Backs against the Wal

30/03/2025 04:55

We’re really regretting those missed opportunities this past month, aren’t we?

In truth, while we’ve suddenly gone back to not being able to play for ninety minutes, a draw at the league leaders isn’t the worst result.

Yes, other games elsewhere went against us, but anyone who thinks they won’t at some point is dangerously optimistic.

It’s a bit like the relegation battles we used to have, where a good performance and a Valuable Point (TM) is deflated because your rivals managed to win at Newport or somewhere.

Granted, pushing for automatic promotion is a lot, lot, lot nicer. It’s only when you’re in this sort of race when you realise just how much avoiding the drop takes it out of you.

There will be some who claim that fighting relegation is much better than mid-table mediocrity because it’s more exciting.

These are the same people who would willingly stick their genitals near a working bacon slicer. Because hey – it’s boring when your appliance is under wraps…

Back to yesterday. Over 1000 of us descended upon the Midlands, presumably without catching anything, and it was good that Bugiel not only came off the bench but scored too.

JJ doesn’t make subs, apparently.

We’ll need the other Lebanese figure associated with Wimbledon to find the goalscoring trail now, and like the Iraqi Scouser before him – the Bescot could be the place where his shooting boots are finally found.

Unfortunately with us right now, you just know we can’t hold onto a 1-0 lead like we started to do.

I’m catching up with losing an hour this morning, so I’ve decided to not watch their goal. But it sounds like people are having a go at Jake Reeves for being as good as tackling as your editor.

One has to wonder what the future for the likes of him will be, even if we don’t go up.

Obviously, this doesn’t take into account contracts etc, although I imagine some are out of them this close season.

Would it be too much to suggest our playoff success/failure will be down to people who won’t (or shouldn’t) be here next season…?

Anyway, they scored, it sounded a bit pant-soiling afterwards but I would genuinely take a point.

We would have wanted three, but we’ve got through a serious grind and at times we’ve not even had any fumes to run on.

One suspects we’ll have to win at Swindon on Tuesday if our push for the automatics are legitimate.

You can check the fixture list yourself for that day, but it will be a damn good opportunity to do ourselves a massive favour.

The question is, though – will we?

Your editor remains unconvinced we’re good enough for automatic promotion. We built our run not on scoring goals but by keeping them out, but we no longer do that.

That said, nobody else is that good either. Yes, Port Vale and Doncaster won yesterday, but the former managed to lose to Barrow last Tuesday.

There’s no guarantee Walsall will be in the top three either. They’re top, but not convincingly so.

Saddlers fans might not like being compared to Birmingham City usually, but at least the Blues are able to spend money wisely and effectively run away with the title.

So while saying we’re not good enough for the top three is a valid statement to make, it’s not set in stone either.

We can – and will – mope about like stroppy teenagers over the fuckups that Barrow and Morecambe and Bromley were.

In a way, they don’t really matter now.

What’s important is Tuesday at Swindon then Harrogate in SW17 on Saturday.

Nuff sed about Doncaster and the 12h30 kickoff, but Chesterfield then Gillingham over Easter will do as much for our auto promotion fate as anything.

I’ve got no idea how Port Vale at home will turn out, though the only thing I can almost guarantee is that it won’t kick off at 3pm on the Saturday.

To cap the whole thing off, there’s Grimsby away last game of the season. Unless we have at least two more games after that, and hopefully three.

You’ve probably heard this a lot already, and will hear it a bit too much for the next five weeks, but it really is seven cup finals now.

Yes, the obligatory only-time-to-finish-third-is-after-Grimsby-yada-yada comment gets made here, but at least we’ve got something to aim at now.

The jury is out whether this team – or JJ – is able to produce the results needed when they’re really needed.

I’m not sure myself. But at least we’re about to find out…