By Albatross
October 1 2002

September finished as it started - with Pools on top of the table - if only on Goal Difference. Albatross looks at some of the goings on in Division 3 over the last month - a month that has seen Denis Smith of Wrexham pick up Manager of the Month, and the departure of one - or is it two - managers. September has seen the Managerial Merry-go-Round start up once more in Div3. Brian Laws was rumoured to have left Scunny - but it was soon found to be just a rumour. The first departure wasn't long in coming though....

The match between Boston and Swansea was followed by the departure of Nick Cusack as Swansea Supremo, and some bizarre goings on at the Lincolnshire club. First of all it was announced that Caretaker Manager Neil Thompson had resigned from the club, describing his position as "untenable". The following day however saw it reported that Boston's board had asked him to reconsider; and then came the announcement that the under-investigation Steve Evans had resigned, and Thompson was now back in charge! Evans had still officially been manager, but this had been in name only since his suspension pending an FA Investigation.

Meanwhile, Cusack has been replaced in the Swansea Hot-seat by Brian Flynn. This move is hardly gaining universal acclaim amongst Swans fans; Cusack was very popular with them and many were sad to see him go. Unfortunately for Cusack the Swansea Board ran out of patience following a poor run this season that saw them hit the bottom following the defeat by Boston. Whether the former Wrexham boss Flynn will be able to turn things round remains to be seen, but a home defeat to Torquay and away draw at Hull are not promising signs. They are one of only two sides that failed to win during September.

Boston have shown signs of improvement this month, but it's still a matter of "will they stay up". Things haven't been helped by the antics of Daryl Clare; last season's star player has struggled somewhat in Division 3, and had a falling out with Thompson that saw him Transfer Listed after refusing to sit on the bench; now however he's apparently willing to play again. Boston certainly need to all be pulling on the same direction - after swapping places with Swansea for a couple of games they have now hit the bottom spot again.

With eleven games played - almost a quarter of the season - we're now starting to see which of the pre-season favourites are able to Walk the Talk. Pools are clinging on at the top of the division, with Rochdale breathing down our necks and Torquay also level on points. Wrexham have been one of the form teams this month, with Morrell hitting form with a vengeance up front as they have climbed into contention. The other relegated teams have been improving, with Bournemouth, Cambridge and Bury all being in the top half as well.

Hull have improved after their poor start - though not by much. Two wins and two draws are hardly promotion form, although they do now look a little safer in 16th. Shrewsbury remain lower than expected, languishing in 18th, but Rushden have stayed in contention and Oxford have moved up. The whole division is pretty tight at the moment, with only three points separating the top 7, and teams as far down as Southend in 13th being within striking distance of a playoff place.

Wrexham in fact have the best record of any team for September, which has seen Denis Smith pick up the Manager of the Month award. He's had competition though from Rochdale, Oxford and Torquay as all four sides picked up 11 points from their 5 games.

Torquay have been surprising a lot of people so far this season, and Leroy Rosenior will be looking to maintain their good form. The other real surprise package have been Lincoln, who have stayed in the Playoff spots. It's fair to say that Keith Alexander's team aren't winning many admirers in the division; as well as Chris Turner, Southend and Torquay have been less than impressed with their long-ball tactics; but considering the minimal budget and quality of the players Alexander has been able to bring in, their achievement so far should not be underestimated. Whether they will be as successful against the top sides in the division is debatable: they have already lost to Pools, and only drew at Torquay despite playing against 10 men for much of the game. Lincoln fans though are just happy to have a team, and a mid-table finish would be a serious result for the Imps.

The curse of Manager of the Month seems to have struck York City with a vengeance; from finishing August level with Pools at the top, they have lost three times, only won against Darlington, and dropped to 9th - their form putting them on a par for the month with Boston and Exeter.

Carlisle haven't had a good month of it. Only three points have found their way to Brunton Park out of five games, that win coming against fellow strugglers Boston; and the Cumbrians find themselves once more in danger of fighting a relegation battle as they are just ahead of Swansea in the table.

The title of "Worst record in the Division" for September though goes to Darlington. Just one draw - at home to Bournemouth - and four defeats saw Quakers fall from 9th in the table to 20th. Unless things improve for them soon, they will find themselves dragged into a relegation dogfight. Already Loids are calling for Tommy Taylor's head, and the pressure must be growing on the man known as "Tactics" to come up with the goods or ship out. If Reynolds does lose patience with him, what price Mick Tait being appointed the next man in the Feethams Hotseat? It looks like being a long, hard season for Darlo.

October sees another five games, and some tough matches for Pools. Consecutive away games see us visiting Shrewsbury and then Bournemouth for the Live game, a tricky home match against Wrexham, and a Friday Night at Southend before finishing the month off at home to Bristol Rovers. It's a crucial month for CT: 9 points would be a fair return, but even that may not be enough to see us top the table at the end of October. So let's enjoy it while we can!