Cod Almighty | Match Stats
Saturday 2 January 2016
Conference Premier
Grimsby Town 1 Amond (72)
Guiseley 1 Norburn (40)
Attendance: 5093
Much like his control of the football, personality goes a long way.
Do I have to? Robertson, if anyone, was the least worst performer.
"The first goal was a great strike. I don't know if that's the only shot they've had but near enough anyway. It's not easy to play against that sort of team and the possession stats must be one of the highest we've had this season, if not the highest."
"The headers, the tackles, the blocks, they put their bodies on the line against the team that I think is the best in the league. [Grimsby] had possession but real chances were few and far between."
If this is the future, it doesn't work without Townsend. Sans the Hessle hustler, only Arnold can provide that je ne sais quoi required to unpick the obdurately organised opponents. The left is merely old and sensible, negatively competent and designed for away days. The dynamic of the game changed when Mercurial Marcus Marshall arrived. His presence was enough as there was at least some movement. It wasn't much, but it was enough.
No-one played well. This was one of those games where Town didn't need a goalkeeper on the pitch, let alone the subs' bench – Pearson may as well have played in goal. Robertson was persistently professional throughout, while Toto and Gowling had mad moments where the ball was slip-sliding away. The central midfield was a sloppy missing mess; Arnold was concerned about his new hairstyle; and Omar was Lenny-like in his inability, or unwillingness to attack crosses or anticipate events. There's even a case to be made for dropping Arnold to jolt him out of complacency and conservatism.
So back to the old normal.
They had a plan. It nearly worked. That's it in a nutshell. It was like last year's FA Cup game but they defended better, with a giant human mop stationed in front of their centre-backs, sweeping up the sleeping bags. They had one shot, it went in, super strike, great technique and all that. Unstoppable. They didn't do a darn thing before or after. Quit complaining – it's only what we did to big-time johnnies all those years ago. They deserved the point more than Town.
Those Guiseleys had learned things and have filled those holes in their sea wall. They are still lightweight squealers, but with added fortitude and savvy, and are still like a feeble Altrincham without the goal threat. Will be on the cusp of relegation, depending on the swings and harrows of outrageous refereeing decisions.
Big crowd, silent sulk until Amond's supermarket sweep.
Mr A Young (Cambs)
Was determined not to be swayed by the big club vibe. He indulged the Yorkists so much that he defectively destroyed a bad game by allowing the whinging and squealing to go on and on and on and on and on and on and on and on and only a number will end this sentence. That number is 5.013.
Water, water here and there and not a lot to think about.
In a word: drenched
Town: McKeown; Tait, Gowling, Nsiala, Robertson; Arnold (Pittman 86), Clay (Brown 75), Disley, Monkhouse (Marshall 62); Amond, Bogle
Subs not used: East, Pearson
Booked: Gowling
Guiseley: Drench, Toulson, Lockwood, Lawlor, Hatfield, Norburn (Boyes 81), Lowe, Boshell, Rothery, Hall, Craddock (Dickinson 60)
Subs not used: Brooksby, Dickinson, Smith
Booked: Boshell, Craddock, Hatfield, Rothery