This weekend’s games (16/17April)

[part time pete]

Friday 1830 hrs Crawley vs Cheltenham

Saturday

Carlisle United
12:30
Port Vale

Exeter City
12:30
Southend United

Forest Green Rovers
12:30
Scunthorpe United

Grimsby Town
12:30
Bolton Wanderers

Harrogate Town
12:30
Bradford City

Leyton Orient
12:30
Barrow

Morecambe
12:30
Oldham Athletic

Newport County
12:30
Cambridge United

Stevenage
12:30
Mansfield Town

Tranmere Rovers
12:30
Salford City

Colchester United
17:30
Walsall

[part time pete]

Can’t see Grimsby and Southend winning so we will be practically safe with a win.

[Amber Andy]

Can’t see Grimsby and Southend winning so we will be practically safe with a win.

Yes they both have a difficult game ( although Exeter haven't been great recently)
However, it's what we do that's important. It's in our own hands.

[one f in mansfield]

Can’t see Grimsby and Southend winning so we will be practically safe with a win.

Yes they both have a difficult game ( although Exeter haven't been great recently)
However, it's what we do that's important. It's in our own hands.

Beating the league leaders 1-4 away from home is not that bad a result .

[Spiritater]

Can’t see Grimsby and Southend winning so we will be practically safe with a win.

Yes they both have a difficult game ( although Exeter haven't been great recently)
However, it's what we do that's important. It's in our own hands.

Beating the league leaders 1-4 away from home is not that bad a result .

But then went Barrow and lost so depends which team turns up.
Southend capable of getting a result. But with a 9 point ( effectively 10 with GD) lead it'd take a monumental cluck up the 'Mansfield Town way' to cast us into t'pit again. I'm sure it's as likely as us not winning again this season.

[Tippy Tappy Football]

FT: Crawley Town 1 Cheltenham Town 0

Cheltenham made the early running and forced three corners in the first 15 minutes with Cheltenham going for the short Liam Sercombe corner to Chris Hussey who knocks it back for Sercombe to cross into the area throughout the game. They also deployed their usual Ben Tozer long throw and he launched 5/6 of those into the area. Alfie May had a shot from a tight angle saved by Glenn Morris and Callum Wright curled a shot wide with his left foot from the edge of the area. Hpwever Crawley had the best chance of the first half when Jack Powell played a ball through to Ashley Nadesan who knocked the ball past the onrushing Josh Griffiths but then shot over the empty goal.

Crawley had the better chances in the 2nd half and Sean Long played a Jamie Reid style back pass straight to Tom Nicholls who was clean through on goal but Griffiths came out and blocked the shot. Tom Nichols had a good game running at the Cheltenham defence and he had a shot blocked and then fed Ashley Nadesan who shot wide. Nichols then shot straight at Griffiths.

Cheltenham fired a warning when Liam Sercombe tried to chip the keeper from the edge of the area and hit the bar. Cheltenham also took a quick free kick that allowed Elliott Chapman to cross across goal to Charlie Raglan who shot wide. Crawley won the game though on 77 minutes when Tom Nichols supplied Jordan Maguire Drew on the right side of the area and he fired a shot across the keeper which hit the post and went in. Sean Long should have blocked the shot.

Michael Duff was not happy and gave praise to Tom Nichols: "We didn't do any part of the game well. We didn't fight, look organised, have a shape or pass the ball. You are going to struggle to win a game of football when you don't do any part of the game right. There were four or five players today who just looked a bit frightened to say 'I'll take it, I'll take responsibility and I'll make a difference'. That's not easy. You have to give the opposition credit sometimes and I thought Tom Nichols was excellent today. He bullied our back three and Conor (Thomas), that back diamond. He knocked them over and (Ashley) Nadesan ran in behind, but we were sloppy. As poor as we were, Crawley were good."

Duff also said he was off to watch Stevenage v Mansfield tomorrow.

A good result for Cambridge United and Bolton Wanderers who could end up winning the league after being 2-0 down and in 13th place when they played the Stags on 17th Feb. Ian Evatt has done a great job.

Crawley MOM: Tom Nichols and Joe McNerney
Cheltenham MOM: Liam Sercombe

[Amber Andy]

Grimsby one up on Bolton already (1st min )

[Tippy Tappy Football]

Col U 0 Walsall 1

Centre half, James Clarke scores at far post for Walsall. Flicked on by Caolan Lavery.

