Saturday 22rd August 2009 - Tamworth 0-0 U's: Cold cuts
"Breathe in... breathe deeply... be breathtaking." No, not Martin Ling's team talk, but the words on an advertising hoarding by the away end at Tamworth. Unfortunately for the four hundred travelling U's supporters, the only remotely breathtaking thing about Saturday was the dazzling sunshine beaming down from blue cloud-dappled summer skies.
It is three years since United last visited the Lamb Ground, but it did not appear to have changed a bit since then... and all the better for a tidy, homely little ground which is perfectly adequate for the attendances it hosts, its cosy atmosphere exemplified by its friendly ground staff. In layout and, indeed, colour (red), it was not unlike the home of Crawley Town, but oddly enough the feel of the place could not have been more different.
The amber army was allocated one partially covered terraced end with an uncovered terrace for locals at the other end, its one modest seated stand at the side and a long covered bus shelter of a terrace along the opposite side. United followers had to squeeze into the back of the covered terrace to avoid being baked by the yellow orb overhead, while the rest enjoyed the rare opportunity to take in a match in shirtsleeves and shades.
Youngsters Josh Coulson and Darryl Coakley were dropped from the side which lost to Crawley on Tuesday, rather unluckily given their fine form so far, but they were replaced by the more than adequate Anthony Tonkin and debut boy Brian Saah (above). Third and final change was made up front where Danny Crow came in for Mark Beesley.
The Lambs were unbeaten so far in their first season back in the Conference with a home win over Grays and away draws at Stevenage and Gateshead under their belts. Their midfield included former U Neil Mackenzie, while on the bench was veteran full-back Des Lyttle and much-travelled Abbey legend, Trevor Benjamin.
Tamworth started the better, looking like a confident and settled side, but Saah looked impressive, defending coolly and strongly. There was nothing he could do, however, about Nick Wright's long-range curler on 6 which clipped the top of the bar.
Wright almost repeated the trick seven minutes later, blasting a snap shot low this time which Danny Potter had to dive and clutch, while Robbie Willmott hit a shot from distance into keeper Danny Alcock's arms on the counter. First yellow card of the day came for home right-back Richard Tait on the quarter hour for petulance.
That man Wright found the woodwork again on 21 when his 25-yard shot cannoned off the bar with Potter nowhere, and so far United had really not got going. Tamworth had dominated a midfield in which Paul Carden and Jai Reason failed to impose themselves, and with wingmen Willmott and Parkinson on the periphery, full-backs Gleeson and Tonkin looking wobbly and the front two of Crow and Chris Holroyd starved of service, it had been a thoroughly unimpressive performance from the visitors so far, all Ling's fine words about passing football sounding more like aspiration than instruction as his team kept pumping lazy high balls forward and losing possession.
At least the new boy looked good, blocking Michael Blackwood's shot away on the half hour, the same Tamworth man drawing a save from Potter with a free-kick four minutes later, then came a rare neat move from United which culminated in Carden getting blocked off by Bradley Pritchard on the edge of the box. Willmott stepped up to take the free-kick, and the wall deflected it narrowly wide with Alcock diving the other way.
Parkinson and Willmott swapped wings, but to no discernable effect as Tamworth continued to play the better football and the U's struggled to make any headway into the final third, much less trouble the keeper. It was something of a relief when the half-time whistle came and we were afforded the pleasurable news that Crawley were 3-0 down at home to Gateshead. Evans' interval team talk must have been audible above the planes at Gatwick.
There were no changes to either team for part two and there was no change to the match, either, as the sides continued to toil in the sun to little effect. The hosts looked a decent, hard-working outfit which would be even more effective with a quality goalscorer up front, but United continued to struggle for any sort of form. This was turning into the dullest U's match for several years.
