I was pleased to see a thread on Red Passion descriibing Stephen Wright as a contender for Player of the Season, because it’s about time we acknowledged the contribution Wright has made this season. Quietly, unobtrusively, he’s become one of Andy Morrell’s smartest signings.

When he arrived last season he looked okay, but there were signs that he could be got at in the right circumstances. Brian Meikle tore past him at will in that grim defeat at Mansfield as the campaign drew to a conclusion, and there was a sense that, when he was played at right back, he was horribly exposed to a decent, pacy winger.

This season, he’s still been hampered by injury but has certainly looked like having more time to settle and train has allowed him to reach a level of play closer to where he’d expect to be. At full back he’s been very solid, and was the unsung hero of Wembley, stepping up the pitch to close down Grimsby winger Marshall superbly. The Mariners offered nothing down the left because Marshall was always ont he back foot, totally intimidated and dominated by Wright. I was amazed he wasn’t withdrawn sooner, as Wright destroyed him.

When asked to fill in at centre back against Mansfield last Thursday he did the job admirably, as he tends to when played in that position. His combination with Martin Riley looked natural, the latter’s mobility allowed him to cover behind the combative Wright. No doubt he’ll have to play there again today, but it worries me that both he and Chris Westwood are liable to be players who have proven prone to injury. We need to nurse them carefully if we want to finish the campaign solidly.