| Rusty old Iron undone by Chilvers brilliance at Glanford Park 22:59 - Mar 14 with 620 views | durham_exile |
Four matches unbeaten, our first double of the season and consecutive wins for the first time this season. Things are beginning to look up at the JSCS.
However, for 55 minutes on Saturday afternoon it was anything but rosy. Colchester were lack lustre, lacking pace, one dimensional and playing a single striker has proved time and time again that it is not the answer this season.
More of that later. Saturday was bright, mild and sunny 13 degrees Celsius at Glanford Park. I arrived in good time, met up with Gerry and we enjoyed a decent meal at the Hungry Horse (which Gerry kindly paid for). We chatted to four Scunny supporters who had an air of resignation about them and were already “looking forward” to battles with Grimsby next season. They challenged us to watch their team and we would know why they were going down.
As it turned out a lack of goals, confidence and a failure to keep 11 men on the pitch eventually did for them.
Walking into the ground we were on the look out for the Ukrainian flag amongst the faithful contingent because that marked out Mr and Mrs Witham. It was great to finally meet up with them. Noah was almost a late arrival and he was looking out for a glass of red to assuage his thirst.
The pitch was looking in good condition and the sunshine always improves the look of the stadium.
WB had lined up as follows:
George
Coxe Chambers Smith Kenlock
Skuse Wiredu
Hannant Chilvers Edwards
Sears
Subs: Hornby Eastman Tchamadeu Welch-Hayes Akinde Andrews Wright
I was disappointed to see that even at the bottom club WB wasn’t brave enough to play a second striker.
We started reasonably well and two decent chances were missed the best of these fell to Hannant after a good cross from Edwards, but he skied it when well placed at the near post.
The faithful sang their hearts out and kept our spirits up.
Then on 11 minutes the wheels fell off. Kenlock got into a tangle on the edge of his own penalty area and Feeney went around him and drilled the ball across to Joe Nuttall who frankly couldn’t miss from 5 yards out. I hadn’t heard criticism of Kenlock before but there were some pretty irate supporters blaming him for everything including the Kennedy assassination.
Colchester dropped deeper and became more desperate. We were losing 1-0 to the bottom club and didn’t look like securing an equaliser. Then a lifeline. Matheson the Iron’s Right Back bundled Hannant over and was booked then just 9 minutes later he unceremoniously took Wiredu out on the half way line and received a second yellow.
So, after 35 minutes they were down to 10 men and surely, we would spark into life.
However, for the ten minutes until half time Scunny looked the brighter team and we looked, well simply awful.
Half time Gerry suggested to a fellow U’s fan that we would win 4-1. I simply bemoaned my 3-0 prediction which looked distant at that time.
Surely the tactician WB would change it up, but no he made no half time changes.
We didn’t even look like securing a point.
But on 55 minutes Kenlock was replaced by Wright and Big John Akinde came on for Luke Hannant.
The result of a second striker and a more attack minded team was almost instantaneous.
Noah Chilvers picked up the ball just outside the U’s penalty area, the ball flipped up and perhaps caught him on the hand but it was only accidental, he gathered momentum and headed for the Scunny penalty area. Advancing past two challenges he made it into the area and still had lots to do. Watson the keeper advanced towards him and Chilvers played a delightful finish into the bottom left-hand corner of the net.
I was reminded of the goal that we conceded at Mansfield where their player ran a similar length of the field before scoring.
Queue wild celebrations. Chilvers had scored arguably our goal of the season on 60 minutes. Alan Judge might have something to say though.
We then enjoyed 15 minutes of superb attacking football, numerous corners (8), 16 shots and 9 on target.
Chilvers could do no wrong, he cut in from the left (our right) and struck a ferocious shot which the keeper did well to parry. Wiredu also launched an attack and entered the penalty area and shot strongly but the keeper managed to clear. Sears should have scored, but hit his effort straight at Watson.
It was both exciting and enjoyable and the faithful loved it. Note to WB.
