Massive Stoke tie for City

The biggest game of the Championship this weekend sees Stoke City take on Bristol City and it by far both sides most important of the season so far. With Stoke ahead by just one point the result is crucial to both sides. But who will be victorious on the day?

Results in the Championship this season have been unpredictable all season and I do not expect this to change on Saturday. Both sides have not enjoyed the best of form in recent weeks with City only winning once in their last eight games and Stoke have failed to win at home for three games. Tony Pulis’s side did however win away against Coventry last weekend, which will be a huge confidence boost. City, on the other hand have lost their previous two away games and we are struggling to hit the back of the net. But surely our luck has got to change?

Stoke will present one of the sternest tests of the season as they will be desperate to claim second spot and a win against City would go a long way to achieving this. They also have two prolific players who can score goals in Fuller and Lawrence, and they will pose a big threat to our defence. But, although we may not be firing on all cylinders up front, we certainly know how to defend.

Despite them being ahead of us in the league, they are at home and pressure will hopefully be on them to produce a performance. As the away side I expect us to be solid in the first half and frustrate the home crowd. With Stoke anticipating their biggest home crowd of season with 20,000 plus expectant supporters, it is sure to a hostile atmosphere, but we should have 2,000 fans offering their support.

When City played host to Stoke back in October, we won 1-0, a Marvin Elliot stunner winning the game and I would gladly settle for another 1-0 this weekend. But whatever the result, nothing will be decided this weekend. The Championship has offered many surprise results this season and I am sure there will be a few more twists and turns before the final game of the season. It could be that neither side secures one of the automatic places and we may end up playing each other again in the play-offs. Hull, who currently stand between City and Stoke are in fantastic form and they will not give up their place without a fight. The only thing I can be certain of is that it will be great entertainment and with no football to watch in the summer, I don’t want it to end.

ANDY DAVIES

Scoring problems

It has been a problem all season and at the moment we are paying for it. Scoring goals has been much harder this season than it was last year and after 43 games Bristol City have only scored 49 goals, compared to free-scoring West Brom who have managed 82 goals. I know they have had a bigger spending budget than us and have been an established Championship team much longer than we have, but it is a cause for concern. Even at the bottom of the league, already relegated Colchester have chalked up 58 goals, so where does the problem lie with our scoring exploits?

In the summer we spent £1million on Lee Trundle and in return he has netted just four goals, we recruited attacking wingers Ivan Sproule and Michael McIndoe who have scored six goals between them, and we also recruited Darren Byfield who is our top scorer with just eight goals. With these goal scoring ‘exploits’ it is hard to see how we have remained near the top for so long. I can only recall two players who have managed to exceed my expectations with their goal scoring records. Marvin Elliot, although he has only scored six times, he is a tough tackling midfielder and no one expected him to perform so well. The second player is Dele Adebola, who after arriving in January from Coventry after scoring five goals all season for them, has already netted five for us in 14 games.

After Saturday’s game against Wolves, it is hard to see where we are going to score the goals to try and win our final three games. Although the performance on Saturday was a big improvement on the Southampton game, we hardly looked like scoring against Mick McCarthy’s team. So where are we going wrong? I have said previously what a crucial player Lee Johnson is to the team and this has been proved in recent weeks. We seem to lack ideas in midfield and instead of passing the ball on the ground the players are resorting to playing a more direct style of football, which isn’t working.

Some fans have said we should have brought in more attacking options on loan but this hasn’t helped Charlton’s cause. A combination Gary hasn’t tried is Brooker and Trundle up front, which might work, or is that me being optimistic? With Brooker holding the ball up, he could perhaps bring Trundle into play more, something Trundle hasn’t had since he arrived as he has usually partnered Byfield in attack. Anyone think this could work?

Another option would be to play some youngsters like Tristan Plummer, whose energy and pace might bring a change in fortune. But this is unlikely to happen as we are at a crucial stage in the season and I don’t think Johnson will experiment with kids. If we fail to beat Stoke, the only option will be to play three up front. Playing Brooker, Adebola and Byfield together would cause Sheffield United and Preston some problems.

With just three games left I hope we can make the top two, and if we can start scoring there is no doubt we can win the next three matches. With the Championship being so competitive, possibly two wins and a draw can see us snatch second place. All we can do as fans is support the lads.

ANDY DAVIES

Black Wednesday

I’m writing this and wishing I was somewhere else. Anywhere with a telly and selling alcohol, ideally. But it wasn’t to be, and like many football fans I have found myself a victim of the grand overlords of Sky TV. This Saturday just gone, April 12th, I had originally intended to attend Plymouth Argyle’s scheduled match at Sheffield Wednesday, our 43rd Championship fixture of the season and potentially (certainly at the time of organising the trip) decisive in our play-off push. I booked my train tickets from my home in Gloucestershire four weeks in advance to avoid the ridiculous cost of on-the-day public transport, and waited for match tickets to go on sale. Alas, it was at this point that Rupert Murdoch’s media machine – generally about as interested in covering Argyle as a vegan is in eating veal – whirred into seemingly aimless action and had the game moved to Monday night for live transmission to subscribers. At the same time when my return travel, already purchased, was due to occur.

Thus here I am, tapping away on my laptop while almost anything could be happening at Hillsbrough. The bleddy train even went through Sheffield on the way down, but with it being nearly 9pm I considered jumping off, watching the rest of the game and spending the night in the station to be a little pointless, especially given recent events.

I’ve been somewhat absent from this site for a couple of weeks, for two reasons. Firstly, my University course has been rather more hectic and difficult than usual, but, far more pertinently, Argyle have managed almost entirely extinguish our greatest ever hopes of reaching the top flight of English football. First there was the embarrassing 3-1 loss at struggling Coventry, with the Greens 3-0 down before the much-maligned Steve McLean grabbed an admittedly impressive consolation. This left us needing, realistically, four wins from our last five matches going into the home tie with Charlton. I travelled down full of hope and expectation and, despite a dire showing by both teams, Jermaine Easter’s second-half goal looked likely to be the difference between them. Then Luke McCormick had one of those spells where everything goes wrong, twice fumbling in his own six-yard box and giving visiting striker Leroy Lita a pair of tap-ins. Heartbreaking.

Since then the crushing, numbing disappointment of losing to two poor sides has got the better of me, and I’ve attempted to hide from football – frequenting the BBC Sport website less often, shunning Focus and MOTD, skipping the sports pages. Still, the ‘beauty’ of the Argyle White Membership I have is you get six home match vouchers to use throughout the season, and I’ve got one left. So I’ll be there for the Preston game on Saturday, when Argyle will in all likelihood have little to play for but pride, and possibly a highest-ever league finish in my lifetime. That, at least, should whet the appetite for another crack next season.

RICH PARTINGTON

Basso for England?

When an unknown Brazilian keeper called Adriano Basso arrived at Ashton Gate from Conference side Woking in late 2005, many City fans questioned the signing. With Steve Phillips still between the posts, having seen off competition from endless loan signings, I thought the same ending was likely to happen in this case. How wrong I was.

Two and half seasons later and Basso has established himself as a first team regular and Phillips, who couldn’t handle the rejection, headed down the road to Rovers. After two fantastic seasons being our number one keeper, Basso now has aspirations of playing for England or his native Brazil. He now holds a British passport after being in the country for five years and at 32 years of age, he still has a realistic chance of fulfilling his dream. I certainly believe he has the ability to do this. In my opinion he is a far better goalkeeper than the likes of Paul Robinson, whose mistakes have cost England dear in the past. With David James still performing well but his age a concern for many, I think Basso is definitely a capable replacement.

Last week, Basso received the PFA Championship Player of the Month award for March, and it was a well deserved accolade as he saved two penalties over the course of the month, and made countless saves. It is a far cry from the player who arrived nearly three years ago who I thought was nowhere near as good as Phillips. For starters, his goal kicking was abysmal as he struggled to get the ball over the half way line, but I am glad to say this has since improved and it is only on rare occasions that one of his kicks will put hearts in mouths. I was also a bit wary of his shot stopping ability, which was one Phillips’s best assets. However the Brazilian has proven me wrong and I am glad he has.

After looking at Basso and Phillips, the ability and attitudes towards football could not be more different. It is clear Adriano understands football is a team game and on the odd occasion when he has lost his place to Chris Weale, he has accepted it. Phillips on the other hand will throw his toys out of the pram and blame every other player around him before he even contemplates whether he made a mistake. This was demonstrated in one of his last appearances in a City shirt when Phillips failed to save a free kick aimed straight at him, against Notts County in the FA Cup. County, who were a league below us, beat us 2-0 at home and Steve blamed the goal on the new ball which had been introduced specifically for the competition.

Since that day, the two goalkeepers have seen their careers go in opposite directions and it is no surprise to me to see why. Basso’s attitude, along with that of the rest of the City squad, is fantastic and that is one of the main reasons we find ourselves in the position we are. The players will work for one another and are pleased to see another team mate do well, even if it means they have to sit on the bench and watch the game. It is a team spirit I hope will not be ruined if we managed to win promotion and see half of the squad replaced with new players. But I don’t think Gary Johnson would let that happen.

If City can reach the Premier League, surely Basso would stand a great chance of gaining his first international cap whether it is with England or Brazil? To me, there is no better goalkeeper in the Football League and we were very lucky to find him. So what do the rest of you City fans think, could Basso play for England?

ANDY DAVIES

Closing in on the Premiership. Bring Wilson back?

