Craven's Marks Out Of Ten

GK Bart Griemink | Minutes on pitch: 90 | Goals Conceded: 1 | Rating: 5.5

It is only right that Griemink should be criticised when he makes a mistake, and this afternoon offered the perfect example. Those at Sincil Bank during the 1-1 draw with Lincoln City would have spotted the tall Dutchman’s problem with goal-kicking – almost exclusively from a back-pass rather than an out-and-out goal-kick when he has more time – and just five minutes into the second half a scuffed hack away fell straight to Danny Whittaker. The ball didn’t seem to be going in, but it crept into the corner and Griemink was crestfallen. It was telling that Adam Barrett clenched his fist to his team-mate after United had restored the lead – and Griemink went on to clutch the ball at every attempt thereafter.

RB Duncan Jupp | Minutes on pitch: 90 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 5.5

Talking of problems with kicking, Duncan Jupp was the only other man on the field wearing blue that performed below par. The ex-Fulham full-back couldn’t seem to find a blue shirt at all for a spell of twenty minutes in the first period – notably in front of many of his detractors in the West Stand – and even during the next 45 minutes sprayed far too many balls out of play. In a game such as today’s, he was able to get away with it, but to surrender possession so often against a higher calibre side would be footballing suicide. On the plus side, did his defensive work well.

CB Spencer Prior | Minutes on pitch: 90 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 6.5

Having been perhaps a little fortunate to have regained his place in the side so quickly against Bristol Rovers, and then been fortunate to keep it after that ninety minutes when he was shown up by four better central defenders on the day, he proved himself worthy of his place in a solid display at the back this afternoon. Spinner won just about everything in the air – helped by the fact that he marked Matthew Tipton and Adam Barrett took on the lumbering Jon Parkin – and stood up well in the tackle to ensure that the ball was easily won back at times, and the likes of the tricky Tipton, playmaker Danny Whittaker and the talented Paul Harsley were not allowed to run riot.

CB Adam Barrett | Minutes on pitch: 90 | Goals: 2 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 9.5

MotM: A hat-trick of TLG Man-of-the-Match awards for Barrett, all in succession, after he gave a fine example of how to defend at one end and how to win aerial balls in the opposition penalty area. Despite more players playing to their potential today, Barrett still stood out head and shoulders above the rest – something he is starting to get used to going forwards.

Having just been on one rampaging run from defence to collect a throw-in late in the first half, he managed to win a corner with a blocked shot. Seconds later, from a free-kick level with the penalty spot on the left-hand side, his head connected with Kevin Maher’s set-piece. 1-0. When Maher delivered a corner in injury time, Barrett’s ‘goal’ was disallowed for pushing elsewhere. After Whittaker levelled, the Dagenham-born defender’s riposte was immediate – a Maher corner planted straight back in the bottom of the net. 2-1.

Defensively too he was immense, and only loses half-a-mark due to a single wayward header that Jon Parkin could have taken advantage of late on. His pumped fists reminded fans of Mark Warren, but somehow meant something more.

LB Che Wilson | Minutes on pitch: 90 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 7

Wilson has been unlucky not to have been given his chance at left-back before this. He took this opening with both hands, or more pertinently, feet. The Ely-born utility man showed Nicolau just what is required of a League Two full-back, with defensive work the priority. When needed, he pushed on, and looked capable of linking up well with his winger and also of getting good crosses in. His accurate throwing made up for Nicolau’s corner expertise.

RM/LM Carl Pettefer | Mins on pitch: 90 | Gls: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 6.5

There’s still a problem with Pettefer, who is not a natural winger, playing out wide as he simply doesn’t get enough balls into the box. This afternoon he threatened again, taking up some decent positions, and at times running with the ball into good areas. At others he lacked ideas, and it can make the play too one-dimensional, with the emphasis going down the left rather than the right unless Jupp can get forwards. Does work well as a decoy, however.

CM/RM Mark Bentley | Mins on pitch: 90 | Gls: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 7.5

The former Dagenham & Redbridge player again had to switch to the right-hand side at the conclusion of the game as Mark Gower’s foot injury became too bad to continue and Lewis Hunt came on in the middle. Bentley took it in his stride, and indeed looked a real threat on the wing in the final fifteen minutes. He was also, disappointingly, the victim of Jarnail Singh’s poor period of officiating in the final twenty minutes as somehow he managed to get penalised for doing nothing wrong, when he could have had a sight of goal.

CM Kevin Maher | Minutes on pitch: 90 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 2 | Rating: 7

Maher’s reprieve from the referee’s notebook lasted the grand sum of one game – five bookings in his opening seven matches means that he’ll be suspended for the home clash with Wycombe Wanderers in twelve days’ time. Aside from that, he had a decent ninety minutes; the booking being petty after he kicked the ball away in frustration when the whistle to end the first half should have already gone. His tenacity in the middle will be missed on this display against the Chairboys, and his delivery from set-pieces – from which Barrett netted both goals – was a vast improvement. It seems he may have learnt from Nicolau.

LM Mark Gower | Minutes on pitch: 74 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 6.5

It was obvious from around the half-hour mark that Gower was struggling with an injury, and when he appeared at the break, he attempted to run it off. If anything, Steve Tilson may have been better off taking the Edmonton-born playmaker out of the side at half-time, but he had to risk keeping him on the hope of creating more goals. Although sometimes frustratingly fragile, Gower has the ability to create something out of nothing, and he was close to doing so on a couple of occasions against the Silkmen.

CF Tesfaye Bramble | Mins on pitch: 84 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 7.5

Tes will have been pleased with his display, after finally winning the opportunity to start a fixture. There seems little doubt that offensively, Bramble and Dudfield are the Shrimpers best combination in terms of goals, and it was only a margin of profligacy and a touch of misfortune that meant they both went home without their first of the season today. Tes’ worst miss was a left-footed strike when he had battled so hard to win the ball after a long Jupp pass, creeping past the left-hand upright with just Alan Fettis to beat. Hopefully that means he’ll have one more in the bag next Saturday.

CF Lawrie Dudfield | Mins on pitch: 90 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 7.5

Dudders showed the Roots Hall crowd that he has lost none of the ability that saw him find the net six times at the tail end of 2004/5. An intelligent striker, he was able to bounce off of Bramble alongside him, and the pair of them were able to drift out to the flanks on a couple of occasions in order to deliver good balls into the box. Dudfield was particularly unlucky with one whipped ball from the left bye-line, and he was also penalised by Mr. Singh for absolutely nothing when he could have had a run at goal. Best chance was a ricochet off of an attempted Fettis clearance that clipped a defender and went agonisingly wide, and then a back-heel at the near post that the ex-Hull keeper somehow got his body behind.

CM Lewis Hunt | Minutes on pitch: 16 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 6

A slight increase in time on the pitch for Hunt, who did well in shoring up the midfield when he replaced Mark Gower on 74 minutes. The ex-Derby County man put himself about and covered Maher well, if he didn’t quite get stuck in as much as he could have done in the final flurry.

CF Drewe Broughton | Mins on pitch: 6 | Goals: 0 | Assists: 0 | Rating: 6

Just a short run-out for Drewe, who put himself out up front in the dying seconds without having a real chance to test substitute goalkeeper Steve Wilson.