Cod Almighty | Diary

Breaking the code

21 March 2022

Miss Guest Diary writes: What is the opposite of petering out? I need to find the right term so that I can communicate it to the hack in yesterday's Non-League Paper who said that the game at Boreham Wood "petered out into a disappointing affair". Any Town fan who was there will tell you that, far from petering out, a game which had been pretty dull in the first half with barely any goalmouth action livened up considerably in the second half. Town had some good attacks and might well have scored two or three goals. Even the Bores had a couple of chances.

It makes me wonder whether whoever wrote that in the Non-League Paper was anywhere near Meadow Park on Saturday. Sadly, it's not uncommon to read about a game and not be able to square the report with what you've seen with your own eyes. In a local paper or on a club website one expects a little home bias – I was certainly hard pushed to recall the "goalkeeping heroics" referenced in the Grimsby Telegraph report – but not in a national paper.

At Cod Almighty Towers we like to think that, once you wade through the whimsy and pop references in Tony Butcher's reports, you will find an honest account of events. There is no sugar-coating of Town's shortcomings and praise is given to the opposition where deserved. If only you can crack the code.

Opinion is divided as to whether Saturday's result was good or not: Town performed no worse than any other side this season in getting a draw at Boreham Wood's ground. I know some feel that "settling for a point" is always a waste of time and that going all out for a win every game is the only acceptable tactic. But let's face it, Paul 'Keep Us Shape' Hurst is very unlikely to do that and in the absence of a settled attacking partnership who are guaranteed to score every game, I'm all in favour of some caution. Especially as tomorrow's opponents, Solihull Moors have already scored 13 (thirteen) goals this month.

Misfortune has struck the midfield again, with Callum Jones out for the rest of the season with a groin problem. We just can't catch a break, can we. Alex Hunt recalled, Arjun Raikhy crocked, Ben Fox still out and now Jones knackered. Will Hurst dive into the transfer market again before the window finally shuts next week or is he finally going to bow to the inevitable and play human dynamo Harry Clifton in the centre? I do hope so.

Now it's reported there are concerns on the goalkeeping front with James McKeown suffering with tendonitis and Ollie Battersby carrying a quad injury (whatever that is).

At last the home game against Boring Wood, which should have taken place in November, has been rearranged, and will take place on Tuesday 10 May. The season is ending late this year, isn't it – that's a month into the cricket season. Luckily there's no clash of fixtures or my loyalties might be tested. Just kidding.

UTM.