Month by month
August 2003
A new hope
September 2003
The Mariners strike back
October 2003
Return of the Geordie
November 2003
Great, kids - now don't get cocky
December 2003
All too easy
January 2004
Watch out for those fighters
February 2004
Stay on target
March 2004
The emperor's March
April 2004
Almost there
May 2004
Let's blow this thing and go home
About this series
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January 2004: Watch out for those fighters
Mat Hare
24 July 2003
January, the third round of the FA Cup. And Town face Preston at home. But before that there is the small matter of a league game against Wrexham (h). After the cup match come six more league matches. They are Rushden (a), a big one against QPR (h), Hartlepool (h), Sheffield Wednesday (a), Stockport (h) and Brighton (a). If Town beat Preston in the FA Cup they will also have another match in that competition this month. I already know whether they do but I'm just trying to be a tease.
The start of the new year sees Grimsby Town head the second division but eliminated from two of the three cups they entered. The game against Wrexham sees Town win 2-1 but down to 10 men as Steve Livingstone is given his marching orders, but by then he had scored. Boulding gets Town's second five minutes after Livvo's departure. So on to Division One Preston at Blundell Park. Boulding's opener sees Town get off to a great start and run out easy 3-0 winners in front of 9,479 fans. We will have another cup match this month then.
Before we get caught up too much in the excitement of the FA Cup, let us not forget we are trying to defend the top spot in the league. Quite how a 1-0 defeat by Rushden helps our cause I don't know. Perhaps Groves' sending off in the 80th minute is a turning point. Use of the elbow apparently. This defeat is unfortunately followed up by another a few days later, by promotion-chasing QPR. The Mariners lose 3-1 in what looks an even match in everything but goals. Livvo, inevitably, adds Town's consolation effort. Things soon pick up, though, as Town destroy Hartlepool, who are forced to play with 10 men for the last 17 minutes after one of them was a very naughty boy and was sent to his room without any tea. Boulding opens the scoring and adds a second before half time. Campbell gets one just after the break and Town endeup winning 5-0. Much better.
The excellent form continues and sees Town unbeaten for the rest of the month. A 2-1 win for Town at Hillsborough sees both Groves and Boulding score. Quick Mick obviously has developed a taste for scoring as he does so again in the 1-1 draw against Stockport. Now comes the big one, the FA Cup fourth round. The mighty Mariners face Crewe (h), another first division side. And another scalp, 2-0 this time, with Boulding starting things off after just four minutes. Over 9,000 fans see the Town players hammer 15 shots at goal, nine of which are on target. So it's all looking good for the final league match of the month, Brighton away. Town come away with a creditable draw from a six-goal thriller, Boulding again scoring two of Town's goals.
So this one feels like a good month for Boulding and a quiet one for Livvo. Indeed Boulding is now the club's top scorer with 24, two ahead of Livvo. But it's not all bad for Livvo as he maintains a close second in the performance ratings, just behind Groves who is still averaging 7.63 out of 10 - good enough for him to stand sixth best in the division. Livvo and Campbell share the top assister award with 11 each but Livvo has overhauled Macca in terms of man of the match awards, with the big striker now on seven.
January was a good cup month for the Mariners, then, but there were a couple of dodgy league results, not least losing the six-pointer against QPR. But it was all enough for Town to maintain top dog status. This is mainly due to the two games in hand QPR have - but a two-point lead is a two-point lead.