Just before the hour a harshly awarded foul by Saah on Pritchard gave Mackenzie a chance to touch a free-kick to Alex Rodman, but Potter saved comfortably. Five minutes later the ineffective Parkinson was withdrawn, but instead of a like-for-like change for Courtney Pitt, it was Sam Ives who was introduced and United went to 4-3-3 with Willmott joining Holroyd and Crow in a front three. It was a bold move by Ling which, sadly, did not work.
Reason was dispossessed on 65 to typify a substandard day for him, and Carden picked up a booking when he felled Jake Sheridan who broke away as a result. Tom Shaw's ensuing free-kick swung obligingly straight out of play at the far post.
Top scorer Holroyd was surprisingly withdrawn on 71 in favour of Mark Beesley, to literally no effect at all, and Crow was booked five minutes later for a petulant kick at Pritchard. Saah also got involved in a silly incident when he rode two tackles impressively but was then scythed down by Shaw and reacted furiously, kicking out in retaliation. Thankfully ref Bond took a sensible view and just had a calming word with both men before resuming with a free-kick to United.
The last ten minutes produced more incident than almost the rest of the game in total, with excellent chances for both sides; if only the previous eighty minutes had been so exciting.
On 81 a rare Crow shot was blocked behind for a corner, from which Willmott arced the ball into the middle and it fell to Gleeson twelve yards out; he controlled on his chest, but volleyed several yards over when he should have done so much better.
Back came the hosts, and from Shaw's right-wing corner skipper Chris Smith rose above the pack to head for goal, and it would have gone in but for Ives' clearance off the line at the far post. Two more corners followed, and Ives was there to block off the line again from another Smith effort, Saah completing the clearance. Mackenzie then blasted a hopeful effort over.
But United could have snatched an undeserved winner in added time. Rodman fouled Ives out on the right, Hatswell swung the free-kick in, and there was Saah lunging in to head for goal, only to be denied a debut goal by Smith's goal-line clearance. The resultant corner from Willmott found Hatswell rising unmarked, but he flicked a good headed chance wide.
So it was an exciting end to a deeply unexciting match which the U's could have snatched but would never have deserved. After this effort it is something of a blessing that Ling now has a full week in which to make his mark on this underachieving team and get to the bottom of its moribund recent form. The return of Lee Phillips will be very welcome, but the only positives from today were the performances of Saah, Ives and Potter. Next time, we want all eleven players to take our breath away...
Statto Corner
This is only the third season in which United and Tamworth have competed at the same level, and the Lambs have yet to win. In 2005-06 the U's beat them 2-1 at the Abbey with goals from Andy Duncan and Fola Onibuje and drew 1-1 in the return. The following season saw two 1-0 victories for United, including a dramatic last-day Abbey win in front of 6,021 in which a Robbie Simpson penalty sealed safety for the U's against already relegated opposition.
Brian Saah faced United twice while playing for Leyton Orient, both times in a midfield role. The first was in United's 1-0 away win on the last day of the 2003-04 season, and the second was in Orient's 2-0 win at the Abbey in the LDV Vans Trophy the following season.
The last Brian to wear the black and amber was Brian Dutton, who made three substitute appearances in the 2003-04 season. Four Brians have played more than 100 times for the U's: Greenhalgh, Boggis, Grant and Moore. Brian was also Andy Fensome's middle name.
United took Neil Mackenzie on loan from Stoke City in March 1999, making his debut in a 1-1 draw at Shrewsbury. In October of that year they paid £40,000 to sign him permanently. However, he never really settled at the Abbey and after thirty games plus twelve as sub, plus a controversial incident or two, he was allowed to move to Kidderminster for nothing. His only goal for the U's was the last in a 3-1 win at Brighton on 6th April 1999.
Since then he has faced United four times, three for Mansfield and one for Macclesfield, and been substituted every time, so today was the first time he has lasted ninety minutes against his former employers. He is perhaps best known, though, for his winning five-round run on Channel Four's Countdown last year.
