September began with the short trip over the border for the Johnstone's Paint Trophy game at the Pirelli Stadium for our first competitive game against a Burton side in 10 decades. Several team changes were made including Wade Small's first start for the club. It took him a mere 17 minutes to get off the mark latching onto Talbot's flick from Lee's long clearance and planting the ball past Krysiak with aplomb. There then followed a period with Town slightly on top, but with the Brewers putting on some pressure but without really threatening. With 38 minutes gone, however, Talbot belted in a superb angled effort from the right to extend our lead.

Drew about to make it 5 FIVE

Within a minute of the restart, the home side pulled one back as Town seemed to have their heads still in the dressing room and McGrath waltzed through to finish with a low shot from the edge of the box. This, naturally, geed up the Burton fans and the team responded with sustained pressure whilst Town began to look edgy. The signs were not good. On 61 minutes, Page replaced Austin and within a minute, Small ran onto a superb Lester pass to finish coolly and take the game beyond Burton. After this the home side's heads dropped, much to Mr Peschisolido's annoyance, from his post-match interview, and Town hit them hard with further goals from Lowry and Talbot with a gem of a lob. This was a fitting send-off for Sue Green, for whom the lads wore black armbands.

The much unloved Don Valley Stadium was next on the travel list with the pitch looking a pig's ear following concert activity. The first half was an end-to-end affair with Town just on top and frustrating the Millers with dogged and organised defending. Lee had to be alert on several occasions and Town had a bit of luck mid-way through the half as Talbot went down on the edge of the box. The challenge was definitely outside, but the linesman indicated penalty and Lowry despatched his kick with confidence. Despite several opportunities to extend the lead, neither Small nor Lester could find their shooting boots and their profligacy was punished in the last quarter of the game as our defence crumbled in the wake of the Millers' increase in tempo.

Jamie got us off to a good start at Don Valley

On 68 minutes, Robertson needlessly conceded a free kick on the edge of the box and the defence failed to react as Rotherham made a mess of it but it fell kindly for Harrison to slot home through a crowd. Four minutes later we were behind as Le Fondre took advantage of more static defending. The heads seemed to drop after this and the Millers made it safe with 10 minutes to go as Ellison netted with the defence once more inattentive. Mr Sheridan's post-match comments were unsurprisingly uncomplimentary at best.

A week later we were on the road again to the scene of last season's worst game: the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Stadium at Victoria Road, to give it its full name. With a stand almost complete on the away end, the place was beginning to resemble a Football League venue. The game was mercifully free of the cynical diving and official manipulating of last season, but the result was the same; we still lost. The game started in dramatic fashion with the Daggers shaving the post from the off and we countered with a Breckin header well saved by Roberts. The affair became somewhat scrappy, but a goal always looked on the cards. It finally arrived on 24 minutes following a corner with the defence allowing a free header beyond the back post for Antwi to head in. Lee was clearly impeded, as the Daggers' management admitted post-match, but it's the sort of decision an away side rarely gets. Lowry should have equalised just before the break but blazed wide when well placed.

The second period saw McDermott on for the injured Talbot and 3 minutes in the game was over as Austin seemingly ducked under an easy header and Benson scored with an adept finish. An overheard exchange between Austin and the manager seconds later indicated that the sun was in Austin's eyes. The manager's response is not printable. After this Town's heads fell in an unacceptable fashion and the home side cantered to an easy win, though McDermott scored a smart goal with about a minute left. The only other positive was the nice new white socks.

One week on we were at home to the Silkmen, tormentors of Rob Page in the corresponding game last term. In came McDermott for Talbot and Picken returned for Austin. A minute's applause was observed for the late Sue Green pre-match; a more fitting tribute than a minute's silence, given Sue's bubbly character. The game started brilliantly as we were ahead in 3 minutes as Robertson's angled pass found Small, whose run beat the offside trap and he netted with ease. The half continued with Town dominance, not hindered by the injured Picken being replaced by Gray. We extended our lead just after the half hour as Lowry's cross was met by Small's head and Lester did what Lester does from 3 yards. By half time we'd doubled the lead as Lowry belted in a third and McDermott curled in a beautiful fourth on the stroke of half time. Mick Haw's centre stand half-time comment of "what's the point of half-time if there's nowt to moan about?" said it all.

