Cod Almighty | Diary

Long live the Phoenix

10 September 2026

The idea behind introducing three points for a win instead of two was to encourage both teams to attack right until the end. In a game that’s finely balanced going into the final few minutes, the team that finds a winner will score two extra points instead of one! Is that not worth the risk? It’s a fantastic incentive that somehow feels like its true value has got lost in the rhetoric of modern-day football.

Maybe your West Yorkshire Diary is reading something into nothing, but there are plenty of football fans out there that appear to be more protective over an unbeaten run than simply getting points on the board.

I don’t think Town fans can accuse the team of playing for any of the four draws we’ve registered this season, but our mate Dave said it himself in his post-match interview at Cheltenham: you’re better off winning one and losing one overall than racking up draws. That said, while I understand the maths, a slightly irrational part of my brain still delights in us being unbeaten. It’s probably the same part of my brain that thinks I can land a 5000-1 acca or win at a roulette wheel.

Usually, coming back from 2-0 down to draw a game 2-2 leaves most of us feeling satisfied. In isolation, maybe we would be, but as it was our fourth draw on the trot the delight in the fightback gets lost in the pangs of regret. And it piles a little more unnecessary pressure on the next match. Beat table-topping Bristol Rovers at Blundell Park on Saturday and it’s an excellent unbeaten start to the season! Lose, and it’s an underwhelming one win in six to start the season and gives the grumblers the fuel to be extra grumbly.

I don’t have any strong feelings towards the visitors this weekend. I can’t even be bothered to feel anything towards their manager, the Den Perry of football — leading Bristol Banana Grove Rovers to the summit of the fourth division while still owning a face that suggests he’s more than capable of setting fire to the Main Stand.

Through Town’s profligacy in front of goal and generosity at the other end, we’ve made life a little more difficult for ourselves and Bristol Rovers won’t be bringing any gifts or freebies. If memory serves me correctly, the Mariners managed to hit rock bottom in September in our double Wembley season after we failed to win any of our first six league games. It's a funny old game.

Perceptions matter though, and it’s important we get ourselves as high up the table as we can in the early part of the season because it sets a tone. I want opposition fans to be intimidated by our lofty position, worried about how they’ll contain us. There’s nothing scary about travelling to play team hovering around mid-table.

It feels like there’s a bit more than three points riding on this. If the game is tied going into injury time, I’d expect to see the Mariners go for it. What scenes it would bring if Andy Cook smashed a winning header into the roof of the Pontoon net in the sixth minute of injury time! 

And just if you're wondering, the 2-2 is currently available at 11/1. UTM!