When quizzed about his time at the Abbey last July, he stated "It was a regretful time for me and became a main block in my career. My spell at Cambridge is a bad memory. Things like that can either beat you or make you stronger and I learned from the experience. In fact I am now grateful for that time because it has made me a better person."
Trevor Benjamin made his U's debut at the age of 16 years and 360 days in a goalless home draw with Gillingham on 3rd February 1996.
He went on to form a lethal partnership with Martin Butler and in all scored 46 times in 115 games plus 29 as sub.
He set a new club record in 2000 by scoring in eight consecutive matches during March and April, his run ironically coming to an end when he failed to notch in a 4-0 away win at Cardiff.
He then scored again in the next two games, endured one more blank then fired his last goal for the club in their last match of the season, a 2-1 home defeat by Wycombe.
He subsequently became the club's record sale, joining Leicester City for £1.5 million, and has since then played for (deep breath) Crystal Palace, Norwich, West Brom, Gillingham, Rushden, Brighton, Northampton, Coventry, Peterborough, Watford, Swindon, Boston, Walsall, Hereford, Gainsborough, Northwich, Hednesford, Wellingborough and Kidsgrove Athletic. And he is still only thirty!
Player Ratings
Potter 7. Assured and always in control. He knew those shots were going to hit the bar...
Gleeson 5. Poorest game for some time, passing all over the place and struggling to contain Rodman and Sheridan.
Saah 8. Imperious debut.
Hatswell 6. Starting to get back into the swing, albeit made one serious slip for which the team escaped punishment.
Tonkin 6. Clearly rusty after a long layoff, gradually improved.
Parkinson 5. He's got the workrate, but really contributed little to the match and still looks lost when he switches to the left.
Carden 7. Committed to the point where he picked up yet another booking, although good defensive work was not repeated further forward.
Reason 6. Failed to stamp his mark on the game and so far has not come anywhere near last season's best form.
Willmott 6. Strangely subdued afternoon.
Holroyd 6. Again suffered from chronic lack of service.
Crow 5. He appears to be trying hard, but nothing he tries seems to make any difference to the game. A better supply line might help.
Ives 7. Confirmed his promise again with an energetic and assured display plus not one, but two vital goal-line clearances.
Beesley 5. Utterly anonymous.
Match Summary
Off-colour United plodded to a tedious and barely deserved goalless draw against spirited opposition which lacked only a quality striker. Food for thought for the boss, with the only highlight a classy debut from Brian Saah.
Man of the Match
Brian Saah. Strong in the air, powerful, intelligent, good on the ball, this guy seems to have the lot, although his calmness cracked once near the end.
Ref Watch
Bond 8. One of the best refs for some time, he asserted his authority without having to wave cards around or long unnecessary lectures.
Out of the Mouths of Babes
"If Cambridge passed a bit more it would be a better match." (Nicky Cook)
Soundtrack of the Day
Spinnerette 'Baptised By Fire'
Parky's Pick of the Pops
Andy Parkinson assesses the Lamb Ground sounds. "All right, lads and lasses? You know, there's lots of lady singers around these days, but don't they all sound a bit, like, the same, like? Today we had Cascada and Lady Gaga and to be honest my Nanna sings just as well as them at her karaoke nights - got a voice like a flock of sparrows leaving a tree in a hurry, she has, lovely.
"I don't mind Lily Allen 'cos she's got a bit of personality, she's a bit cheeky, thought some of her lyrics were a bit strong with all them kiddies listening, and REM, the Killers and Kings of Leon are all decent, proper rock bands, so you can't go wrong there, ey? I wasn't so keen on the runout music, though - ELP? Robbie Williams? Done to death, la. Even Nanna won't sing 'Let Me Entertain You' again. Mind you, she's still got a soft spot for 'Angels,' but then again, who hasn't? PPP Verdict: 6/10. Never walk alone!"
Andrew Bennett
Andrew's previous match reports
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