It’s the old cliché, but a week is really a long time in football. Last week I wrote about how City’s chances of remaining in the top two looked under threat as we were without a win in five games and the teams around us were closing in, particularly Hull City, who have been in fantastic form in recent weeks. But seven days after our dismal performance and result against Cardiff, we now sit proudly again at the top of the league with just five games to go. But I suppose that’s what football is all about.

Going into the Norwich match on Saturday, we had only managed three goals from our last five games and I suspected if we were going to beat Glen Roeder’s team, we would have to keep a clean sheet. Unfortunately we couldn’t stop Darren Huckerby cancelling out Dele Adebola’s close range finish on 70 minutes and we looked almost certain to end the game having collected only one point. To be fair to Norwich, they had plenty of chances in the second half to win the game, and will count themselves unlucky not to score a second goal.

But what a finish we had. Steve Brooker, making his ‘home debut’ for a second time after a disastrous 14 months of persistent injuries, pops up in the box to head the ball into the net in the 93rd minute, and it could prove to be his most important goal in a City shirt.
After five games without a win Gary Johnson decided to reshuffle his starting eleven with regulars like Marvin Elliot and Ivan Sproule making way for Cole Skuse and Scott Murray, who have both waited patiently all season for their chance. Lee Trundle and Darren Byfield also found themselves out of the squad, having to watch the game from the stands. Gary, explaining his selection at the end of the game, said he felt after the Cardiff game that he had too many players in the squad who hadn’t been with him last season. If we had lost, his thinking would have come back to haunt him, but in the end it worked out well.

Elliot, although one of our players of the season, has looked tired in recent games and was in need of a rest. Similarly, Sproule hasn’t set us alight in recent matches and with Brian Wilson failing to fulfil the right wing role it was good to see Scott put on the shirt again. As Gary said, his starting eleven only contained two players who had not been part of the promotion season last year, with McIndoe and Adebola starting, although McIndoe has already played under Gary at Yeovil and knows what Johnson expects of him.

The inclusion of Skuse received a mixed reaction from myself – I was pleased Elliot was being rested, but am not the biggest fan of Skuse. But to be fair to him he played very well, getting better as the match wore on and made some important tackles. He also won the Man of the Match award, so I must be wrong about him!

Now things are looking very exciting with City at the top of the league with just five games to go, and we are on course to achieve something none of us dreamed of at the start of the season. Yet some people are never satisfied, as I found out on Saturday, with one so-called ‘supporter’ wishing we still had Danny Wilson as manager because we ‘played better football under him’. If that were the case, we would be still languishing in the third tier of English football. It’s funny how you only hear these ‘fans’ when they are moaning. Yet when a the team have a good shot or defend well, it likely to go unnoticed and when we score, they seem to act as if they have been encouraging the team all along. But I guess that’s football.

ANDY DAVIES

Dare to dream? But don't bother with predictions

You can tell it’s that time of the season. I wasn’t able to attend Plymouth Argyle’s 1-1 draw with Watford on Saturday – Easter weekend holiday with family and other half – but even in the days before the game I could feel a creeping sense of fevered anticipation, significantly greater than for an average game.

Going into the tie Argyle were sixth, a point clear of the chasing pack, although those behind had games in hand. Following it, our lead is now only on goal difference from Ipswich, who have played a game fewer, and looking at the remaining fixtures I believe the likeliest outcome will be a straight fight between ourselves and the Tractor Boys for the final play-off spot.

For several weeks I have been resisting the self-conscious inanities of constructing a fantasy Championship future on the BBC Sport website’s Predictor. However, with Argyle’s ‘Played’ column now sporting a heroic big four-o, and reasoning that some quickfire stabs in the dark would not be an utterly ridiculous waste of time, I took the plunge.

And it reminded me of one of the reasons I stopped gambling on football – even though, on a basic level, your own team is the sporting area you are most knowledgeable about, it really is impossible to be entirely honest about their fortunes, whether occurred or anticipated. When you’ve invested so many years and pounds in something, the strong possibility of having your greatest ever success snatched away seems too horrible to acknowledge, yet expecting your dreams to be fulfilled seems like self-delusion.

Coupled with the dizzying unpredictability of this season’s Championship, guessing scorelines seems largely pointless.

But I did it anyway, and supposedly Argyle will win four of six remaining games, drawing the other two and finishing on 73 points, sixth on goal difference from Ipswich.

Looking at it now, this seems very optimistic. But the pivotal half-dozen, on paper at least, are hardly frightening. On Saturday we travel to Coventry, mired in a relegation battle which I think could be ultimately unsuccessful, and coming off the back of two goal-less bore draws with other strugglers. Our other games on the road – where an impressive eight wins have been racked up this season – are a televised trip to Paul Sturrock’s old club Sheffield Wednesday, on decent form but still in the bottom three and with manager Brian Laws on shaky ground, and the final day tussle with Wolverhampton Wanderers. This is surely the trickiest one left, and nightmares of an Ebanks-Blake winner to send his new club into the top six at our expense are already surfacing amongst the Green Army.

At home we have Charlton, winless in five and seemingly fading from view, and Lancashire sides Preston and Blackpool. The historic clubs of Finney and Matthews have pulled themselves away from worries of demotion through good form, but are better on their own patches and will not fancy the long trips south, especially considering their safety should be pretty much assured by then.

But for now, perhaps it’s better to glory in Jermaine Easter’s crushing finish to give Argyle the lead on Saturday. Not only did the Welsh international bury his one-on-one hoodoo against Hornets keeper Richard Lee, but he kept the Pilgrims in the play-off hunt. And what a weekend to do it - a headline writer's soggy slumber.

It was also great to see a decent crowd at Home Park at last - more than 17,500, and hopefully this will be repeated for the remaining home fixtures.

The injury to and sending off of Peter Halmosi, still by far our most important player, was a blow. But at least the Hungarian might have got all his bad luck for the season out of the way in one game, and missing the Magyars' midweek friendly with Slovenia (which Kristian Timar should feature in) could provide him with a well-earnt rest. If Halmosi's back for the Charlton home game on April 5, expect a re-energised magician tearing through the Addicks' defence.

The Coventry match really is a must-win, even with Peter – we can’t keep relying on our rivals slipping up, as has been the case in the last few weeks. As the 2007-8 season reaches its conclusion, the pressure on sides at top and bottom will become greatest, and it will be character as much as technique which breeds success. Argyle under Luggy have rarely been short of character.

RICH PARTINGTON

Jones' joking irks Johnson

Six games to go and Bristol City are without a win in five, slowly surrendering their tight lead near the top of the table. Ok, so things can quickly change in the Championship as we have all seen, and in two weeks time we could have put two wins together and strengthened our position.

But at the moment I am getting slightly nervous. We all know no one expected City to be challenging for a place in the Premier League, but now that we have found ourselves in this position we want to stay there. After two straight defeats, are we cracking up under the pressure?

For Gary Johnson and his team, I do not think there is any pressure put on them from the fans as we are as surprised as anyone else at their success, but with the increased media attention as the season draws to a close, perhaps this is affecting the players. Looking back on these five games, it was frustrating to see us lose at home to Plymouth, but we have managed to draw against Watford and Leicester away when Ian Holloway’s team clearly had more chances than enough chances to win. We also rescued a point against Charlton away, which is no easy game as West Brom found out on Good Friday. But losing to Cardiff on Saturday was disappointing and frustrating as we have now seen our position further weakened with Hull City now in with a shout of automatic promotion.

Unfortunately, the referee and his officials wanted to become part of the show with the linesman ruling out a goal for Steve Brooker. Then Keith Stroud awarded Cardiff a penalty, and finally Gary Johnson was sent to the stands for attempting to get the ball back in play quickly while the fourth official and Dave Jones were having a joke. The offside decision was touch and go and had it been the home side, I suspect the goal may have stood. The penalty award was probably correct if even Steven PcPhail did go down rather easily, but Johnson being sent to the stands was ludicrous. He clearly tried to get the ball back to his team while the fourth official was having a laugh, and according to Johnson the referee sent him off without even to talking to his colleague.

They say bad things come in threes and that was the case in this game. It remains to be seen whether these decisions could have an impact on the outcome of our season. Following these two defeats, it makes next week’s game against Norwich a ‘must win’. We cannot afford another slip up and we could see ourselves fall out of the play-offs let alone the automatic places. I still believe two more wins will secure a play off finish and at least four wins will be needed for a top two finish.

There were however some positives to take from the game against Cardiff. We managed to score more than one goal in a game, even if one of them was disallowed, and we saw the long awaited return of Steve Brooker. It had been 11 months since he last put on a City shirt but he is now back to full fitness and could be the key to unlocking the door to the Premiership. ‘Brooks’ to me is probably one of our best strikers and I hope he is awarded a full return ‘debut’ against Norwich. He is hungry to prove himself in the Championship, he is fully fit, and he is full of confidence after netting five goals in six games on loan at Cheltenham. I would play him alongside Adebola which would give us added strength up front and take a bit of responsibility off Dele. Not only is Brooker strong in the air, he also has a great shot on him and I cannot wait to see him play this weekend.

Let’s just hope the referee and his officials for Saturday go unnoticed, like all good officials should.

ANDY DAVIES

The Motson of Nailsworth hill

At 11 o’clock on Tuesday morning, I was in a state of panic. I had an assessment for my Broadcast Journalism degree due in three hours time – to present a piece of commentary on a sporting event (football for me of course), and, after a disastrous button incident at the Cheltenham-Bristol Rovers derby the night before, a commentary was yet to be recorded.

So it was down to the student advisor’s office to beg for an extension. She explained that the best she could offer was 48 hours, unless there were mitigating circumstances, e.g. if my gerbil had died or if I was gravely ill. However I wasn’t, so I had two days to save myself. I like to see myself as someone who can get his way out of anything, and again, the Gods were on my side.

