The Diary

Cod Almighty | Diary

Diary - Saturday 1 May 2004

1 May 2004

Town sneak out of the bottom four with a hard-fought win over Brentford at Blundell Park - but for the second week in a row, it needs the introduction of Graham Hockless as a substitute to get the Mariners onto the scoresheet. Following his awesome goal at Stockport last Saturday, this time the young winger turns provider with a sweet stepover and a delicious deep cross for Isaiah Rankin to head the winner on 70 minutes (precisely the same time at which Hockless netted at Edgeley Park). A good crowd of 6,856 can barely contain its delight, with an old-fashioned pitch invasion at the final whistle and the players coming back out to milk the applause as if Town have already stayed up. But anything less than three points at Tranmere next Saturday will allow Chesterfield and Rushden the chance to pip the Mariners to second division safety by notching wins of their own.

Brian's in the basement mixing up the medicine, and Scunthorpe's league status is confirmed despite yet another defeat, as York and Carlisle are relegated to the Conference with a week to spare, while wobbly old Hull finally secure promotion to the second division with a 2-1 win at Yeovil. All of which seeming irrelevance guarantees Town at least one genuine derby match next season, regardless of events next weekend, for the first time in about 15 years.