Fleetwood || Michael Brown 59

After having the last two league games postponed due to bad weather, the Fleetwood Town team certainly looked a little rusty as they battled to a draw against an unexceptional but awkward Eastwood Town. With Nathan Pond side-lined for another week, Phil Robinson continued to deputise in mid field and, following the return of loan keeper Zak Hibbert to Burscough, Mike Hale reclaimed the number one jersey. Before the game, Manager Tony Greenwood picked up both the ‘Club of the Month’ and the ‘Fair Play’ awards form the UniBond League and, given the kiss of death reputation of such awards, we should be grateful that we escaped with a draw and only one player sent off!

Before a crowd of 455, Town opened with some pleasant enough approach work but, even with Jerome Watt and Andy Bell both making penetrating runs, they were unable to find that final ball with which to test Deakin in the Eastwood goal and the visitors, with a more direct approach, were able to keep Mike Hale much the busier of the two keepers. When the first goal went to Eastwood in the 19^th minute it was not a surprise, although the manner of it was as Eastwood fullback, Chris Shaw, saw his corner kick clear a packed penalty box and drop into the far corner of the net. The other disappointment of the first half was the retirement of Jez Fitzgerald, injured. Michael Brown came on on the right flank with Kieran Walmsley dropping back into the defence.

Fleetwood upped the tempo in the second half with Deakin playing an increasingly prominent role as the game progressed. Eastwood are a physical side and Fleetwood will not be intimidated and so it was no quarter asked or given. Inevitably, the contest finally boiled over in the 55^th minute when Jerome Watt and Eastwood’s Ricky Hanson allowed their feud to escalate to ‘hand bags’ and both were red carded. The referee didn’t contribute much in the way of a calming influence, and it needed a superb equalising volley from Michael Brown, on the hour, to refocus everyone on the game. Fleetwood pushed on in search of a winner, risking the inevitable counter attack on the break, but despite the introduction of Phil Denney and Steve Foster from the bench, Eastwood survived three high pressure corners in the very last minute to head home happy with a point.

Despite the draw, Fleetwood remain second in the league as third placed Marine were beaten at North Ferriby United. League leaders Witton Albion also drew so, although not losing any ground to them, Tony Greenwood will see the game as a lost opportunity.

Eastwood earned themselves an honourable point at title-chasers Fleetwood on Saturday - though the game was marred by two red cards. Despite the success of audaciously fielding three strikers against Prescot Cables, Paul Cox and John Ramshaw took a more cautious approach to the trip to the Lancashire coast. Lindon Meikle had to settle for a place on the bench with new midfield signing Reuben Wiggins-Thomas getting a debut. In what, to me, seems a disturbingly common pattern of late withdrawals, Marc Stevenson did not travel.

The Badgers surprised their hosts with some early adventurous forays and Matt Rhead combined with the debutant to set up David Brown for a snap-shot well blocked by Mike Hale. A corner on Fleetwood’s left was floated in by Jerome Fitzgerald but Ricky Mercer’s header was off target. Back came Eastwood and from their corner, Hale punched clear from Rhead. In 19 minutes, a period of sustained Eastwood raids set up the opening goal. From a right-flank corner, Chris Shaw scorned all aid as he swung the ball across goal directly into Hale’s net. Rhead and Brown’s almost intuitive inter-play constantly stretched a seemingly brittle home defence, and, around the half-hour, an enforced substitution brought on Michael Brown for Fitzgerald, injured as he came in late on Paul Mitchell. In another period of the game centred mainly around Hale, Rhead headed just over, Brown failed to connect with Mitchell’s low cross and Craig Swinscoe knocked Wiggin-Thomas’s hard-driven cross wide.

Early second-half flow still favoured the visitors, but, worryingly, Manchester-based referee Mr Roberts was showing clear signs of being able to deal with some petulant behaviour. In 52 minutes, Jerome Watt blatantly kicked Ricky Hanson, who, unwisely, retaliated, although the assistant on Eastwood’s left had clearly spotted the original offence. Significantly, Mr Roberts then took an absolute age to discuss, ponder and eventually show two obviously deserved red cards. Just on the hour, Eastwood’s undisputable right to all three points was lost in a couple of incidents. From what looked an aimless punt by Walmsley, Michael Brown was allowed time to shoot past Ian Deakin with at least three Eastwood players not showing much interest. Immediately, as Deakin and Walmsley exchanged pleasantries, the keeper was obviously hit in the face by his opponent. Again the same assistant was spot-on and his shout of ‘number seven’ was clearly audible. Again Mr Roberts vacillated for minutes, belatedly realised Walmsley had already been carded, put his yellow card back in his pocket and cravenly bottled out. After Brown, Swinscoe and Rhead had all missed eminently takeable chances, Eastwood gambled and brought Lindon on for Brown. If anything this change increased the tempo of misses, with the newcomer first over-elaborating his run directly into Mercer’s block, and then shooting widely over when fed clear by Rhead’s headed flick. Deakin, proving the old adage that the sternest test of any goalkeeper is the ability to maintain concentration through idle spells, had throughout the game been impregnable. Now, in the closing stages, he pulled off a great double stop from Peter Wright and then Andy Bell. Wiggins-Thomas crowned a good debut with a last-gasp run and fiercely-driven cross but Swinscoe’s volley was straight into Hale’s arms.