Then on 67 minutes Sears provided the assist for the skilful Edwards to score with a neat diagonal finish from the right wing into the bottom left-hand corner. 2-1 and it was justified and the U’s were well on top. Great scenes between players and supporters alike.
Then a lull in play for an injury and the U’s gravitated to the side of the pitch for drinks and a team talk from WB. My lip-reading skills suggested something like this “well done lads, now we’re 2-1 up, don’t do anything rash, protect what we’ve got and I’ll bring another defender soon to sure things up.”
I think the response from the players was something like “bollocks to that boss!”
The attacks kept coming and on 76 minutes Edwards played a delightful chip and Chilvers got between the two centre backs to plant a lovely diving header past Watson. It was 3-1 and the game was up now for the Iron.
WB would have been seething and he immediately took off the industrious Edwards and brought on Miles Welch-Hayes.
MWH went to Right Back, Coxe to Left Back and Big John went up front whilst Sears dropped to the Number 10.
This however encouraged Scunny on. Nuttall hit the bar and the foot of the post with two decent efforts whilst Feeney headed wide when well placed. What I am saying is despite our lead, Scunny kept playing and could have scored at least one more to make things interesting.
WB will not get away with such defensive tactics at the Memorial Ground on Tuesday night.
An extra 5 minutes failed to provide more goals, Chilvers had deserved a hattrick but it wasn’t to be.
Noah Chilvers did make the EFL League Two team of the week with Edwards whilst Chilvers also made the EFL Team of the week and well deserved it was too. He has probably put a £1m on his transfer value.
So, what did we learn from Saturday, that WB still doesn’t have the confidence to play two strikers from the start even at the bottom club? That he wasn’t decisive enough and waited until the 55 minute before making any changes despite numerical supremacy.
That Freddie Sears simply cannot play as a lone striker against two or three central defenders and that Big John is invaluable as a target man. Edwards has all the tricks and young Wright makes a decent winger too.
Corie Andrews must feel that he is the Spy Who Came in from the Cold — WB freezes him out every game.
Dallison is a better Centre Back than Smith and makes a better pairing with Chambers. Tom Eastman has clearly walked under so many ladders and run over more black cats than you can shake a stick at.
It was good to see MWH back though.
We cannot allow this profligacy to extend to yet another season. Colchester needs to be at the top end of this wretched league not struggling at the bottom.
Table:
COL U 36 39
Orient 34 36
Barrow 35 34
Stevenage 36 34
Oldham 34 31
Scunny 36 24
10 games to play, another 11 points will secure our status again.
Scunny are down and it will probably be Stevenage to join them.
Tuesday night at the Gas and that old rogue Barton will fancy his chances. Time to make it 5 games unbeaten.
Up the U’s
 |  |
| |  |
| Rusty old Iron undone by Chilvers brilliance at Glanford Park on 06:25 - Mar 15 with 581 views | noah4x4 |
A fair summary. Second half we looked like promotion contenders, but we are so incredibly vulnerable at the back that unless we have a three goal lead we always look like throwing it away. Kemlock, Smith, Chambers and Coxe give me the jitters every time an opposition near our penalty area. We can't sit back and defend.
What nobody has mentioned is remaining fixtures. There are a fair few six pointers between teams below us. One or both will be dropping points. We just need to accumulate them. With goal difference, we have, in effect, a nine point advantage. I am heading for Bristol fancying we can nick a point, and the wheels seem to have fallen off at FGR and Tranmere. We are not safe yet, but the last fortnight has been a miraculous turnaround. |  | | |
| Rusty old Iron undone by Chilvers brilliance at Glanford Park on 11:17 - Mar 15 with 518 views | gerry_us |
As I stated in the match post if we had continued in the same way at 3-1 up it could have been 6 or more, Scunny's heads were down and a man short.
Why then did it all go wrong for the last 15 minutes when Scunny could and should have levelled it up which would have been a travesty.
Guess what;
Maybe Brown's total defensive attitude to football? Strikers? What are they? |  | | |
| |
By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions.
