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I think hopeful was the word I would use to describe how I felt but not over hopeful. Just after ten minutes past three that hope had virtually evaporated as we fell not one but two goals behind after making a positive looking start.
The goals were conceded at the far end but even from that distance it looked as though the defending wasn't anywhere near as good as it could be. It was difficult to take because we had done the bulk of the attacking and had lost out to what looked to dreadful goals from our point of view.
Stan did what Stan always does and started to change things round a bit. He soon made a substitution with Fred West being replaced by Paul Weller and us switching to three at the back with Weller and Briscoe employed as wing backs. This could have been done without making a substitution but Fred hadn't made the best of starts and looked to have been caught out with the first goal.
If anything it looked to go worse after the change although we did continue to attack quite a bit but not once did we threaten the home team goal. They have in my opinion the best goalkeeper in this division but he just wasn't being asked to do anything other than collect the odd cross.
This was the game that could all but ensure a place in the play offs but we lacked any sort of urgency and always looked vulnerable at the back. It was always more likely that we would concede a third than pull one back and just a couple of minutes before half time we did just that. Marlon has gone back to Middlesbrough and in his place we have a keeper who looks to have lost every bit of confidence he ever had. He looked badly at fault with the third goal as he charged out and played feet first goalkeeping again one of a number of times he did this again today.
It was 3-0 and just in front of me the London Clarets could be seen activating their three goal rule and leaving the ground and many others were following. There were certainly going to be some empty seats in the second half.
Those who were confident an hour earlier looked stunned at half time. "How can one of the best teams in the division be three down against one of the worst", said one Claret to me at half time. I suggested that he took a long hard look at our results since Christmas if he really thought we were one of the best teams in this division. Results don't lie and since Christmas we have been one of the worst teams in this division. In fact if our results since Christmas were maintained over a full season we would be struggling to avoid relegation.
We kicked off the second half with two more subs on and in front of many less travelling Clarets. Gazza and Taylor were on for Little and Bally. Bally had been ineffective for once and Little continued his poor run, the second half last week against Gillingham has sadly been an exception in recent months.
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Gazza seemed to be running everything but were Grimsby just sitting back and letting us, it was difficult to determine. There was a wonderful moment with 77 minutes gone, Grimsby keeper Coyne was forced into a save. It was a good save tipping over from Briscoe with some style. Not long after he saved a Taylor header.
All sorts of calculations were going on in the Osmond Stand as to where we were going to be in the league. Norwich were two up and that would see them above us but Nob End were two down and seemingly out of it.
Then Johnson, has he played ninety minutes before without getting in a single telling shot, crossed for Lee Briscoe to hammer in from close range. It made the final result 3-1 but the goal was enough to take us above Norwich but certainly nothing more than a consolation on another miserable day.
We are still in the top six but the big question is will we still be there in eight days time? We could in fact finish as high as fourth if results go well for us elsewhere with a worst scenario of ninth place and would equal our worst position all season from back in November.
To win a play off place we will be keeping an eye on things at Millwall, Birmingham and Norwich. They are all at home and not against team we would have chosen. We are going to have to rely on Grimsby who quite frankly will have to play better than they did today to beat Millwall, or we could rely on Neil Warnock doing us a favour at Birmingham or better still ask the Unprofessionals to get a result or at worst keep the score down at Norwich.
On the way back on the M62 we saw many West Brom fans on their way back home from Bradford looking as though they had made it back to the big league. Just to think we were some seven points clear of them less than 4 months ago and are now 14 points behind them. They have picked up 43 points whilst we have picked up 22. Slightly better than relegation form over the last 20 games would have seen us into the play offs but we haven't hit those dizzy heights and we now have to go into the last match still looking around elsewhere for help.
To get to the Premiership now we are going to need a complete change of form over four games and I wonder whether we can really do that. I hope so but I'm not quite so hopeful as I was just before kick off this afternoon.
The teams were,
Grimsby Town: Danny Coyne, John McDermott (Simon Ford 85), Andy Todd, Paul Groves, Ben Chapman, Danny Butterfield (Paul Robinson 75), Alan Pouton, Stacy Coldicutt, Terry Cooke, Bradley Allen (Steve Livingstone 78), Michael Boulding. Subs not used: Steve Croudson, Wayne Burnett.
Burnley: Nik Michopoulos, Dean West (Paul Weller 21), Steve Davis, Arthur Gnohere, Mitchell Thomas, Glen Little (Gareth Taylor 45), Kevin Ball (Paul Gascoigne 45), Tony Grant, Lee Briscoe, Ian Moore, David Johnson. Subs not used: Gordon Armstrong, Andy Payton.
Referee: Mike Pike (Barrow-in-Furness).