The Super U’s under MB equalled their record 5th successive Away win at Blundell Park on Saturday.
It was thoroughly deserved and sets us up nicely for the tests to come this week against Walsall and Carlisle. For once a distance to travel for me recently 140 miles but it was a good and eventless trip to Cleethorpes.
Even the docks at Grimsby looked inviting in the sunshine. I arrived in good time to park and walk down to the Pier where I met Gerry for some excellent Fish n chips at Papas. Highly recommended and on such a lovely day it was packed out with 500 dining. Gerry sensibly had booked table for 1pm. Then a leisurely walk to the ground and a chat with some of the boys in blue outside the Away entry to the ground. More and more this entrance looks like a demilitarized zone but the people are friendly and inviting.
We took our seats with the other 253 of the faithful in a very good crowd of 6462. Many buoyed by the Mariners excellent win against Luton Town on Tuesday. Now the Colchester faithful were in good spirits from the outset and sang loud and proud throughout the game.
I had stated before the game that the pitch looked ok from the brief highlights from Tuesday however the reality was a heavy surface and the goal mouth at the Away end was patched in parts and had cut up during the warm up. An army of ground staff were working hard on the surface.
MB had lined up his charges in the now familiar 3,4,1,2 formation.
O’Hara
Chambers Kelleher Hall
Tchamadeu Skuse Ashley Wood
Jay
Hopper Akinde
Subs
Hornby Greenidge Appiah Chilvers Read Newby Tovide
Now I have read a lot from the Grimsby manager Paul Hurst and others stating that it was a physical and bruising encounter. I must say it’s a bit rich to hear that when teams are always looking to put one over on another. In fact Colchester has never been one of the bully boy teams in my opinion. Quite the reverse. I remember two classic occasions when we came up against strongarm tactics.
Many years ago, we played Wolves in the play offs and lost the first leg at Layer Road 2-0. I was present at Molyneux for the second leg which was perceived to be a dead rubber. One Wolves fan remarked to me after the game which finished 0-0. Your side played some neat football but you’ll never get out of this league unless you are prepared to mix it up a bit. Whilst in the Championship we played at the Britannia Stadium against Stoke City in a game at the business end of the season where a win would have propelled us into the play off slots. We even took the lead but second half we were battered from set piece routines from corners and lost 3-1. Outmuscled is probably more like it.
Now if we analyse our team closely — the main addition in the defence has been Fiacre Kelleher who has brought some height and muscle to the back three and Connor Hall who assists at the back. However apart from Big John Akinde the rest of the side is what I would describe as average height. Indeed Jay, Wood and Read are all diminutive.
What MB has them all doing well is playing to their strengths. If you consider that Kelleher has contributed two goals and two assists in the last four games with his ability to win the ball from set plays and crosses then that is exactly what he is in the team to do. I am sure were he fit Tom Dallison would be alongside Chambers and Kelleher.
This is very much MB’s team he has quickly assembled the best of the inherited players plus the best of the new players drafted in. He has acted quickly to loan out those who could not command regular places in the team. Put simply he is managing the side.
But I refute entirely any suggestion that we have become a team of simple physicality. There is skill and industry in abundance and this is down to MB.
An early challenge from Tchamadeu saw the Grimsby player Lloyd in a heap on the half way line but he looked always second best to the challenges from a Colchester team who unlike Luton were not there to roll over. Luton made six changes for the Grimsby game from the team that beat Stoke on the previous Saturday but their manager include five of them on the bench. Interestingly Grimsby reverted on Saturday to the same XI who won 3-0 at Crewe the previous Saturday.
In fact, if we talk physical sides then Grimsby were not slow to give it out. Cole Skuse was subject to an industrial challenge and was injured and had to leave the field after 23 minutes. The excellent Arthur Read replacing him.
But it was Wood who played a superb free kick into the box and onto the head of Kelleher whose effort looked to be heading for the goal before Tom Hopper leaped like a salmon to ensure it went beyond Crocombe. This was on 32 minutes and we were good value for the goal and the lead.
Most embarrassing event of the day. The Grimsby mascot Mighty the Mariner attempted to take a corner and only succeeded in hitting the ball horribly behind O’Hara’s goal much to our keeper’s chagrin. No wonder he hid at the other end for the second half.
Cup runs are an interesting way of either aiding league form or impeding it. Grimsby had clearly expended a lot of physical and mental energy and looked slightly off the pace. Also MB is not afraid to let the opposition boss possession in their own half where arguably it can do little harm.
But we play some neat football with good interchanges between Jay, Wood and Akinde and similar play with Chambers, Tchamadeu and Skuse until his enforced departure.
O’Hara had a quiet half and even the goal mouth scramble with bodies diving everywhere to keep our goal in tact ended tamely when Efete could only hook the ball horribly wide from inside the six-yard box.
Four additional minutes were included by the referee. 1-0 at Half time and we were enjoying our daylight trip to Cleethorpes.
Playing two up front makes all the difference even if Big John had a quiet game and became even more insignificant in the second half.
The lively Hopper played a superb back heel to Jay who unfortunately couldn’t find the net.
On 65 minutes MB made a double change a welcome appearance by Kwesi Appiah for Big John and Noah Chilvers for Matty Jay. I like Appiah he is lively and gives the defenders plenty to think about.
We immediately saw more of the ball in the attacking third and Chilvers shot just wide from 20 yards. The last substitution was Tovide for Hopper on 80 minutes. I like this from MB. He normally brings like for like on rather than looking for defensive cover.
After all if you want to hurt the opposition then play the ball in their half or even better the final third.
Chilvers was through and was fouled by Efete but no free kick was given. Grimsby huffed and puffed but like the big bad wolf they couldn’t defeat the house made of bricks. 5 additional minutes passed without incident and the U’s had won again.
MB’s trademark celebration is getting to be more and more newsworthy. This is a great time to be a Colchester supporter.
Walking back to the car after an Away game is becoming a real pleasure and it was great to see all the smiling faces and to shake hands with many of them. Noah was ecstatic and the coaches would be travelling happy. Gerry made his relatively short journey home and I was back before 8.15pm so not too bad a journey.
Bring on the Saddlers.
Up the U’s
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