Down to the Wire!

By: Dave Boylen
Date: 02/05/2006

I have to give tribute to all the faithful Mariner supporters who went to the Macclesfield game on Saturday. I do think the players can only be lifted by the support they get at these away games.

I personally know what it is like to have the Mariners' faithful cheering you on; it certainly gives you a goal start which I do believe happened on Saturday at Macclesfield. What disappointed me with the lads is why, with just about ten minutes to go after Gary Jones had scored in my eyes a truly good goal, we did we not kill the game off. Instead of playing possession football we continued to keep banging the ball into the Macclesfield area hoping that we could get another goal before half time. That never happens, the opposition come at you in droves and what happened in my opinion was that Town got caught out at the back because we had sent players too far forward.

We paid the penalty for not being clinical, we should have made the Macclesfield players chase us by keeping possession and by doing that it would have killed the game off with half time looming around the corner. Then the nerves crept in and the surface on the pitch was a bit bumpy and mistakes were made at both ends.

We went out of the game for me when Michael Reddy went off. To me he was the only threat with his pace, to be honest why he went off I really don't know not unless he was injured? Reddy frightened the life out of Macclesfield with his pace and just before he went off he took four of the Macclesfield back four on and left them all for dead, squared the ball across the goal but unfortunately for the Mariners nobody was supporting, the game frittered out and I have to admit the I was disappointed with the result. I honestly believed that we could have beat Macclesfield on their own doorstep.

The situation now is no longer in the Mariners' hands. We have the final home game against Northampton who are already promoted, and we have to rely on Leyton Orient dropping a point. The Mariners have to win on Saturday and to me this is going to be one of those games that will be a sell out when all those mysterious supporters turn out of the closet and want a ticket pleading that they go to watch Town every week.

At least we are definitely in the play-offs, let's forget about Lincoln for the minute we still have a very important game on Saturday and I have a feeling that it will go our way for a change. It will need some brave hearts out there on Saturday and also a little bit of experience along with it. For instance it may be the final rally call for Macca to return for one last vital game to steady the nerves.

I do think Macca's experience is vitally important for the Northampton game, it will also release Cohen to go forward and show his strength and pace to trouble the Northampton back four. Make no mistake the Mariners have got to throw caution to the wind on Saturday whoever turns out in the famous Black & White shirts. Your club needs you!

I do believe that the Mariners deserve to go up because they have been in the top three all season. Not that they have a divine right to go up, no it's just that this is a truly horrible league; nobody plays football, and I am hoping that by getting promotion then Russell Slade and Graham Rodger will be able to get the lads playing more football once again.

I feel that this is the type of football this league generates. For instance Wycombe Wanderers, look how they have fallen away. To me they were the best footballing side I have seen at Blundell Park this season. It seems to me that in this league there is only one way out: blood and muscle coupled with a bit of skill in the right places.

On a final note and I can say from experience that the Pontoon supporters are incredible for the players just everybody get behind the lads on Saturday and roar them out of this horrible league.

Dave Boylen

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