A quick look at the fixture list showed that Forest Green were playing York City at home that evening. Perfect. A game of football would be good for me. Forest Green didn’t give me a straight answer regarding use of the press box, so armed with a minidisk recorder (which the technician assured me wouldn’t run out of batteries, as the old brick of a portadisk did), and having booked a taxi to the station after the game so I wouldn’t be stuck in Nailsworth overnight, I set off on the long trek to the New Lawn.

Anyone who’s visited the New Lawn will know that the ground is at the top of a hill. A very tall hill. The sort that’s so tall, you feel as though you’re physically climbing it, rather than walking it. On Saturday games, the bus will take you up this hill and right outside the ground. On midweek games, it won’t. This was slightly handy though as I needed to pop into Tesco to get a pen to make notes with.

My main worry was using the recording device without being spotted. Football grounds are instantly suspicious of recording devices, presumably in case you’re a spy, or recording a scandal-inducing radio show. Fortunately these minidisks are small, so to the fans I probably just looked like an arrogant teenager listening to his ipod. With the microphone tucked into my coat pocket, and having found a space as isolated as possible, I began my commentary.
I wasn’t helped by the fact that police had joined the stewards today – presumably the York fans have a bit of a repuatation. Every time a policeman walked past I held my breath…

The game itself was rather scrappy. York began with a 5-3-2 formation, from what I could decipher, with a player up front, Richard Brodie who’d signed from Newcastle Benfield at the start of the season. Who says you can’t make the step up! Forest Green’s tactic meanwhile was for goalkeeper Ryan Robinson to launch the ball towards Rigoglioso, who would then head on for Fleetwood to chase.

Sixteen minutes in Forest Green gave away a free kick about 25 yards out, just to the right of the ‘D’, as I described it in my commentary. York’s Nicky Wroe stepped up, and fired the ball into the bottom right hand corner, just past the diving Robinson. The keeper’s day got worse 40 minutes in, as he spilled Simon Rusk’s shot into the path of York left back Mark Robinson, who gleefully slotted the ball home.

Forest Green improved slightly in the second half, and deserved their goal back, Rigoglioso firing low into the corner after the York defence failed to clear the ball. Rovers then had a penalty turned down, which got me rather excited "The fans are furious. THEY ARE ABSOLUTELY FURIOUS!" I shouted, trying not to be too biased. Then a few minutes later Fleetwood put the ball in the net, but the referee judged that he was offside.

Ultimately York deserved their win, they came with a game plan, and stuck to it. The result leaves Rovers needing a miracle to get to the play offs. York are in a similar position, but will have renewed hope at a sensational push towards the top five.

JAMES LEWIS

Your Bristol City correspondent owes me a fiver

Football - tis funny ole' game, innee??

Or so we say in the deep, dark western depths of Cornwall and Devon. Plymouth Argyle's season has been mystifying, exhilarating, depressing, confusing, and historic in so many ways. Saturday afternoon at Ashton Gate will be one of the more well-remembered landmarks of 2007-8, whatever the eventual outcome of Argyle's promotion push.

Rory Fallon - who, in my post-match anger after the horrors of Scunthorpe, I described as a 'lost cause' - scored twice to give the Greens an ultimately unassailable lead over Westcountry rivals Bristol City, as well as our first victory in Turnipland since (ridiculously) 1931. The pasties and cider taste sweet tonight.

The victory almost seemed inevitable, such has been the almost hallucinogenic nature of results in the Championship – particularly for Plymouth Argyle – this season. Argyle’s 2-1 victory over City, with Lee Trundle’s penalty proving but a consolation for the Robins, to earlier away wins over Watford, Charlton, and Sheffield United (the three parachute payment-assisted Premiership failures of last season), as well as play-off challengers Hull. On the other hand, we lost to strugglers Sheffield Wednesday at home and in the aformentioned game at Scunny, were awful at Preston and couldn’t win at bottom club Colchester.

It is difficult to explain this, of course, but I would argue that the major factors are motivation – which have enabled Argyle to secure victories against teams who should supposedly beat them – and underestimation, similar in many ways, which has seen the Pilgrims fall victim to the same phenomenon which has often benefited us.

This has happened to every team in the league, with the most successful sides being those who have ground out results, with a good structure, a settled side and strong tactical operator in the managerial role, augmented by a few flair players. Bristol City and Stoke City closest fit this dynamic, and thus sit top of the pile – because they are, without doubt, the two most effective sides of all, with Watford on a similar level. The difference between the Hornets and their less fancied rivals does not come in the dugout, where Adrian Boothroyd is as determined and shrewd as Gary Johnson or Tony Pulis. If anything it might be in supporter expectations, with the Hertfordshire club’s fans demanding an immediate return to a top flight they have been occasionally familiar with in the past decade. No such historical millstones for the two Cities, whose last dalliances with the wealthy elite were many moons ago. This has kept the pressure of and both teams have blossomed.

West Brom sit fourth when, as any Argyle fan who saw them dismantle the greens at the Hawthorns a few weeks ago will testify, they would be top if pure technique was the sole barometer. But they have a lacklustre manager, Tony Mowbray, who is happy to get well-paid, skilful players knocking the ball around elegantly and feeding a terrifying array of second-level finishers (Kevin Phillips, Roman Bednar, Ishmael Miller, Luke Moore) but seems incapable of building a side with the grit and organisation to dominate the league as they should. If they secure promotion they are probably best equipped of the challengers to survive, because the Premiership is a very different league. But the Baggies’ elevation looks by no means certain – everyone, including myself, tipped them to go up last year, and yet they still failed with a side containing now-England-star Curtis Davies, football league player of the year Jason Koumas, and the lethal Diomansy Kamara. This seasons team went 1-0 up against Ian Holloway’s collapsing Leicester City on Saturday, had Moore sent off, and promptly fell apart, contriving to lose 4-1 and prolong Ollie’s agony by another week. There’s still a fair chance though of, before the month is over, Mafia Mandaric shunting him forcefully towards the exit.

Argyle aren’t a side full of stars, but we have grit in abundance, if intermittently. Paul Sturrock is still sizing up his squad and whatever happens this season I fully expect the next to be less haphazard and more centrally driven by the idea of promotion. Luggy will know what he wants us to do and how to do it – this season he seems understandably less sure, as the players at his disposal are assessed for both ability and character.

Fallon is one of the major protagonists squarely under the microscope, and has not thus far been a fan favourite, with few among the Green Army greeting even his initial signing which much enthusiasm, let alone what has followed. Leigh Moore, correspondent for the Swindon teams on this site (Fallon played for Town), called him a ‘carthorse’ when we signed him, and for large periods it’s been hard to argue. He was good at home to Southampton in January, netting Argyle’s equaliser, yet it is difficult to remember another match which has ended in glory for the big man. Saturday was the New Zealander’s day, though. First was the snatched, eight-yard finish from a ball across the box which shot past Adriano Basso on the stroke of half time. As big a psychological blow as Zoltan Gera’s scrappy goal had been for WBA against Argyle at the Hawthorns, it stunned City, who had been seemingly dominant up until then.

Just before the hour, a corner bewildered a City defence looking lost without Jamie McCombe, and there was the big Kiwi again to bundle the ball home from less than a yard. They all count.

Despite "what a waste of money" Trundle’s rare goal (it was a handball from Jermaine Easter, but it certainly wasn’t a foul by Russell Anderson which led to the free-kick from which the handball occurred) the Greens held on to defy any pundit you would have asked on Saturday morn.

Credit also must go to emergency signing Rab Douglas, amusingly from Leicester, who made a couple of good stops to preserve Argyle’s lead.

The Westcountry derby was the featured game on this morning’s Championship Goals ITV show, which made a nice change from the 20 seconds of coverage we usually enjoy, but it was made clear from the outset that the men in yellow (again, unfortunately) were not what the London-based cameras had travelled so far west to witness. Instead, Bristol’s supposed great resurgence as a football city was the chosen documentation, with a 19,000, capacity crowd (never mind that 2,000 were greens in the away end, with many more, perhaps hundreds, in the away sections) ready to cheer them to the Premiership. Argyle were, as always to the national media, merely a distraction.

Call me paranoid? Just listen to the tone of the ITV commentator, growing increasingly frustrated at City’s inability to break the visitors down. The result was described as a major shock, but anyone who had seen the return fixture at Home Park would not have been unduly surprised. But for a freak Krsitian Timar own goal that day we’d be celebrating a Westcountry double.

As it is, I can’t pretend that any victory this season will be any sweeter, bar perhaps a play-off final victory over the same opponent…if we did do it, it’d be the most publicity-free promotion of all time.

RICH PARTINGTON

Cheltenham reach new highs with a sensational double

Back in November, Cheltenham took on Leeds United at Whaddon Road. A capacity crowd packed into the small stadium, to watch Cheltenham defend heroically, and nick a late goal to take the three points. Fans went wild, and it was billed as one of Cheltenham's greatest ever results.

But surely it was a one off. Surely Leeds would wait until Cheltenham came to Elland Road and teach them a lesson in football? Especially since Cheltenham's away form had been pretty much woeful. Even Port Vale had managed to hammer us 3-0 earlier in the season.

So onto Tuesday March 11. The Saturday before, Cheltenham had lost 2-1 at Yeovil after a poor performance. The doom merchants were out in force. "Go easy on us" they begged Leeds. "We'll be lucky to be only 4-0 down at half time."