[The One]

Now 1 1

[MTFCMusings]

2-1 Colchester

[Tippy Tappy Football]

HT: Col U 2 Walsall 1

Walsall took the lead against the run of play on 20 minutes when Tyreik Wright's corner was flicked on by Caolan Lavery for James Clarke to tap in at the far post. Callum Harriott had previously played a 1/2 with Frank Nouble and curled a left shot against the inside of the post which Hayden White then cleared. Mike Folivi volleyed wide for Col U before grabbing an equaliser from a short corner on 36 minutes. The ball fell to Tom Eastman who prodded it forward to Frank Nouble whose shot hit the far post but Mike Folivi followed up to equalise. Col U then turned on the pressure and Max Melbourne sliced over his own bar for Walsall, Harry Pell had a shot saved and Mike Folivi shot wide. Col U took the lead in the third minute of extra time. Harry Pell pumped a ball into the box. It was headed away by James Clarke to the edge of the area but the Col U left back, Ryan Clampin, ran in and volleyed it into the far corner to give Col U a deserved half time lead.

Callum Harriott has had to go off after a deliberate foul by Tyreik White who tripped him up from behind. Col U claim he raked his studs down the back of Harriott's calf and ankle.

Hayden White is playing against Frank Nouble who broke his ankle when he was playing against Col U for the Stags.

[Parkinsons Perm]

Massive win for the U's

[The One]

Finished 2 1

[Birminghamstag10]

Not got a massive amount of sympathy but tough on Grimsby fans who saw their side beat high flying Bolton to put themselves 4 points from safety with a game in hand, only to then see it count for nothing. It's the hope that gets you.

[MTFCMusings]

Been a bad day for Southend

[Tippy Tappy Football]

FT: Colchester United 2 Walsall 1

A well deserved win for the U's. Mike Folivi and Brendan Wiredu had further chances to put the game to bed in the 2nd half and Noah Chilvers blasted over the bar when Frank Nouble was unmarked in front of goal. Walsall were poor and could have played until Sunday morning and not scored. However they did have a very good shout for a penalty in the 93rd minute when Ryan Clampin blatantly barged Mat Sadler over in the area from a Walsall free kick.

This result probably relegates Southend United and Grimsby Town but Southend can reduce the gap to 3 points if they can beat Col U on Tuesday night.

Col U MOM: Mike Folivi and Noah Chilvers

[The One]

TTF are we mathamatically now safe ? Just had look at table and if Grimsby win their
4 game they level on points, but goal diff is terrible. Southend win their next 3 they have less
points than us. Am I correct.

[lifestags]

TTF are we mathamatically now safe ? Just had look at table and if Grimsby win their
4 game they level on points, but goal diff is terrible. Southend win their next 3 they have less
points than us. Am I correct.

46 league games in a season. Southend can catch us.

[Big yella]

TTF are we mathamatically now safe ? Just had look at table and if Grimsby win their
4 game they level on points, but goal diff is terrible. Southend win their next 3 they have less
points than us. Am I correct.

No because they have 5 and 4 games left respectively.

[yorkstag]

I think Southend need to win their last 4 and Grimsby need to win at least4 and draw one of their last 5 to catch us and this assumes we don’t pick up any more points.

[MTFCMusings]

Basically, another loss from either of them in their 4/5 games, or anything other than 4 wins from Southend, we are safe. We need four more points to be absolutely mathematically safe, but realistically 3.

[Tippy Tappy Football]

We are virtually safe even assuming we lose all 4 remaining games.

Col U play Southend on Tuesday so one of them will drop 3 points or they will both drop 2 points.

If Southend lose or draw to Col U on Tuesday then they cannot overtake us. They have to win all 4 remaining games to overtake us. They play Orient and Newport at home and Col U and Barrow away.

If Grimby lose any of their 5 remaining games or draw 2 then they cannot overtake us. They play Morecambe and Port Vale at home; and Oldham, Exeter and Cambridge away.

Col U need 2 wins from 4 games to overtake us or 1 win and 3 draws. They play Southend and Salford at home and Cheltenham and Tranmere away.

[chip63]

Grimsby 28 shots and 13 on target against Bolton, a bit late I think but impressive.