DOWN TO THE WIRE..

All Quiet on the Footy Front

It`s all gone a bit quiet on the Snopper Street football front.  Last Saturday saw another defeat for Charlton who, in front of their biggest crowd of the season, slumped to a dismal defeat by Exeter City, managed by former Saints favourite Paul Tisdale.   That`s two defeats in a row and coincide with the fact that our street`s pacy flanker has not been in their starting line-up, thanks to some bizarre managerial decisions by Addicks new gaffer, Chrissy (`The Legend`) Powell, who can`t expect Waggy to produce a game changing cameo if he`s only brought on with three minutes to go..

Also last Saturday, the Saints had made the long journey northward to take on Rochdale at their Spotland ground, only for the game to be postponed due to a waterlogged pitch....and I thought they bred them tough oop north.

So, once again the bragging rights went to Gillingham who  gathered our street`s solitary point with a 1-1 draw against the Shakers of Bury.   I`ve got mixed feelings about Bury.   They`re called the Shakers ever since a distant Chairman entered the dressing room before a local Derby game and passionately exhorted the players to "shake `em.  In fact, we are the Shakers"....and the name has stuck ever since.   They`re also managed by an ex-Saints player in Alan Knill.   Bury`s downside is that it was the first club of the Neville twins, spawned by their father Neville Neville and who I hold entirely responsible for producing Gary,  one of the most annoying characters ever to wear a Manchester United shirt.

Last night saw the Saints held to a 0-0 draw even further oop north  at Hartlepool, where Charlton had come unstuck the week before.   The Gills didn`t have a midweek game but Charlton are away on Friday night to the world`s oldest football club, Notts County, in front of the Sky cameras.  

The situation at the top of League One is very tight.  Brighton look to have promotion in the bag but there are about eight teams vying for the other automatic promotion spot.   With 18 games left, Saints should be favourites with games in hand, but they, like their rivals, have been stuttering of late and so anything can happen.  

Looks like it`s going down to the wire.