Well it had to end sometime but the U’s blew up in spectacular fashion at lowly Walsall on Tuesday evening.
The playoff hopes were also ended after the 8th game in an unprecedented March where Saturday will witness the 9th game in March or one every 3.44 days. I wonder what Arsene Wenger would have to say if Arsenal had to play such an exacting schedule.
Even 7 straight wins will only produce 73 points insufficient for 6th place but there is still hope I suppose!!!!!
Well after a glorious Spring day in the West Midlands I headed the short distance along the M54 and M6 to the Bescot. Given the congestion on that section of the M6 the hard shoulder is used as an additional traffic lane but confusingly then reverts to hard shoulder again, potentially very dangerous.
I arrived in good time and enjoyed the sunshine before taking my seat in the stadium. Over the years the U’s have enjoyed mixed fortunes at both the Bescot and previously nearby Fellows Park. I remember one infamous game where after going 2-1 up we finally lost 5-2 in a snow shower which enveloped the pitch.
Walsall moved to the Bescot in 1990 and although the capacity is 11,300 the proximity to the pitch remains a problem, particularly for long throws but more of that later.
I sampled a Cornish pasty and coffee, not bad value for £3.70. It was disappointing not to see Martin Rowlands in the warm up (we have missed him for four games recently and his omission from the starting line up due to injury has been very noticeable.
The U’s lined up:
Williams
Wilson Magnus Eastman White
Massey Bond Woody Henderson
Gilly Odejayi
Subs:
Rose Heath Sears Vincent Doogie
The faithful drifted in and numbered about 100. Everyone was strangely quiet early doors; perhaps the significance of the game had heightened the tension. I had predicted a comfortable U’s win but my position at the foot of the Happy league speaks volumes for my forecasting skills.
Anyway the U’s started brightly and when Bond exchanged passes with Woody and the latter struck a beautiful left foot shot into the net after 11 minutes, all seemed well with the world.
For the first 25 minutes the U’s were on top and perhaps coasting. Our failure to strike a second blow was to prove costly.
A Saddler named Sadler (you can’t make it up) could have done better when well placed but Williams made the save. Sadly after the U’s dominance and the feeling that a second goal would have certainly won the game the U’s found themselves level. A clumsy challenge by Magnus about 25 yards out seemed innocuous but up stepped (Walsall man of the match) Ledesma to curl a free kick into the left side of Williams goal. Just on half time things went from bad to worse as a Nicholls corner was misjudged by Williams and he palmed the ball to left back Sadler who scored with a cross shot from about 10 yards out.
The goal transformed the match and left the U’s red-faced at the break. A murmur of disbelief could be heard amongst the faithful.
The lively but fairly ineffective Massey was replaced at half time by Ashley Vincent who immediately tried two long throws, one which was ruled to be a foul throw and the second fell short of the intended target.
Now I felt on Tuesday night that the U’s looked lightweight in midfield. In truth we missed the tigerish Izzet and the splendid Rowlands. It was no surprise when Bond was replaced by Sears after 68 minutes. Now Sears played left sided midfield and wasted no time in getting forward and delivering a decent ball into the box which should have been diverted in by the onrushing Odejayi.
Johnny White was having a nightmare, he failed to cut out virtually every cross from the right side and I wondered where young Ben Coker is these days.
Now the team looked disjointed with Henderson, Odejayi, Sears and Gillespie all playing up front (4-2-4 not a typo!) in desperate search of the equaliser and it should have been delivered by Gillespie who missed when well placed. This was to prove costly as another Nicholls cross went over Williams head and was nodded in at the far post by substitute Bowerman. At 3-1 to Walsall there was no way back for the U’s and the Saddlers celebrated as though they had won the league.
The game was indeed up, the U’s looked leggy and tired and the outstanding Tom Eastman was replaced by Matt Heath after 77 minutes, just to give the youngster a rest. In truth it could have been any player such was the weariness displayed by the majority.
The Walsall faithful cried out for a fourth, which fortunately did not come. After such recent heroics against the top five teams, Colchester was found wanting by a rejuvenated Walsall team fighting for their league one survival.
So what now, I don’t think that wholesale changes are called for. There are still seven games left and JW will want as many points as possible in order to finish within the top 8 sides. I would like to see Sears given a full 90 minutes and to play him with Massey and Odejayi. I think that Stevie G needs a rest and I would recall Doogie for more turn back the clock performances.
A 4-3-3 formation with the two youngsters on the wings with the big man in the middle.
7 matches remain and apart from Sheff Wed, we should be looking to achieve some much wanted wins. In the final analysis, we have been found wanting in the final third. Not enough goals scored and consequently not enough wins. We have probably fallen 4 wins short of what we should have managed. Turning some of those draws into wins would surely have done the trick.
Perhaps now that the pressure has receded somewhat, we can play with some of the freedom that has been missing of late.
I made the short journey back up the motorway thinking of what might have been. Now back in super hot Durham to reflect on our season, it is all the more galling because there has been nothing between Colchester and the top 5 teams and we could and perhaps should have converted some more points in recent games.
Anyway St James’s Park beckons on Saturday, they are also fighting for survival, JW must raise his team for another supreme effort to banish the Bescot blues.
I will be at Gigg Lane on Easter Monday. Up the U’s
Glass is still looking slightly half empty……………….
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