Now admittedly I didn't travel to Elland Road. A four hours plus bus journey was beyond me,
instead I accompanied my housemate to the SU bar to watch Liverpool take on Inter Milan.

On getting home, after a rather dull (for a non-Liverpool fan) second leg, I suddenly remembered that Cheltenham had played Leeds today. I chastised myself for being a rubbish supporter, then, as my computer was at the time very much on the blink, got my phone out, and found the BBC Sport website....

So I scrolled down the list of results, thinking "I wonder how many we lost by?", fearing the Leeds backlash. And then I got to the score...

"Leeds United 1-2 Cheltenham Town".

"Surely that must be a misprint. Surely the 1 must mean 7 or something. Cheltenham surely couldn't have done the double over Leeds? Even Manchester United struggled to do that!", I thought to myself.

I found the whole thing rather amusing. How could Cheltenham go from being outplayed by a rather average Yeovil side, to beating a team which only seven years ago was beating AC Milan and the like in the Champions League, in their own backyard. Leeds losing at Whaddon Road, although still shocking, is partly excusable. Games like that are more difficult than you think, with the crowd close to the pitch, the tight atmosphere, and the players playing as if their lives depended on it.

I had presumed that it was a case of Leeds outplay Cheltenham, Cheltenham get two on the counter attack, then Leeds, after battering Cheltenham, get a goal but Cheltenham defend heroically and sneak the win. Not so according to various sources. Apparently, Cheltenham had been much the better side, and could have won by a higher margin than 2-1.

Yesterday I had the "privilege" of watching the highlights on Virgin Media. The same Virgin Media who once managed to include two commentaries during the same match. The Cheltenham-Leeds highlights didn't feature such an interesting experiment, but did have one of the most bored sounding commentators ever. Most of the highlights seemed to consist of Leeds shooting over the bar, with Cheltenham's goals being squeezed in. Pick of the two was
a curler from Alex Russell from the corner of the penalty area.

Leeds fans meanwhile bemoaned the "darkest day in the clubs history", while Cheltenham prepare for a local derby against Bristol Rovers, relaxed after a day at the races.

JAMES LEWIS

Who will be crowned best in the West?

Only last season Plymouth were regarded as the best team in the south west, which goes to show how quickly things can change in football. Argyle were in the Championship pushing for a play-off place while Bristol City were in League One fighting for automatic pro`motion. This season has seen the tables turn with City establishing themselves as surprise promotion contenders while Paul Strurrock’s side have struggled to stay in the play-offs. Only a few weeks ago, Argyle’s season looked to be over as they lay far adrift from the play-off places, yet a resurgent run of four straight wins in February took them back into the play-offs and had fans dreaming of the Premiership. But they have now lost three games in March and have slipped outside the top six so Saturday’s game is crucial for both teams.

City, on the other hand have maintained their place at the top of the league and have now gone eight games unbeaten. We have managed to take 16 points from eight games which is a fantastic return and certainly promotion form, and hopefully this will continue. But the Westcountry derby will not be an easy game for City as Plymouth will obviously be desperate to get back to winning ways and maintain their push for a top six finish.

In our last meeting in December, the game ended 1-1, with City scoring from a Krisztian Timar own goal. Plymouth goalkeeper Roman Larrieu had a fantastic game and was unlucky to concede a goal after he had made some fantastic saves. Fortunately for City, Larrieu is injured, as is his number two Luke McCormick, so Argyle have a keeper crisis and are looking at bringing in an emergency loan as they are left with only a youth team goalkeeper to stick between the posts. Hopefully, the headlines from this game aren’t ‘loanee goalkeeper makes fantastic save to win the game for Plymouth’!

The game is sure to be sell-out, which is two in a row at Ashton Gate, so the atmosphere should be fantastic. I am sure the game will also be entertaining with both sides wanting to play football instead of looking to kick the ball in the air, which has been the case in recent games at Ashton Gate. The swirling winds will hopefully have ceased so the players should find it easier to play football. On Tuesday, I became frustrated with the lack of football played by City and Watford, but walking away from the game I realised how bad the wind was which would have made play difficult for both sets of teams.

So who do you think will come out victorious on Saturday? Of course I am going to say City but Plymouth will no doubt create a hard game. With quality players like Peter Halmosi and Jermaine Easter, it promises to be an entertaining game. I expect City to make some changes to the side that played on Tuesday, with Lee Johnson looking doubtful and perhaps Ivan Sproule and Darren Byfield could be recalled. I was not happy, to say the least, with having Brian Wilson playing on the right wing against Watford and we looked a better side when Sproule replaced him in the last five minutes. I also have a bet with a Plymouth fan riding on this game, so a win would be all the sweeter.

ANDY DAVIES

Gutless. Witless. Pathetic.

One of the major problems with keeping a regular blog on your football team is that while it’s great fun to wax lyrical on famous victories and dazzling players, bringing yourself to write about those days when your heroes don’t quite cover themselves in glory isn’t quite as enjoyable.

So it is then that I’ve given myself a couple of days to recover from the farcical debacle of Tuesday night at Glanford Park, but the passing hours have barely dimmed how utterly appalled I am at Argyle’s performance in the 1-0 defeat against Scunthorpe United.

Admittedly, there were mitigating factors. The howling wind gusting off the Humber rendered anything but on-the-floor tactics impractical in the first half, and, under Paul Sturrock, this is not Argyle’s forte. But our brainless incompetence in adapting to this was still a site to behold, or rather, one I wish I hadn't. Once Scunthorpe – who were even worse than Argyle and comfortably the poorest side I’ve ever seen in the second tier of English professional football – managed to squeeze a rather fortunate effort past Luke McCormick early in the second half, referee Stuart Attwell appeared to decide that it would be easier, in such an awful game, for the team who scored first to win, and from there on in Argyle were the victims of a run of decisions almost as disgraceful as their performance.

The men in yellow were as awful as our luminous away kit. Lee Hodges, mystifyingly restored to left-back in place of the improving Gary Sawyer, insisted on hoofing the ball skywards every time he received it, despite the force of the wind curling every effort backwards. Hodges, who never had the technical gifts even for third level football but has often displayed enough grit and determination to disguise these failings, was on this occasion so bad that when McCormick was sent off on 71 minutes for handling the ball outside his area, Hodges replaced him and was actually better between the sticks than he had been outfield.

Steve McLean’s ridiculous ineptitude was almost funny, displaying an inability to complete one-yard passes or keep control of even the gentlest of loose balls. Argyle’s most expensive ever signing looked at best lost and at worst uninterested, and got absolutely nowhere near even having a shot at goal, let alone scoring. Lilian Nalis and Jimmy Abdou, in central midfield, were ineffectual to the extent that the only time they were noticed was when needlessly giving away the ball. Paul Connolly's primary achievement was managing to sky the white sphere high, over and out of the shack masquerading as a Championship football ground (which provoked such classics and "My garden shed is bigger than this...", and the more modern twist of "Is your ground from MFI?" from the Green Army) on three separate occasions.

The roll-call of villains in day-glo had a few notable exceptions. Jamie Mackie was given his first start at long last and was Argyle’s sole attacking threat, with the pace, energy, and desire lacking elsewhere. Picking up the ball and realising the rest of his team were going to be of little use, Mackie took on the Scunny defence single-handedly, beating defenders and causing havoc. Sturrock seemed to be mocking either Mackie, the fans, or perhaps even himself when choosing to withdraw the 22-year-old from Horsham for lost cause Rory Fallon. Luggy also refused to bring on Jermaine Easter, who had not even really deserved to be dropped, instead persevering with the hopeless McLean.

Gary Teale added more urgency when on as a sub for Chris Clark, who until this moment I had completely forgotten the existence of, such was his anonymity.

And Russell Anderson was generally able to neutralise what passed for a Scunthorpe attack, despite the goal.

Despite all of this, Argyle still should have won. Scunthorpe were a collective of clueless pub players with a dodgy keeper and a colander defence. On any other day the Greens should have won 7 or 8-0. It is laughable that Scunthorpe manager Nigel Adkins described his players as 'absolutely magnificent'. If that's true, I'd hate to see them on a bad day. No wonder there were less than 4000 home fans present.

It must be said that the 400 or so travelling supporters were, as usual, immense, providing faultless vocal encouragement for the majority of the game, until even the infinite stoicism which the average Argyle exile wears like a badge of honour began to disintegrate. The likes of Mackie and McCormick - the players that care - clearly appreciated this, and were not shy about showing it. A pumped fist from Mackie and a quick clap from Luke while play continued said it all. And the keeper gave the Green throng the best moment of the entire evening, clearing up a slack Connolly backpass with a nonchalant drag back and turn which left the advancing Scunny striker flailing.

The Argyle fans were certainly louder than their hosts. Even after scoring and at the final whistle, the Lincolnshire natives were largely silent, save for a dozen or so screeching kids immediately to our right. I have literally never encountered such an unenthusiastic home crowd, although as previously explained, their team provide little to shout about.

I’m struggling to decide whether the similarly poor results for Argyle’s playoff challengers – Hull, Ipswich, Charlton, and Wolves – in the last couple of days is a good or bad thing. On the one hand, we are still very much in the race - seventh, only a point away from the magical zone which will allow the extension of our season beyond 46 games. Had we beaten the Iron, as we really should have done, Argyle would be fifth on 58 points, two ahead of Charlton and Hull.

This is despite three defeats in four games, which really should have seen us left in the dirt. But the Championship is wildly unpredictable this season. I’d have said it was a poor league, but the FA Cup semi-final line-up, with three teams from the second tier present, somewhat contradicts this. And two of those, Barnsley (who have beaten two members of the ‘big four’, Liverpool and Chelsea, on their way to Wembley) and Cardiff, are nowhere near the playoffs.