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All smiles against the Silkmen

The second half was an anti-climax, almost inevitably as we became too comfortable and lost the edge. Given the football we were playing, however, we should have hit eight, but Small's effort against the bar was the nearest we came whilst Veiga in the Macc goal made several excellent saves. Annoyingly, we went to sleep defensively as Bencherif pulled one back with 11 minutes left to give visiting manager Keith Alexander some crumb of comfort from the second half. The Town efforts were well applauded by an appreciative Saltergate crowd.

The difficult trip to Valley Parade was next on the agenda with the home side in a good run whilst fielding an inexperienced team. Injuries and illness altered the shape of our side with Lester, Breckin and Picken dropping out and Gray, Austin and Currie being included. The 11,000 plus crowd and strong sun gave the place an unusually jolly atmosphere but the early pattern of play was disjointed and seemingly without purpose-not a problem if you're the away team. The hosts took the lead unexpectedly mid-way through the first half with young Dan Gray guilty of poor defending. He spurned the opportunity to get a foot in and concede a thrown in and allowed Flynn to turn him and curl a shot past Lee for the opener. Lee kept it at 1 with a magnificent save 9 minutes later and on 38 minutes came the crucial moment of the match. Allott slotted through a ball for Small who outpaced the struggling O'Brien who fell over. Small took the ball on with only Eastwood to beat but the linesman belatedly and disgracefully flagged for a foul by Small; a typical piece of officialdom favouring the bigger club.

Tough at another Valley,

Parade this time

We started brightly after the resumption, but on 54 minutes we made a hash of an opportunity and the Bantams broke swiftly. Lee saved, Austin didn't react and Nielson knocked in the rebound. Town visibly deflated and following several substitutions, former Spireite with a reputation now lower than a snake's belly, Chris Brandon netted a third after Lee half saved and Austin didn't react again. City should have had a fourth goal moments later as Lee and Austin collided to leave the hosts with an open net which they contrived to miss. This was a very poor display against an ordinary, but enthusiastic and hard-working side to leave us with the worst away record in the division. Later reports of violence, stadium damage and racist chanting by Town fans did nothing to improve the perception, though the racist chanting is stretching the point somewhat if it's what I heard.

The month ended playing-wise with Grimsby in town, bringing over 500 supporters which made the gate tolerable rather than abysmal. The game itself was excellent and we were dominant in the first period, having only Niven's strike from a comically-worked corner to show for our efforts at the break. Colgan in the visitors' goal kept the score down with two splendid saves from Small in a half where the Mariners were consistently second best.

Derek celebrates getting off the mark against the Mariners

After the interval, Lester fired in an excellent second after great work on the right by McDermott and the Irishman netted a marvellous third on 68 minutes after great interplay with Small and a right-footed finish. The game looked seemingly safe at this point, but the niggly and argumentative Proudlock spun in the box to score from an acute angle. It still looked reasonabley comfortable until 87 minutes when Sweeney lashed in a wondrous 30-yarder which gave Lee no chance. It was a tad panicky thereafter, though we came closest to scoring as Colgan was penalised for picking up a backpass. So, we won a game that should have been more comfortable than it was, but was nonetheless very satisfying and entertaining.

In summary then, we had a Jekyll and Hyde month (to use Mr Sheridan's analogy) with 2 fine home wins and 3 miserable away defeats in the league. It is difficult to understand the lack of focus and determination away from home as the players are certainly not without the ability. The defence is a particular problem with a propensity to gift the opposition goals and a failure to work as a unit. I suspect hard work on the training ground and a big stick might be the answer. Another problem remains our lack of an aerial threat offensively which does tend to restrict our options somewhat. We've still not scored a headed goal since last December (other than an own goal from Chester) which must be some kind of record-breaking feat. 

On a more positive note is the continued development of the youth team under Dave Bentley's charge-they keep turning in both decent performances and results. Long may it continue with, hopefully some decent first-team material as an output.

On non-playing matters, the new ground is starting to take shape with a whole stand constructed in outline-it's fascinating to see the speed with which the thing gets constructed. Also, we scooped the Johnstone's performance of the round award for our one good away performance at Burton, which was well-deserved. Little else seemed to take place away from the grass.

Donal provided John with highlight of the month

For the monthly highlight we've Drew Talbot's brilliant 5th at Burton, Tommy Lee's awesome save at Bradford and Jack Lester's splendid goal against the Mariners as contenders. The highlight for me, however, was Donal McDermott's peach of a goal against Macclesfield finishing off an almost magical first half attacking display. His silly, boyish, Irish grin added to the moment as well. Let's hope we have more of his goals at Saltergate with an extension of his loan, since he does give us some interesting attacking options.