| |
|
P |
W |
D |
L |
F |
A |
+/- |
Pts |
| 1 |
Grimsby |
31 |
19 |
4 |
8 |
56 |
29 |
27 |
61 |
| 2 |
QPR |
29 |
18 |
5 |
6 |
49 |
17 |
32 |
59 |
| 3 |
Swindon |
31 |
16 |
8 |
7 |
42 |
23 |
19 |
56 |
| 4 |
Stockport |
30 |
16 |
6 |
8 |
46 |
29 |
17 |
54 |
| 5 |
Notts Co |
31 |
16 |
6 |
9 |
49 |
35 |
14 |
54 |
| 6 |
Blackpool |
31 |
16 |
5 |
10 |
54 |
40 |
14 |
53 |
| 7 |
Chesterfield |
31 |
14 |
11 |
6 |
33 |
20 |
13 |
53 |
| 8 |
Brighton |
30 |
14 |
8 |
8 |
64 |
46 |
18 |
50 |
| 9 |
Bristol City |
31 |
15 |
5 |
11 |
51 |
36 |
15 |
50 |
| 10 |
Oldham |
31 |
13 |
8 |
10 |
48 |
43 |
5 |
47 |
| 11 |
Tranmere |
30 |
13 |
4 |
13 |
47 |
48 |
-1 |
43 |
| 12 |
Brentford |
31 |
12 |
6 |
13 |
39 |
43 |
-4 |
42 |
| 13 |
Hartlepool |
31 |
11 |
8 |
12 |
40 |
43 |
-3 |
41 |
| 14 |
Luton |
31 |
11 |
8 |
12 |
33 |
36 |
-3 |
41 |
| 15 |
Port Vale |
31 |
11 |
7 |
13 |
39 |
48 |
-9 |
40 |
| 16 |
Sheff Wed |
31 |
10 |
8 |
13 |
39 |
41 |
-2 |
38 |
| 17 |
Colchester |
31 |
9 |
10 |
12 |
37 |
43 |
-6 |
37 |
| 18 |
Plymouth |
30 |
10 |
7 |
13 |
38 |
46 |
-8 |
37 |
| 19 |
Rushden |
28 |
10 |
5 |
13 |
33 |
40 |
-7 |
35 |
| 20 |
Wycombe |
30 |
10 |
2 |
18 |
37 |
61 |
-24 |
32 |
| 21 |
Barnsley |
31 |
9 |
4 |
18 |
46 |
65 |
-19 |
31 |
| 22 |
Wrexham |
31 |
7 |
7 |
17 |
33 |
50 |
-17 |
28 |
| 23 |
Bournemouth |
31 |
5 |
7 |
19 |
29 |
57 |
-28 |
22 |
| 24 |
Peterborough |
31 |
6 |
3 |
22 |
29 |
72 |
-43 |
21 |
Yep, still deep shit for Peterborough. They are now 11 points off safety and with that defensive record it doesn't look good for them. But there is still time. Sheffield Wednesday are still making the bookies look daft by hovering about in mid-table. While Bristol City are also trying to prove that the favourite doesn't always win by dropping to ninth.
In the Premiership Liverpool remain the ponciest team, holding an eight-point lead over Man Utd in second. Early leaders Fulham are now fifth. Wolves revert to type and slip to 16th but they are still six points above the relegation zone occupied by Man City, Leicester and Portsmouth. In Division One it is still Coventry and Millwall in the automatic promotion spots with Sunderland three points back in third. Crystal Palace, Burnley and Sheffield United are the three clubs faced with the drop. And down in the third division Hull still lead Cambridge and Cheltenham while Macclesfield and Yeovil face relegation. But Scunthorpe are edging ever nearer the drop.
A good cup month again for the Mariners, knocking out two first division sides in the FA Cup. Any other shocks to report? Rotherham put out Liverpool and Leicester lost to Oldham but the big story of the third round has to be Morecambe's defeat of West Ham. In the fourth round a few more Premiership sides fell by the wayside but no big shock results that round. In the Vans Trophy there are four sides remaining, Hull being the only Division Three team left. And it is Aston Villa and Everton who will compete in the League Cup final.
There was no European cup competition action in January so nothing more to report on that front. Arsenal still top their group, Man Utd are second in theirs and Newcastle are the only English team left in the UEFA Cup having reached the fourth round.
Only a few months of the season left to play. Town have hung on to that top spot and beaten two good sides in the FA Cup this month. A few more months like this and Town will be crowned second division champions and be in the FA Cup Final. But will the remaining months of the season be like this one?
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