So, in conclusion, if Argyle beat Bristol City at Ashton Gate on Saturday, which I doubt we will, then anything is possible. If we don’t, the playoff charge is definitely over. I’m sure of it. Maybe. Unless we then win a few games…

RICH PARTINGTON

Top of the table encounter ends in stalemate

It was billed as City’s biggest game of the season and it certainly was. The game against Watford on Tuesday night was perhaps one of the biggest games for City since they last won promotion to the top flight over 30 years ago. And for the first time this season, football fans in Bristol realised what was at stake as the game was a complete sell-out with 19,000 fans anticipating a titanic encounter. I have said in previous articles about the lack of full houses at Ashton Gate and after last night’s sell-out, it really does show what a difference a full stadium makes.

The atmosphere was electric and the players certainly responded to the occasion with tackles flying in and the two dugouts also seeing plenty of action involved in the fiery arguments. Although I may be biased, from my position just behind the away dug out, it seemed as Watford manager Aidy Boothroyd failed to control his players and staff as they became involved in arguments with Gary Johnson. But tempers reaching boiling point is hardly surprising, given the occasion and importance of the game.

The match itself was not the prettiest of encounters with the ball often in the air and with the windy conditions, both sides failed to make much of an impact. Marvin Elliot going close with two shots well saved by Watford goalkeeper Jordan Stewart was as close as City came to scoring but the Hornets had the best chance of the half to score when McIndoe was adjudged to have brought down Tommy Smith in the box. Darius Henderson stepped up to take the penalty, but Ashton Gate erupted when Adriano Basso’s right-hand palmed the ball to safety and he later thanked God for his help in making the save. Perhaps another ‘Hand of God’ scenario? That save could prove crucial as we struggled to break through the Watford defence and I doubt we would have equalised had Henderson found the net.

Lee Johnson was substituted at half time after suffering an injury from a challenge by striker Henderson and City missed their instrumental playmaker in the second half. Lee Johnson, has since he arrived at Ashton Gate last season, been subjected to unfair criticism from some sections of City fans who have failed to realise the importance of his job in midfield. As he is Gary’s son, he can be an easy target for many fans criticising his ability hold onto the ball and tackle an opponent. However, hopefully after his absence in the second-half, these fans will realise what an important player he is to the team. He may not make the most challenges, but this is not necessary when he has ‘marvellous’ Marvin Elliot alongside him, who has been a revelation since arriving from Millwall in the summer, to tackle the opposition. Johnson's role is to help keep the game moving with his quick passing and it was easy to see the ball becoming stuck in the midfield after his departure. But he may have won over some his critics as he was given a standing ovation by the Atyeo Stand as he headed for the dressing room. Hopefully, he will make a quick recovery and play some part in the Westcountry derby against Plymouth.

Tuesday’s draw with Watford is City’s third in a row so a win on Saturday is crucial if we want to remain at the top, but we are now eight games unbeaten so the players should be full of confidence. Saturday also sees Stoke host Watford, so City really do have a chance to move away from the chasing pack, so we have every chance of being top come 5pm on Saturday night.

ANDY DAVIES

Overview: The Western Rising

Football in the south-west has never had the status and importance of that in other parts of the country. The Westcountry has eight professional football teams, yet none has ever won a major honour. The most successful, Bristol City, experienced their heyday a century ago with runners-up medals in League and Cup, but as recently as 2004 only they and my beloved Plymouth Argyle could even boast third-tier status.

Now things are changing. Argyle won the old Division Two that year and were finally followed into the Championship last season by City. The Ashton Gate outfit have been a revelation, with quick passing football and a formidable home record propelling them to the league’s summit. Most pundits seemed sure they would fall away eventually, but Gary Johnson has made remarkable consistency the trademark of a club which always used to choke when it really mattered. Argyle, much to my delight, are pushing hard for a playoff spot and it is not inconceivable that the Match of the Day cameras could be covering a pair of Westcountry derbies next season.

For Plymouth, the second-largest city in Europe (after Hull) never to have a top-flight team, it’d be a first. Of course, for those raised on the self-preserving Premier League elite, this seems absurd. But Bristol is the seventh-largest city in England, and Plymouth has a larger population than Derby, Portsmouth, and Blackburn to name just three. Both have huge catchment areas which could clearly support top clubs.

And these are not the only two south-western teams on the up. Swindon Town and Bristol Rovers both won promotion last season to join Yeovil Town, and of course Cheltenham Town, in League One. All four should retain their status this year, enabling them to push on afterwards. Cheltenham have risen from utter obscurity a decade ago to challenge Gloucester Rugby for public and media attention in this area.

Rovers have delighted football romantics nation-wide with their FA Cup adventure, with giant-slaying wins over Fulham and Southampton giving them a quarter-final clash with West Bromwich Albion on Sunday. It’ll be tough – the Baggies are the best side I’ve seen in the Championship this term – but with a raucous Memorial Stadium behind them and goalscoring threats Ricky Lambert and Craig Disley in the side, they have a real chance.

Further down, Exeter City, Forest Green Rovers and Torquay United are all vying for elevation from the Blue Square Premier, the Devon sides hoping for a return to their traditional fourth-tier level, and Rovers aiming to become the smallest club ever to play in the football league. Anomaly of the season, though, must be the fact that promotion could actually impact negatively on the finances of these clubs. Fifth-tier sides, now given ample television coverage by Setanta, receive excellent broadcast revenue, and greater media exposure than those in League Two. Added to the dent in attendance figures from a likely season in the middle or the lower reaches of the table, as opposed to a play-off race, and you can see why some have darkly suggested it might be better if Torquay and co remain where they are.

Look out, too, for Truro City. The ‘White Tigers’ from the Cornish capital are backed by millionaire property developer Kevin Heaney, who aims to give the peninsula a league side by 2017. They won the FA Vase at Wembley in May in front of an astonishing crowd of 27,754, and stormed Western League Division One last year, winning 37 of their 42 games and scoring 185 goals. Striker Stewart Yetton (formerly of Plymouth) bagged 72 himself, as well as 36 so far this season, and is a prime example of City’s successful policy of cherry-picking the best players from non-league and professional reserve sides in the area. Truro were installed as 2-7 favourites to win the 2007-8 Western Premier and have not disappointed, currently sitting five points clear. Next season they should go up to Southern League Division One, with four additional promotions needed to realise Heaney’s dream.

RICH PARTINGTON

Surprise promotion contenders

Every season, in every league, there is a team that exceeds all their expectations and has bookmakers scratching their heads wondering whether they underestimated them. Last year in the Championship Colchester surprised many people when they finished just outside the play-off places, when many tipped them as relegation contenders. This season is no different, only there are two teams who are upsetting the form book, Bristol City and Stoke City, who both currently occupy the top two places of the league. I am sure I am not the only one who is surprised by their deserved success.

Before the season began, bookmakers ranked Bristol City 30-1 to win promotion and Stoke’s odds were not much shorter. To be fair to the bookmakers, I was happy with the odds we were given as we were given a better chance for promotion than some teams who had established themselves in the Championship in the last few years. Stoke’s success this season has surprised some people but Tony Pulis’s side almost made the play-offs last year, missing out by just one place and they have come back stronger this year with a sustained push for Premiership football. But can either side achieve it?

The favourites at the beginning of the season were the likes of Watford, West Brom and Charlton, who all had bigger spending powers than the other two sides. Watford started the season brightly leading the way, but inconsistent results have left them playing catch up. West Brom also led the way for a time and they are regarded many as the best football team in the Championship, which I would have to agree with. They have the best goal scoring record in the league although not the tightest defence, but with Kevin Phillips up front they will rarely struggle to find the net. Personally, I still believe West Brom will gain promotion and anyone who finishes above them is guaranteed Premiership football.

The biggest surprise by far has been Bristol City, and Gary Johnson has to be awarded manager of the year even if we ultimately do not win promotion. City have been the most consistent team in the league and although we don’t have the best goal scoring record compared to West Brom, we certainly deserve to be where we are. We have won 18 games, the joint-highest in the league with the Baggies, and have only lost seven matches in 37 games, a record which takes some beating, in a league where almost anyone can beat anyone.

With only nine games left now, we are still top, with Stoke in second place three points behind. City are now seven games unbeaten after today’s 0-0 draw away at Leicester and the team is on a roll. I’m sure most fans will agree that March is probably the most important month in our season with four matches still to play, in particular Watford at home on Tuesday night, a game I cannot wait for. A result against Watford would go a long way in securing Premiership status and we are more than capable of beating them as we proved at Vicarage Road in December. We also host Westcountry rivals Plymouth, who also have promotion aspirations on Saturday, so March really could make or break our season. With a trip to Stoke in April also still to come, our destiny is in our hands and is ours to lose.

ANDY DAVIES

City reach the summit...and stay there

All too often this season, when Gary Johnson’s Bristol City side have reached top spot of the Championship, we have been knocked off it within a few hours. But on Saturday, after our 2-1 success at home to Hull City, we stayed top. Before the game, Johnson described the match as a ‘must win’ game as we face a tough March with an away trip to promotion chasers Charlton, and host Watford on 11 March. The match was important and there was big crowd waiting in anticipation, although it was not a sell out and I can’t understand why not.

We are in a fantastic position, the highest the club has been for 28 years yet we still have not had a 19,000 plus crowd cheering on the lads. I know I have mentioned this before but there are few home games remaining and we are on course to achieve the biggest feat this season. To be fair to City fans, the 15,859 spectators present were mostly made up of home supporters with Hull City bringing probably less than 1,000 supporters. With Watford and Plymouth likely to bring support in the region of 3,000 fans, I am sure Ashton Gate will be sold out for some games this season.

