The relegation mini-league

[tallboyblue]

Mistakes will always happen. Mistakes have not caused relegation one person has put us in this position and we all know who that is.

 

[Whispering Bob]

I thought we would be relegated by February 2021! Our home form cost us big time.

And that's just it, the standard in League Two this season has been poor (and that's being kind). For us to be bottom of that pile of dung is telling.
We deserve our fate - end of.

 

[geoffmundo]

The saddest thing for me is that with our results in December, particularly the Boxing Day win over Colchester (and New year win at home to Barrow), I thought we had turned a corner. However, that was very much a false dawn, (although there were a few glimmers of hope away to Newport, FGR and Harrogate).

 

[Barling Magna]

So our misery drags on for a few more days. Can Scunthorpe and/or Barrow put us out of that misery on Saturday or will we crawl on to the final game of the season before plunging into non league obscurity.........?

We are six points behind the Iron and nine goal difference short. Strangely though Scunthorpe have conceded more goals in the last six games than any other team in the division so there could be no better team to have a hope of closing that nine goal gap. So far, so good.

But Scunthorpe's next game is against Bradford. Scunthorpe could not hope for a better team to play to gain that vital point they need. Both Scunthorpe and Bradford have lost their last five games so it's unlikely to be a high scoring game.

We play Barrow who are deservedly safe and hopefully won't be too interested on Saturday. We could hardly ask for a better team to play at this stage. They will still have hangovers.

So let's say that Scunthorpe lose 1-0 and we win 2-0.

Still six goals adrift and only one game left.

Scunthorpe's final game is against Stevenage, a team already on the beach. Nonetheless they managed to rouse themselves to beat top of the table Cambridge last Saturday and had five shots on target to Cambridge's two.

Our last game is against Newport, a team trying to cement their play off place. On Saturday Newport play Cheltenham who secured automatic promotion last night. Newport are fresh from their 4-0 demolition of Scunthorpe last night and should beat the Robins. So they will have secured their play off place when they meet us.

Let's assume that Stevenage beat Scunthorpe 2-0 and that we beat Newport by the same score.

We finish on the same points as Scunthorpe but with a goal difference that is one short.

Will the end be that cruel? Or will we be put out of our misery by 5pm on Saturday? The melodrama continues......

 

[Whispering Bob]

I was just looking at that same scenario (blindly clinging on). I was thinking if we won both games 3-0 and Scunny lost both theirs by the odd goal we might be ok. We would be level GD wise but then of course it would come down to goals scored and our tally is truly pathetic. Wondering how many other teams in recent years have returned 0.6 goals per game.

 

[Fitz]

I was just looking at that same scenario (blindly clinging on). I was thinking if we won both games 3-0 and Scunny lost both theirs by the odd goal we might be ok. We would be level GD wise but then of course it would come down to goals scored and our tally is truly pathetic. Wondering how many other teams in recent years have returned 0.6 goals per game.

You have answered this for yourself, 2x 3-0 wins, when we only score 0.6 goals per game ?

All so incredibly depressing and despite knowing this was going to happen reality is biting now!,

 

[Barling Magna]

I was just looking at that same scenario (blindly clinging on). I was thinking if we won both games 3-0 and Scunny lost both theirs by the odd goal we might be ok. We would be level GD wise but then of course it would come down to goals scored and our tally is truly pathetic. Wondering how many other teams in recent years have returned 0.6 goals per game.

Yes, we can hardly expect to win both games, let alone by two clear goals each. We have to rely on Bradford and Stevenage following Newport's example last night. That's about as likely as Boris Johnson telling the truth.

 

[blues exile]

I have felt relegation was inevitable for a long time now, but last night's results have strangely awakened a slight glimmer of hope. Scunthorpe have hit the skids at exactly the right time and although Bradford are equally useless they could click and score some goals. We could conceivably beat Barrow with our new wunderkind striker...... Stop! This is fantasy. Or is it?

 

[Zeuss]

No , certainly not—that was 0-2 not 0-1—it’s your memory that must be failing. White managed to head the ball straight to Pell standing on the penalty spot.

 

[Zeuss]

No , certainly not—that was 0-2 not 0-1—it’s your memory that must be failing. White managed to head the ball straight to Pell standing on the penalty spot.

Correcting Ray’s post above :1421

 

[mfurok]

Correcting Ray’s post above :1421

Thanks Paul........my bad.

Taking the positives, it wasn’t as ridiculous as the Harrogate and Bolton fiascos or the nonsense against Ipswich last year.

 

[Ipswhrimp]

We're like a man hanging from the edge of a cliff. We know we're not going to be able to hold on much longer. A boot appears on the cliff above (it's a football boot, of course) and it's about to come down on our fingers...