Grimsby 1 Burton 2

We travel up to Cleethorpes (or "Greater Grimsby" as Austin Mitchell used to call it) with Colston for company today, who is forced to sit in the back, listen to heavy rock music and be guided by "twat nav". I'm looking forward to the fish and chips mostly. In fact, Jo and myself have skipped breakfast to ensure that we are ready for what should be the best fish and chips in the known universe.

However, our first port of call is Cleethorpes Railway Station, right next to the "beach" - The No.2 Refreshment House is a pub plonked right at the end of the platform. Not to be confused with the much more easily found No. 1, No.2 is a real ale haven. Not surprisingly we meet up with a few fellow Brewers fans and also John, a mate of Colston who has come on the train from Derby. He buys beer and I like him already. We have banter and another but I'm beginning to feel weak - I need sustenance and so we leave most of them there and go off in search of a chippy. From the pub / station you can walk along the seafront, across a footbridge and arrive at the ground but we cut through across the railway lines a little earlier and onto the main road where we find County Fish Bar. They do not disappoint. Final proof of the divine existence of Cod.

Grimsby Town FC is an old football league ground with the usual bunch of dedicated fans who have had to endure a pretty poor start to the season. They are a friendly bunch and hope that the coming of Burton Albion should be an opportunity for them to pick up a few points.

It's a disastrous start to the game when Krysiek attempts to clear a pass-back, hovers a little too long and it hits an advancing Grimsby striker on the back, looping into the goal. Burton are soon back in the game however when a Jimmy Phillips pass across the box is met confidently by "Ronnie" Corbett to make it 1 -1.

As has so often been the case, when Burton get it down and play they look unbeatable. Unfortunately we often look clumsy today and the "cod heads" really should have taken more advantage. The second and winning goal is a class attacking move - the ball is moved around across the Grimsby half and they fall over all around us. Jimmy, Jimmy, Oh Jimmy P, score a goal for me! Sublime finish into the roof of the net and an early candidate for goal of the season.

The rest of the game was frankly, poor and at best, average. It's a good job Grimsby are rubbish, but I suppose we do enough to keep them at bay. We sing the theme tune to "The Sweeney" as the Grimsby player of the same name steps up close to us to take a corner. We chuckle about this for some time. No-one else gets it. It was worth it anyway.

My man of the match: Jimmy Phillips. His first league goal, creates the other, was a constant menace to the Grimsby defence.