Back to Saturday, and Phil Brown’s Hull City side made life very difficult for City and could have easily taken the lead after just 50 seconds when an unmarked Caleb Folan found his way into the box, only to slice his shot wide of Adriano Basso’s left hand post. The miss proved crucial on 14 minutes when a Jamie McAllister long ball forward was misjudged by defender Neil Clement and Dele Adebola lashed the ball on the half volley into the top corner of the net from 15 yards.

It was a fantastic finish from a player many City fans questioned the signing of when Gary made a bid for him in the January transfer window. But three goals in six appearances speaks for itself and this may prove to be one of the smartest signings of Gary’s reign if his goals send us into the Premiership. Personally, when we signed him, I looked at his record at Coventry City, which revealed he had scored six goals this season, and I was unconvinced. Many friends, one a Coventry fan, couldn’t speak highly enough of him, while others believed he was too old. But I think all his doubters can agree they were wrong.

After the first goal, as has been the case so often this season, we struggled to score a second and the visitors equalised on the stroke of half time through a Liam Fontaine own goal. The goal did not come as a surprise as Hull gained in confidence as the half progressed and City seemed to sit on their one goal advantage. I’m sure Gary gave the players a roasting at half time as their performance was not up their usual high standards. His team talk worked again, as it has on so many other occasions this season, as defender Jamie McCombe scored with an over head kick which any striker would have been happy with. From then on the team grew in confidence and could have scored more with Adebola going close and David Noble shooting over the bar.

The atmosphere inside the stadium was fantastic, one of the best all season, as fans began singing and dreaming of promotion as we headed to the top of the league. With Stoke City losing to QPR on Sunday, we are still top and there is now a real belief that we can achieve promotion and with just six more wins needed from 11 games according to Johnson, it is certainly achievable.

ANDY DAVIES

Cheltenham hold on for draw

There are boring 1-1 draws, and there are entertaining 1-1 draws, and this would probably just come under the second category. However it was not entertaining in the case of free flowing football, there were no spectacular goals, or spectacular pieces of skill. Instead it was end to end stuff, with both teams creating enough chances to score a hatful. Despite Southend badgering Cheltenham's goal with shots, the Robins took the lead on 25 minutes. Steven Gillespie, lively as ever, danced through the Southend defence, and squared to give Steve Brooker an opportunity that even my grandmother couldn't have failed to score. The rest of the half consisted of each goalkeeper taking very, very long goal kicks, and not much action on the floor.

The second half began with Southend continuing their onslaught on the Cheltenham goal. While it wasn't pretty, it wasn't the sort of game you could take your eye off, as Southend came forward in waves, with Cheltenham occasionally threatening on the counter attack, thanks to a couple of moments of determination from Damien Spencer. Sadly, two moments of good football didn't hide what was in truth a poor performance from Spencer, and especially the other winger, Ashley Vincent, who did less in 75 minutes than Michael D'Agostino did in 15.

The equaliser finally came with 17 minutes to go, when a clearance fell to Nicky Bailey, who rifled home from the edge of the area.

At this point I was disappointed with two points lost, but as Southend went all out for the winner, I suddenly realised a draw against a team battling for the play offs couldn't be all that bad. After a short period of injury time, in which Southend came close with a free kick, I left Whaddon Road feeling slightly disappointed, but relieved it wasn't as bad as it could have been.

All in all our situation is probably slightly better than it was this time last season. It was around this time that we started to go on a run, winning against decent teams such as Oldham and Doncaster. Hopefully another such run of form will materialise, pulling us clear of the drop zone, and giving us a comfortable mid table position.

JAMES LEWIS

Outplayed but never outsung

Twelve hours ago I awoke with the fuzzy, spreading glow of hope that the 2007-8 season may turn out to be the greatest in Plymouth Argyle’s history. And despite the 3-0 mauling the Greens got at West Bromwich Albion today, it refuses to leave me. Because the almost carnival atmosphere present amongst the 3000 travelling Pilgrims swarming to the Hawthorns provided a clear marker of the positive momentum which has already been accrued. This defeat felt like little more than a setback, and one achieved by an overly numerous margin.

As silver linings go, comprehensively outshouting your opponents from the stands is not to be sniffed at. From well before kick-off, in the pubs and streets of Sandwell, Westcountry accents bawled out all the old favourites and KC & The Sunshine Band-inspired newies. The 19,000 home fans were relatively subdued throughout proceedings, and even after each goal their Boinging seemed oddly restrained. The Green Army were able to eagerly indulge in mocking chants of the "worst support we’ve ever seen" variety, while, in contrast, proding a level of verbal support which was frankly astounding.

The effect of this on players like Paul Connolly and Kristian Timar was immediately obvious. The Baggies were clearly the more technically proficient side, but Argyle outfought them for large parts of the first half, until lacklustre defending allowed Zoltan Gera to scramble home on halftime. A sickening blow for Argyle, a slightly below-par visiting side failed to recover, and Uriah Rennie’s big club refereeing and two more scrappy goals put paid to our hopes.

But we roll on, now effectively joint-sixth with Ipswich, and Tuesday’s home clash with demotion-doomed Colchester United assumes significant importance. The line-up requires refreshment; Steve McLean currently looks lightweight and lacking in confidence, a pair of accusations which it would be unthinkable to level at Jamie Mackie – whose flashes of brilliance during limited runouts from the bench deserve greater exposure. Even today, with his team-mates low on ideas and drive with the game already lost, Mackie beat defenders, won free-kicks, and was unlucky not to be given a penalty after being clattered eight yards out. He deserves a full test alongside the hardworking Jermaine Easter.

Gary Teale is also yet to impress, while his second-half replacement today, Chris Clark, looked sprightly on returning from injury. Let’s hope the change is effective from 7.45pm in midweek.

Argyle should beat Colchester, but either way there is a new spirit and verve among fanbase and players which promises to bring greater glory.

RICH PARTINGTON

Well done Mr Lansdown

It’s that time of the year again, the day Bristol City fans start counting the pennies as season ticket prices for next season have been released. This news today came as quite a shock to me because usually at City you can expect to wait until at least the end of March, normally the beginning of April before there is even any talk about prices being released. Seeing the news this morning you could forgive me for being slightly nervous before reading through the story as season ticket prices last year, after promotion to the Championship, increased by about 20 per cent for adult tickets. With the team riding high in the Championship in second place I assumed the Steve Lansdown would have increased the prices even more. To his credit, the club has frozen all ticket prices for the forthcoming season. But are we as supporters still getting value for money?

When the prices were released last year, there was a backlash from many fans who felt the price rises were too steep, and many fans simply couldn’t afford it. Personally, the ticket price for my seat at £225 was in my opinion value for money, although that is the benefit of being a student. With 23 homes games in a season this worked out as under £10 per game watching Championship football. Even the more expensive adult tickets, priced at £425, worked out as under £20 per game, which is good value. The pay on the day prices though, for fans cannot who cannot afford a season ticket or are simply unable to watch every match, were too expensive. Adult prices in the Dolman and Williams stands were priced at £26, which is more expensive than some Premiership teams. Steve Lansdown at the time said the increased prices were justified if City fans wanted the club to be competitive in the Championship and, fortunately for him, he has been proven right so far.

By placing season tickets on sale from 1 March, Mr Lansdown has strategically aimed to get City fans to commit their money in the hope that City can achieve promotion. Well, personally, it has worked for me as I will be buying my ticket for next season before the prices increase on 12 April in the hope that we will be playing top flight football next season, but will the rest of you?

Although supporters could lose out if we did achieve the unthinkable, the prices would certainly be value for money. In the past, the club has put season tickets on sale when we were in League 1 pushing for promotion and uncertain of what league we will be playing in. Unfortunately, the gamble for those fans including me who did part with their money was lost. Let’s hope history doesn’t repeat itself.

Premiership football would bring sell-out crowds and having a season ticket would probably be a necessity in securing a seat. It would not surprise if we sold out the entire home allocation to season ticket holders if we gained promotion. The current capacity allocates just over 19,000 fans, taking the away allocation in to account, only 16,000 seats would be available. This season alone we have sold over 10,000 season tickets, and it’s not unthinkable that we could sell out.

The club is also introducing a new card system which signals the end of the season ticket book stuffed full of vouchers. The new card will be similar to those used by the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Newcastle. Personally, I think this is a great idea, as it can become tedious searching in the book for the correct voucher to present a turnstile operator. But does this signal the end for the old fashioned turnstile in football? Will all tickets including pay on the day just involve a card being swiped?

Back to the prices: I am sure most City fans will take up the offer and gamble on the clubs fortunes, but even if we do ultimately fail, next season we will certainly come back even stronger and mount another promotion push. However, I am now convinced we can achieve promotion and why not? We have been one of the most consistent teams in the
Championship; we have won the most games along with Watford and Stoke City, and we have also lost the least amount of games. Who would have thought that at the beginning of the season?

ANDY DAVIES

Peter Halmosi, love of our lives

Joni Mitchell was right – you don’t know what you got til it’s gone.

Living in Devon and (mostly) Cornwall for the first 18 years of my life I was always proud to be from the Westcountry, and following Argyle obviously only strengthened that. But it’s only when you live away from the area for any reasonable length of time, and return, that you realise what a bleddy special place it is.

The train journey down itself has me swelling with green pride. Twas thus yesterday morning as I made the trip down for our home game with Burnley, the biggest Argyle match, to my mind, in a very long time – with the Pilgrims having a strong chance of climbing into the top six with a victory.

