Match Report 2002-2003
Saturday 24 August, 2002, Division One
Grimsby Town At Valley Parade
Where will we get goals?
I grimaced when Gary Walsh was omitted from the City side in favour of Aidan Davison. It turns out that the keeper that make a mistake at Stoke was out injured but for a moment I thought that he had been left out to dry for his error.
That is not how one runs a football team, at least not in my opinion. A manager must show faith in his players.
I need not have worried. Division was a spectator as Grimsby failed to muster a shot worthy of the name. City's problems are at the other end to Walsh or Davison and those problems are acute.
Put simply City have no goals in them. Ashley Ward is the most obvious villain, although that is perhaps not the right term. He works hard and nearly gets near goals on occasions but the blank scoresheet is the final word on a guy who gets 1100% of Gordon Gibbs wage cap of £80,000 a year.
Danny Cadamarteri has a good game today but never looked like scoring. Michael Proctor came off the bench for the last twenty minutes and tried a few things but did not get a shot to test the visiting keeper Danny Coyne.
Of course it is wrong to point out this as a striking problem alone. The midfield need create more but to be frank it does create some good chances. Michael Standing played his first full league game and impressed. He looks lively and good on the ball. Tom Kearney's injury which he got in a challenge midway though the second half that could keep him out until his City contract is up in nine months time thrusts Standing into the first team picture along side the once again impressive Paul Evans. On this display he should be up to the job.
Standing is a creative and perhaps represents a more of a McCall/Whalley partnership with Evans that the unfortunate Kearney does. Andy Gray shows good signs but need to get his crosses in better, the left wing is a problem that needs addressing but a dazzling Peter Beagrie style man who will get his £80k with a smile.
However chances are being created and spurned. Ashley Ward flashed a free header form a corner wide impressively, but more impressive would have been hitting the target. No one has even scored with an impressive anything without getting the basics of hitting the target. Cadamarterti needs to find the penalty box once in a while. He has talents but virtually no presence in the box. It is too early to judge Proctor.
So to Ipswich on Monday night. Two of the current City board would have sacked Paul Jewell seven games into the Promotion season after his loss there in 1998. It is generally thought that Nicky Law is making the best of a bad lot at Valley Parade, a lot that got worse with losing Kearney, so one doubts he will face the same fate.
The same cannot be said for his strike force.
Man of the Match
Tom Kearney
Another impressive game. Hopefully we will see him again sooner rather than later.