StarkMallard

I'm a bit late to this party but I'm hearing rumours that we won

The second half didn't take place from our point of view. At no point was the result in any doubt, at no point did we have them under any pressure at all. We were constantly two steps behind them, and the full backs in particular really struggled. Neal Ardley has one hell of a job on his hands to turn that into a functioning unit. Maybe this is just post-derby mardiness, but am I the only one who really didn't like seeing Neal Bishop hopping on the pile of celebrating Mansfield players after their second? If he was a former loanee then fair enough, but the bloke played more than 150 matches for us...

I listened until we went 2-0 down, then I switched it off. When Stallard remarked that we were basically playing seven at the back while 2-0 down I knew what was going to happen. Once again we've collapsed under pressure, once again we've been thrashed, once again it's an easy win for the opposition and once again we deserved to lose. Sick and tired of it.

To be honest my motivation levels are pretty low too. The thought of another wasted season isn't exactly motivating. Only five of tonight's starting line-up were at the club last season, and only three of those were regulars. I can't help but think that the baby has been thrown out with the bathwater. Anyway, it is what it is. We need a win to get things rolling again, so why not tonight? It doesn't have to be pretty, just show us some grit and determination.

Good post @Fozzy. On top of that lot we've lost Grant - yes he was frustrating at times but it was his goals that kept us near the top, certainly in the first half of the season. How many tight matches did he decide in our favour? Admittedly we were never going to hold on to him, but we've completely failed to replace him. I didn't want to say so at the time but when I first saw Vaughan play he reminded me quite a lot of Darren Caskey. He seems a bit of a luxury for this league. The recruitment in the summer was bad and it's messed up our season. It's actually been a problem ever since Ray Trew arrived - an awful lot of money has been invested in the squad but we've got precious little out of it.

Can you possess steam @Magic magpie? Another frustrating afternoon but it sounds like we played alright and created chances so at least there's hope. If the players don't let their heads drop we'll be alright. Let's not start talking about promotion again next time we win a couple though, the season is about making it to safety as soon as possible now

Not bad! Stead was absolutely crucial tonight - not only was he as hard-working as always, he was a constant threat too. Took his goal superbly. Not sure he'll manage the full 90 minutes on Saturday though!

I am confused as in all the match reports there is a 0 where a 3 would usually be (in this case next to "Northampton Town"). Surely this is an error. Come to think of it I didn't see any goals either, but I did go to the toilet at one stage, which is when most goals tend to happen. Seriously, it was a pretty ugly match between two teams sorely lacking in confidence, but it was great to see us looking compact and hard to beat again. Ward, Turley and Milsom seem to have plugged the gaping goal we used to have in the middle. We made little impression going forward, but yesterday we had other priorities. A definite sign of progress, now we're ready for our first win!

I can't wait to see the team selection for this one. KN found out a lot about the team on Friday and we'll be able to see what conclusions he's drawn. Surely it'll be about steadying the ship and getting a clean sheet. A hard-fought 1-0 win will be just what the doctor ordered.

Wow, what a complete joke that was. Until the goals started flowing we looked pretty decent and purposeful on the ball, but as soon as Yeovil won the ball (and they broke quickly and in numbers) we were absent. None of the midfield had a tackle in them, the full backs were isolated and far too easily beaten and the centre halves were like headless chickens all night. In the end it was far too easy for them, and that was worrying. Even in our bad spells last season we still managed to give the opposition a difficult game, but not today! Our lack of options at the back is a real concern now. We have invested heavily in our attacking options but now have fewer options in goal and at left-back. And because of Tootle's injury we had the ridiculous spectacle of Hewitt (the one man who could have added a bit of steel to midfield had he not been forced to play out of position) and Boldewijn impersonating a right-back, with disastrous results.