With the neat-but-dull (I know, I’m biased) Exeter trailing in the dust, we hit the coastal line, snaking elegantly along the bottom of Devon. Just seeing the water again is enough. Teignmouth’s stunning views over the English Channel, tranquil beaches and rock formations, and pretty harbour clustered with boats stirs a feeling in my soul which does not occur anywhere further north. I pity the Lancashire folk around me and their floss-minded yarnings on gambling and inane Premiership tabloid trivia, cans of Strongbow in hand, ignoring the splendour evident outside the carriage window. Ignorant bastards have probably never even seen the sea! Or drank proper cider!

Onwards then, through the rolling hills and curvaceous green valleys of the South Hams, to the fair city where the girls are so pretty. And the Theatre Of Greens, still infuriatingly sparse at 13,500 inhabitants. Although it didn’t feel like that. The Lyndhurst produced a cracking atmosphere, and from the moment towering (both physically and psychologically) Argyle captain Lilian Nalis’ volley crept through a crowd of players – and the slippery gloves of Danish goalkeeper Brian Jensen – into the bottom corner, it began to feel like a new area.

Or rather, the resumption of an era. Namely, that of Paul Sturrock’s midas touch in the Argyle dugout. This was Plymouth’s fourth consecutive victory but for the first time, it felt like everyone BELIEVED. New songs are sprouting on the terraces – "Peter Halmosi, love of my life, I’d let him shag my wife" easily the most hilariously memorable, but the imperious Kristian Timar, rock solid Luke McCormick, and intoxicating Jamie Mackie also received huge personal fanfares. It was the sound of the fans and players rediscovering the connection that was integral to the golden years of 2001-4, and you could see from McCormick’s prolonged appreciation ritual at the final whistle how much the raucous support he had received really meant. Sure, the moaners are still there, but they were mostly drowned out at the Burnley game. The tide has changed, cynicism is giving way to love and passion. Hurrah.

So, the game then. Well, we weren’t actually that good. Burnley came to Home Park with a formidable away record, having won more games on the road than we had on our own turf. And they were impressive, with Kyle Lafferty’s movement causing plenty of problems, and Wade Elliott gave Gary Sawyer – who despite relentless endeavour is looking the weak link, with Paul Connolly massively improved at right back since the return of John ‘Sloop’ Blackley as defensive coach – a torrid time.

For long periods, particularly in the second half, Argyle were forced to soak up pressure, and this is where Timar truly excelled. I honestly can’t remember a player making so many headed clearances before in one match, and the big Hungarian has surely now supplanted Marcel Seip as Argyle’s top defender. When the Dutchman returns their partnership should be pretty much impregnable.

As for Seip’s replacement, the on-loan Russell Anderson, he looks a composed ball-playing centre-half but would not keep either of the aformentioned behemoths out of the team. Gary Teale, our other temporary Premiership recruit, looks more likely to stay and is a neat, tidy midfielder who could make a real impact once settled into the team.

Burnley were excellent and probably deserved to win, but being able to secure victory when not always in control of proceedings shows a steely, ruthless streak that Argyle have not had since Sturrock was last at the helm. Our 3-1 victory catapulted the Greens above the defeated Ipswich (at Stoke) and Charlton (at Blackpool) into the vertigo-inducing heights of fifth place, simultaenously dealing the Clarets' play-off hopes a severe dent. And in some ways it felt like long-needed revenge for two of Argyle's most painful defeats in living memory, both against Burnley - the 1994 Division Two play-off semi-final, and the 1998 relegation decider from the same league.

It was ultimately the brilliance of Halmosi which proved the biggest difference between the sides. The Green Army rarely agree on much, but one consensus seems to have arisen in the last few months – Halmosi is the best footballer to wear green since Paul Mariner, and his frankly astounding levels of technique are a match even for the England international himself. His sublime flick over the advancing goalkeeper and quick finish to restore Argyle’s first half league was one thing, but the persistence, devastating change of pace, and immensely powerful shot which forged his second – the clincher – was truly world-class.

Supposedly form is temporary, and class is permanent. Well, in football – and particularly in the 46-match dog-eat-dog scrap that is the Championship, with top and bottom only 30 points apart – form actually goes quite a long way. Twelve points has unimaginably altered the complexion of Argyle’s season. And although we have players like Halmosi and Nalis for whom the ‘permanent class’ tag applies, at the moment most of the Pilgrims squad are arguably playing outside of themselves, driven forward by confidence, togetherness, encouragement, and success. But there are only 12 games remaining, plus, hopefully, two or three play-off games, and it is quite conceivable Argyle could win the vast majority of those if the players retain this spirit and play adhere to Sturrock’s acutely effective tactics.

Fifth place, above such apparently 'massive clubs' as Wolves, Ipswich, Leicester, Norwich, Southampton, and Coventry, going into March…who would have thought it?

I’m already dreaming of a Wembley Westcountry derby with the Turnips.

RICH PARTINGTON

One down, seven to go

Finally, Gary Johnson has revealed what he thinks can secure promotion back to the top flight for the first time in 28 years. Last week, he stated publicly that City needed eight wins from their next 13 matches to win automatic promotion. On Saturday we faced struggling Colchester United and secured three precious points with a 2-1 win courtesy of goals from Dele Adebola and Michael McIndoe. So we now need only seven wins from 12 games. Is this achievable?

Our form over the last 34 games suggests we are capable doing it and after seeing us go six points clear of West Brom who are sitting in fourth place, a team that until a couple of weeks ago were my tip for automatic promotion, anything is now possible. We may not be top of the league, with Stoke City leading the way, but we are only one point behind and in second place ahead of third placed Watford by one point.

The Championship is such a tight league, certainly the tightest in the football league and things can change quickly. Looking at Leagues 1 and 2, the top teams like Swansea have opened up big leaders on their opponents, but this has not happened in the Championship. It is a cliché but really, anyone can beat anyone. We’ve proved this on many occasions when we have lost to Ipswich 6-0 and then beaten them 2-0 only a few weeks later.

It is rare for any club in this league to put a run of more than two wins together and when a team does it they can really shoot up the league. Crystal Palace have done this in recent months despite languishing near the relegation zone in the early part of the season. Similarly, Plymouth have in the last few weeks started winning and now found themselves in fifth place when their fans believed their play-off dreams were all but over. So if things can change for the better so quickly, then they can also change for the bad quickly. Hopefully that won’t happen at City.

We are currently in a fantastic position that is still unbelievable to me, but do we have what it takes to stay there? On Monday night we had the chance to go top and didn’t take it, did nerves get the better of us? One thing in City’s favour is that the majority of our squad have experienced promotion and the pressures that come with it so we have every chance.

The result against Colchester is further confirmation to me that we have what it takes to stay amongst the leaders and hopefully all City fans agree. Colchester is always a hard place to go and win with their tiny stadium and small pitch but we battled and came away with the win. Our away form is picking up now with two wins in row so all the signs are looking good. Our home form this season has been one of the best in the league and I am sure this will continue. What has puzzled me this season is that although our average home attendance is up from around 13,000 to 15,000 supporters; shouldn’t we be selling out our stadium seeing as we are so close to the Premiership?

With only six home games remaining I hope we can attract a 19,000-plus crowd before the season is finished. On Saturday we face Hull City who beat West Brom this weekend 2-1 away, so it is going to be a tough game, but come 5pm on Saturday we might be three more points closer to where we all want to be.

ANDY DAVIES

'Boom boom' McCombe steals a point

For the first time this season Bristol City had the opportunity to go top of the Championship and stay there on Monday night. Although Gary Johnson’s team have reached the summit on a number of occasions this season, we always seem to be knocked off the top within hours due to a late kick off, usually involving Watford or West Brom. However, on a freezing cold Monday night against Neil Warnock’s Crystal Palace side we had the chance to sit top of the pile. Sadly as most City fans and others fans will know, having watched it live on TV, we failed. Many Championship supporters will however look at our position and say ‘we should be happy where we are’, but are we really satisfied?

At the beginning of the season, all the talk and expectation on fans forums were of staying up or perhaps finishing in mid-table. Some cheeky supporters said we should even push for a play-off spot but many of us were quick to stress survival was the priority. If someone had told me at the start of the season that we would be third in the league, only one point behind the leaders and with a real chance at promotion, I would have called for the men in the big white coats to take them away. Since I have been supporting City, which is for over 15 years now, there has always been an expectation, certainly when were in League One, that we were a big club and deserved better. Which is why for many years, under the likes of Danny Wilson and Brian Tinnion, that we failed in numerous promotion attempts – because of the attitude of some of our players.

Under the guidance of manager Gary Johnson, who has built a fantastic team spirit at the club, we are finally achieving what most fans expect. Now we are in the Championship that expectation, I think, has disappeared. The fans are just happy to be playing bigger teams again and travelling to brand new stadiums like the Ricoh Arena. There is a buzz around the club and this has rubbed off on the players. They are able to play with a freedom, even more so now given that we have virtually retained our status as a Championship club for next season. But we now found ourselves in a position of being in touching distance of the promise land and the question is: Do we go for it?

We have seen many clubs go up to the Premiership, spend a fortune and come down a broken club. Under the guidance of Johnson and wise chairman Steve Lansdown I doubt this would happen and I hope many other City fans would agree. For instance, if we were relegated after only one season we would bank at least £50 million and a further £30 million from parachute payments. Who wouldn’t want to go up? Take Watford for example, they managed two years ago to gain promotion and although they failed in their quest to stay up, they have returned to the Championship a much richer and bigger club.

