superior height to good effect, everything was in the air from them, on the ground from us, when and if we got the ball.

Fenton was very busy and was my Man-Of-The-Match, he won everything in the air and had a commanding presence about him, both young Bennett and Atkinson needed to be at their best too, luckily they were.

Barnes didn't have a shot to stop all game, he caught plenty of crosses, punched one very effectively and apart from some wayward kicking did all that was asked of him.

We had our first shot on target after 25 minutes. Our second one saw Toner crocked as he shot, he didn't appear after the half-time interval.

Our one and only corner was in the first half too, it came to zilch. The first half was mind numbingly boring, we had defended very well but looked lightweight in attack with Till looking out of sorts in particular. The midfield were not moving the ball with any conviction and the wingbacks didn't offer themselves as much as they could have.

The pitch had more sand on it than Meggy beach and those bloody horns were doing my head in. Hunt was doing OK, short passes and making a nuisance of himself when they had the ball but as a unit we were not functioning at all.

Half Time: Wrexham 0 Grimsby 0

Never mind, the second half will be better, Oh no it won't......Oh yes it will.....Oh no it wasn't.

Bolland came on and we looked livelier, Mr Buckley had obviously had words. Nothing came to anything but we did play football a bit. Clarke and Hegarty began to find the ball, midfield pushed up and Bolland urged everyone forward.

North was running his socks off again, but sadly Till just wasn't in it and it was no surprise when he was replaced by Jones midway through the half.

Jones offered the solid rock we needed to hold up the play and allow others to come into the game, I don't remember him giving the ball away once.

He may not have any pace, but his first touch and shielding of the ball was a joy to watch. Wrexham kept changing their personnel, bringing on even more giants for our hero's to contend with.

They just pumped the ball forward at every opportunity but Fenton and his able lieutenants stood firm.

Bore came on for a tiring North and ran around trying to convince us all he is a changed man and prepared to work for his place.

In fairness he did OK, nothing for him to latch onto pass wise, he did close down players and put his foot in where before he might not have done.

Black <*))))))>< Haddock

01 Barnes
05 Bennett
06 Fenton
25 Atkinson
02 Clarke
11 Boshell
04 Hunt
10 Toner (45 Bolland)
17 Hegarty
07 Till (68 Jones)
09 North (80 Bore)

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