In one of Eastwood’s better displays recently, there were good performances in all areas with Wiggins-Thomas, Breach and Deakin all deserving commendations. For Best Badger, I opt for Paul Mitchell who is looking better by the game.

A warm welcome to the Badgers this afternoon. After one season apart they have now rejoined us in the UniBond Premier Division. Their last visit to Highbury was 4th March 2006 and we won 3-2 courtesy of goals by Andy Bell and two from Richie Allen, recently departed to Kendal Town. What a great shame that Richie was never able to recover the  fantastic form of which we knew he was capable. Still a legend at Town though! 

Sir Andy’s challenge of beating the record of six goals scored by half time against Warrington was duly taken up and, having conferred with the 'oracle', Mr McKenna, the record 13-0 home win against Oldham Town in NWCFL Division Two on the 5th December 1988 wins on two counts as we were leading 8-0 at half time! I was proud to be in attendance when we scored a record nine second half goals on a Tuesday evening in March 1967 during our 11-0 pasting of Skelmersdale United! I know that one or two others fans were also there forty years ago during that Lancashire Combination league game. I should imagine that record will stand for all time but I would be very pleased to be proved wrong one day! At that time Skem were heavily committed in the FA Amateur Cup and the Welsh North side, Connahs Quay Nomads, were recruited en-bloc to take on some of their fixtures, this being one of them. I see that they are in the Welsh Premier nowadays but they are struggling a bit. In fact they coincidentally shipped eight goals just last Saturday! I believe things went a bit sour at the end of their relationship when the Nomads received no Wembley final tickets as a thank you. 

My last article regarding the Olympia Amusements ball boys from 1981 has borne fruit and I have brought a photocopy of their picture today to be collected by the internet forum member who contacted me. He was one of those boys apparently. I just noticed, on looking back, that my first Cobb’s Corner was for the Newcastle Town game on the opening day of the season 16th August 2003. It was a pretty weak effort but there were some interesting things in the rest of the programme. We had just played the big Liverpool friendly and Tony Greenwood remarked, 'Whilst we can count on 150 hardcore fans at Highbury I’m hoping maybe 30 to 50 of the others at Bloomfield Road (gate 7,900!) will come and see if we are ambitious and if we can play.' Well I think some of them did come and they are still here to this day. In other items, keeper extraordinaire Tony Clowes had moved to Blackpool Mechanics and ex player/manager Jim Kelly, 1966/67, had sadly died the previous weekend. I remember him as an excellent full back and leader and he was the very first Fleetwood manager. Previously we just had a committee who ran everything believe it or not! Finally, Fisherman’s Friend were advertising the new cherry flavour on the last page; it would be great to have them back on board whatever the flavour wouldn’t it? 

Tony Greenwood’s 195th league game in charge proved to be a sublime experience at Guiseley. Many people agreed that the Fleetwood performance was the best seen for years, the home side must have wondered what had hit them! We were expecting a tight cat and mouse affair but it turned out to be more like the lion and the lamb as Town tore into the home side in an amazing first half with goal number 60 quickly followed by number  61 of the whole season. Tony had obviously got everyone pumped up and it showed. We gave our appreciation to every single one of them at the final whistle and it felt good to be alive! You know the feeling, once a cod always a cod. 

Tuesday evening at Defeat Park, cue the complete and utter opposite! Yet another embarrassing debacle against a lower league team but on this occasion, unlike Retford, they were no great shakes at all. To be fair, we fielded a much weaker team as it is a Mickey Mouse cup and of course 'We can now concentrate on the league, blah, blah, blah'! I wish we could just jack this competition in once and for all or get a bye to the final! Some of the players who got a run out on in that game failed to take the opportunity to impress and I wouldn’t be surprised if the 'unloading' ship was ready to set sail once again!  We have now conceded three goals or more seven times so far although when I look back at last season we had done it eight times at the same stage so this is an improvement - but nothing to be proud of! We cannot even blame the M55 traffic jam as the team got there in time even though most of the Cods were extremely late and some never got there at all! This was one occasion when Mike and Dave, who bravely cycled to the Guiseley  game, would have beaten most of the cars. At least living at Broughton paid dividends on the night  as we were blissfully unaware of the chaos at our rear.  

Following Saturday’s wash out we were all raring to get to Buxton but the flipping ref decided it was dangerous after just one nights frost! When I was a lad play went ahead until there were at least four fractures. What is the world coming to, fans? 

My footy expenses before today now total £586.28.
Fuel           1165miles    = £142.28
Admissions                    = £269.00
Board/Refreshments     = £111.60
Coach/Shared               =   £63.40