Anyway, back to Monday’s game. After two straight wins against Sheffield Wednesday and Scunthorpe, confidence was high. I expected three points as our home form has been fantastic this season and Crystal Palace had not won a game since they had beaten us 2-0 in January. Revenge must have been on the minds of the players and I hoped for a good game of football. Unfortunately, Palace seemed intent on hitting the ball long and direct at every opportunity, and we were unable to get our passing game going.

It was a poor first half with the best chance for City going to Nick Carle who shot just wide. Palace improved in the second half and scored with a fine half volley from Lee Hills after 60 minutes. City were awarded a penalty with just five minutes to go after a foul on Darren Byfield. Bradley Orr stepped up to take the penalty, confident after scoring two previous penalties, unfortunately his effort and rebound were saved but in the last minute of injury time Jamie McCombe rescued a point with a bullet header from a corner.

On many occasions this season we have scored late goals to either rescue a point or win the game. With just 13 games left the league is very tight and with Stoke City now leading the way it looks to be a four-horse race for who will gain the two automatic spots. I’m sure City can achieve the play-offs and maybe automatic promotion. As Adriano Basso says, "Always believe."

ANDY DAVIES

Swindon eye Forest double

Just five points adrift now from a play-off position and Swindon Town are gearing up to seize three more away to Nottingham Forest this Saturday.A fantastic 3-0 win over Cheltenham on Tuesday, and a 2-1 victory over Forest last month means that there is no reason why history cannot be repeated.

Lee Peacock said: "If we apply ourselves we have a chance. It is a fantastic stadium and if we apply ourselves like we did at Leeds we will be alright.

"We will be good for a point at least. We need to compete with the likes of Forest away if we are to be a contender for the play-offs.

"When we are going away to the teams at the basement we also have to be turning them into wins."

Maurice Malpas is also optimistic that the quest for the play-offs is realistic and that the odds can be defied.

He said: "There is no way I will set up in a negative way. We are going for three points and if we only get a draw then we will take a point.

"It is far more important we get wins away from home as opposed to hoping for draws by being negative.

"We know it will be a difficult game but I think the pressure is on Nottingham Forest. They are expected to beat us.

"I am a typical Scotsman and we will go up there and upset the odds."

The Cheltenham game on Tuesday started off dismally, the weekend hurt against Huddersfield still raw after the end of our nine game unbeaten run. For the first 15 minutes, Cheltenham fought full possession of the ball, and lacklustre defending from Swindon nearly cost us dearly. Nerves were probable here. And there was good reason for Billy Paynter to be nervous, who warned to watch out old pal Steve Brooker, on loan to Cheltenham from Bristol City.

However, it was a delight to see Simon Cox netting in the 20th minute, his first goal at home since his signing – kicking from close range after Cheltenham sacrificed the ball. A lazy goal one might argue, but a typical good striker’s goal – being simply in the right place at the right time. Twenty minutes later, Paynter sent Swindon 2-0 up.

In the second half, Swindon finally displayed consistent levels of brilliance. Towards the end of the game, Christian Roberts came off the bench to secure Swindon's win from the left side of penalty area. After being 3-0 up, Cox was replaced by Blair Sturrock and enjoyed a rapturous applause as he came off.

Anthony McNamee also stood out for me as man of the match. The game ended with a fine 3-0 result and a fine three points. Swindon are now currently five points behind sixth-placed Tranmere. I finish off by wishing the very best of luck to Swindon tomorrow. Who knows, the play-offs could be waiting for us.

NEIL ROBINSON

Cheltenham's away form deserts them again

Cheltenham failed to follow on from their Manchester United style 2-1 win against Brighton, in which they scored twice in injury time, as they were comprehensively beaten 3-0 by Swindon at the County Ground.

Despite a bright start, in which Steve Brooker missed two good chances, and Dave Bird hit a post, the game changed when the usually reliable Alex Russell misplaced a pass. Sadly, this was in his own penalty area, and after the mix up, Simon Cox put Swindon ahead. Russell then seemed to think Cheltenham were still playing in red, as he hit dozens of passes to gleeful Swindon players, as Cheltenham got themselves in a muddle.

Thankfully the County Ground was a lot drier than the last time I visited, but still slightly cold, and Cheltenham's day got worse following yet another mix up, as again they tried to pass it out of the box. This time Billy Paynter was the recipient, scoring Swindon’s second, which was followed a bizarre celebration as Paynter pulled captain Hasney Aljofree's shorts down in front of a slightly bemused crowd.

While Cheltenham couldn't have been faulted for determination, Steven Gillespie especially, the killer touch was lacking, and any hopes of a comeback were dashed when Christian Roberts scored with practically his first touch after coming on. A good first touch it was too, firing an angled shot into the bottom left hand corner from long range.

So not as good a day as Cheltenham's last trip to the County Ground, and they'll need to pick themselves up for the game against Hartlepool on Saturday.

Meanwhile a good set of results for Forest Green's play off hopes meant nothing as they could only draw with Stevenage, although that in itself is a credible result. Rovers remain four points off top five, and still have to go to Cambridge.

JAMES LEWIS

'The Three Maccateers' continue Argyle revival

A week is a long time in…blah blah blah.

But how apt a phrase that is today. Six points, two clean sheets, and a pair of commanding performances on, the pessimism pervading Plymouth Argyle at the end of January has given way to renewed hopes of a Championship play-off punt.

Argyle sit just two points outside the top six after Tuesday’s comprehensive 3-0 success at home to ten-man Barnsley, Yorkshire’s best side this year, who beat us 3-2 at Oakwell in August. Indeed, at the final whistle the BBC Sport website – which, for me, is the definitive resource for all football matters – actually had the Pilgrims sat in sixth spot , before a win for Ipswich at Crystal Palace and Burnley’s Andy Cole-inspired comeback at QPR dropped us back down to eighth.

Still, after I’d all but given up on a real run at promotion after the home defeat to Hull a couple of weeks ago, the race is very much back on and I’m chewing away at my green-and-white hat.

Luke McCormick deserves a huge amount of credit for this. Romain Larrieu’s return from injury this season appears to have spurred ‘Super Luke’ on, and, with the Frenchman out of action again, Luke has assumed a commanding status in the Argyle goal. For the first time, as well, McCormick looks the club’s undisputed number one, whoever he is competing with.

The Coventry-born stopper’s lack of height has been a traditional weakness, from the very first time I saw him – away at Tranmere in 2002, when 85 minutes of inspired shot-stopping was undone by two late blunders which gave the home side victory. Under the returning Paul Sturrock, though, McCormick has learned to mask this with aerial confidence and an exemplary all-round game. His kicking has always been long and strong; he thinks quickly and often wins one-on-one contests with opposing attackers.

There were rumours of interest from Middlesbrough in January, but these came to nothing. Luke would probably leave if an offer like this came in, but so would most Championship players. For now he seems content at Home Park, enjoying the lack of national expectation and pressure which goes with a 'bigger' club and quietly guiding his side up the table.

From looking likely to leave the club several times in the last couple of months – first after seeming to back Ian Holloway’s departure in a press statement, and then in the aftermath of an admittedly reasonable declaration that there could only be one first-choice keeper at Argyle – McCormick has established himself as the goalkeeping future at Home Park.

This is arguably less than fair on Larrieu, an Argyle legend and fan favourite, who has been unlucky with injuries. The growth in his abdomen currently keeping the Frenchman out is the latest in a string of problems, with a serious knee injury and a cancer scare forcing lengthy lay-offs while at Home Park. At 31, he is in the prime of his goalkeeping life, and will not want to play second fiddle to his young English rival, but it would be a shame to lose him.

While McCormick kept Barnsley at bay on Tuesday night the other ‘Maccateers’ (and I’m copywriting that phrase, by the way) were making the difference at the other end.
Record-signing Steve McLean’s free-kick gave Argyle a fifth minute lead, and the Scottish striker his first goal in green. The wily forward has been settling well, delighting the Green Army with his cleverness, technique, and reading of the game. But he needed a goal, and while he will never be an arch-poacher like Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, who he replaced in the number nine shirt, his overall qualities are of greater value to the team. McLean reportedly loves his new home, and he could form a great partnership with another new arrival.

Jamie Mackie was not, for Pilgrim fans, initially the most exciting signing in our history. He came from Exeter, a club we treat with withering disdain, and had only bagged 11 goals this season in a league three levels lower than the Championship.

On as a sub for the hard-working, pacy Jermaine Easter, however, and he looked a man possessed. Only eleven seconds had passed when Mackie charged into the box, took a pass from Peter Halmosi and displayed tremendous strength and composure in shrugging off two defenders to score. His second goal was even better, receiving the ball down the right channel, teasing and twisting the defender and smashing home.

It was one of the most inspired and surprising cameos I’ve seen from a player in green. Here is a rough diamond, clearly tremendously talented but also oozing arrogance and self-regard, as his dancing celebration displayed – personal glory is obviously a major priority for the 22-year-old from Dorking. But if he plays like that every week he can have a statue outside the Devonport End for all I care. Mackie’s a showman, a superstar in his own head, and with the potential to become one on the pitch as well. If anyone's going to take over SEB's goalscoring mantle, he has staked a prime claim to be that man. It's a little harsh on Easter, who has performed well for Argyle without getting the breaks, or goals. But Mackie made his own opportunities against Barnsley, and sometime's that's the sign of a great player, as opposed to a good one.

And Paul Wotton’s back! What a week!

Roll on Southampton, and I’m getting a bit excited just at the thought of it.

RICH PARTINGTON