This talk about team talks is generally nonsense, if you're not motivated for a play-off semi it's time to give up the game. Lots of teams do the pre-printed T-shirts, there's nothing unusual about it. Might be worth checking ebay for them, could come in handy when we reach the FA Cup final next season Michael Doyle was playing for Coventry way back when I lived there. Thought he was crap back then

Oh dear. If he just has us down as a physical long-ball side he's in for a shock. What was he doing when we beat them last month?

How did O'Connor do? Would be be in contention for a starting berth for the play-offs? Must have been a belting atmosphere with more than 12,000 there. Good preparation for Coventry...

Agreed @Truefootballfan, we were second to every ball and only woke up far too late. Not good enough, especially given what was at stake.

Agree with both of the above. Grant is a quality player but he does tend to coast sometimes. Bring him on towards the end. Hawkridge isn't our most threatening player, but I feel we tend to look better in possession when he's in the team. And remember, a better result than Mansfield tomorrow will see us in the play-offs with two games to spare.

Apart from the money I'm not sure what would appeal about football management. In days of yore you could at least get settled and build something at a club. Now it's a new job in a new town every year or two, you put all the work into building a functioning team only to have it taken away because of a takeover or the board or fans have developed unrealistic expectations. This is very honest and self-aware of Shola and it's very understandable.

The first half was dire and I feared the worst but, as Lozzle said, we saw the return of our pre-Christmas fighters in the second half to turn it around. Once we get our foot on the ball (as opposed to the clueless hoofball of the first half) we have some talented players who can cause the opposition all kinds of problems. In the end it was a great win against a decent side, and it gives us the chance to potentially bag our place in the play-offs at Meadow Lane next weekend. I agree on Grant too, he's still worthy of a shirt but he hasn't been quite the same since January.

We've probably fluffed automatic but this is a chance to at least cement our play-off spot. The Coventry fans have sold their full allocation, they know how massive this one is. We need to keep them all quiet!

My thoughts entirely. It's worth noting that Leyton Orient sacked Nolan last season - I'm sure they'd love to swap places with us now, even with our poor form.

Typical that my internet gave up on me, meaning I couldn't follow it on the radio. It worked fine after! I for one would like us to draw a genuinely big club in the next round, or F*rest. Preferably at home. Sure, someone like Shrewsbury would give us a better chance of progression (although we'd still be outsiders), but going out to a team like that would be pretty anticlimactic.

There isn't another (League) Nottingham club. Is he thinking of the one in West Bridgford?

It's easy to say these things - he'll have to prove in on the pitch.

Losing Grant and Yates would blow a massive hole in our midfield. I hope the club are making contingency plans for this. Noble will certainly be an asset, but you're being too optimistic about O'Connor. According to KN he "has a chance" of playing before the end of the season. That won't help us much if the two loanees leave in January. You've also got to bear in mind that he'll have been out for a year and a half - it takes a LONG time to get back into the swing after so long out. He may never be the same player again. As KN doesn't rate Thompson, we'll need replacements if they go. Hawkridge and Alessandro could go on the wings, but we'll need backup. A choice between Noble, Milsom and Hewitt for CM sounds OK, but Noble may well end up getting suspended, Milsom is injury-prone and Hewitt can't fill in at the back if he's needed in midfield. Of course, it'd be best if they don't leave at all. What better way is there to put yourself in the shop window than to star in a promotion-winning campaign in (in Yates' case) your first season of senior football? And who wants to play for Scunny anyway?

Well done lads, terrific away performance. I was a bit concerned that we were sitting too deep and inviting them onto us in the first half but I needn't have worried. What's also encouraging is that four goals came from midfield today and Liam Noble will be eligible from the new year. Stead might not be putting them away at present but at least we're not dependent on him for goals.

Can only agree with @Fozzy, it was a bit of a drag to watch but that was partly testament to Grimsby's good defensive work. The visitors had a couple of decent chances in the first half that could easily have gone in had there been a more clinical finish / less alert keeper, so I'm not unhappy with the point. It was a good crowd and sounded a good atmosphere, shame the match didn't really live up to it.