Andrew Bennett continues his comprehensive review of last season, moving into the month of March 2008.

Luke McShane departed the Abbey in search of first-team football, his non-contract arrangement cancelled by mutual consent. Don't ask me to explain how to cancel a non-contract. A section of the Main Stand was blown off by overnight winds before the weekend's game with York and Blocks A-C were duly closed until repairs could be made.

Saturday 1st March: U's 2-0 York City [att: 3,666, away 382]

After a dismal start to the season, triggered by the U's, York had embarked on a seventeen-match unbeaten run until they lost at Histon on 16th February. With three players suspended, four out injured, Hoyte at King's Lynn and McShane gone, United could only muster four subs themselves this time for their return with the Minstermen, opting for 3-5-2 with Pitt on the right.

The U's started well, York gradually responded, and there was light relief when Nicky Wroe took the worst free-kick seen at the Abbey this season, his effort on 23 sailing high into the South Stand like a beach ball in a gale. Elliott almost broke the bar with a flying, dipping volley on 39, but it was the hosts who stole the lead on the stroke of half-time. McEvilly nodded on down the middle, Darren Craddock tried to shield it from Boylan as keeper Evans advanced then attempted a point-blank back-pass, and the foxily cunning little goalpoacher sneaked between them and tapped the ball cheekily into the empty goal. Both brilliant AND funny.

United doubled their lead five minutes after the restart, Onomo Sodje misjudging a back-pass, Reed running onto it and crossing for Boylan to screw the ball home from a narrow angle at the far post off Evans' outstretched leg. The U's held on comfortably for their first double over York at the twelfth attempt. Man of the Match: Paul Carden

Tuesday 4th March: Oxford United 1-2 U's [att: 4,422, away 487]

Gleeson returned from suspension in place of Reed against an Oxford side which was the best supported in the league, with only two defeats at home and the second best defensive record after ourselves, but had nonetheless sunk to embarrassing defeats at Histon, Droylsden, Northwich, Weymouth, Salisbury and a 5-0 tonking at Rushden. United were ahead on 16, Wolleaston crossing for Boylan to loop a clever header over Billy Turley, but were pulled back two minutes later when Matt Green beat Coulson and Hatswell and shot coolly past Potter. The rest of the half was even.

JQ made a bold tactical move at half-time, replacing Beesley with Farrell and going to 4-4-2, and he was rewarded on 58. McEvilly stroked a pinpoint through ball to find the run across the box of Boylan, and he turned and lifted a brilliant shot to again leave Turley stranded and set the amber hordes a-bouncing. United survived a siege near the end, Oxford finishing with four forwards, but held on for another gritty win, 2-1 yet again, and their first victory in Oxford since 1978. So appreciative were the boys in black and amber (and white) that they warmed down in front of the away stand to share the moment and a bit of banter with their adoring public. Man of the Match: Danny Potter

United went for their first Brazilian on the Monday, signing speedy striker Magno Vieira on loan from Crawley until the end of the season. JQ had already tried to sign him at the start of term.

Saturday 8th March: Farsley Celtic 2-1 U's [att: 868, away 473]

The Throstle Nest was the grimmest venue of the season, a rain-and-windswept shack which resembled a gaggle of farm outbuildings and boasted about as much in the way of facilities. To be fair, Farsley were victims of their own team's success, having been promoted too quickly to upgrade their ground, and their frustrations in that regard were made all too clear in a 'Special Four Page Planning Rejection Pullout' in the programme. Although it didn't explain why a team called Celtic played in blue. They did their best to cope, offering away fans the corner of an adjoining barn with a few trestle tables and some cash'n'carry beer as their supporters' club was in the home end, although stationing the refreshment van OUTSIDE the turnstiles wasn't too clever. Not that there was much room for it inside.

The weather was grey and drizzly, the wind was bitingly cold and the pitch was rock hard, a key test for United's fancy dans. Peters came in for the injured Hatswell, Farrell replaced Beesley and Vieira started on the bench. Playing with the wind from the start, Farrell used the conditions to have a goalward long-range blaster tipped over by keeper Curtis Aspden within two minutes, but after that it was a slog for both sides (and the supporters) with the rain getting gradually heavier and the players having difficulty in even controlling the ball, much less pass it accurately. The bored amber hordes started chanting "Let's pretend that we have scored!" ... "1-0!" ... "Let's pretend we've scored again!" ... "2-0!" It was that sort of day.

United at last took the lead on 51, Albrighton's cross turned goalward by Boylan, it hit Aspden and rebounded to Boylan and cannoned into the net off his legs. United then made the mistake of sitting back too soon as Farsley turned up the wind-assisted pressure, and on 64 it was 1-1 when Damien Reeves headed a Downes cross into the top left corner. Six minutes later the freezing, damp nightmare became even worse as the hosts took the lead with a goal almost as fluky as United's, Dominic Krief's floated free-kick into the area blown straight in by the gale.

Potter screamed "F***ing wake up!" - with you on that one, Danny - Vieira (or 'Viera' as his shirt stated) was introduced, but United simply did not rise to the challenge, beaten by a team who adapted better to the horrendous conditions and simply wanted it more on a miserable day for team and fans alike. JQ described it as a "wake-up call" while Carden could only say "The sooner we forget about this game the better." Man of the Match: Mark Peters

United went on a break to Bournemouth for a few days to recharge their batteries, although it was by no means a holiday. The next South Stand Initiative was once again fully subscribed, with 1,400 tickets taken up.

Saturday 15th March: U's 1-0 Woking [att: 3,778; away 111]

Young Coulson was rested in favour of Morrison and Vieira was awarded his first start in place of the injured Farrell, handed a roving role in a fluid 3-4-3. United were dealt a severe blow on 26 when McEvilly was badly injured in an awkward fall, rupturing the 'lateral ligament complex of his ankle and suffering a small avulsion fracture of the lateral malleolus'. Don't you just hate it when that happens? It was too early to tell how long it would keep him out.

Convery came on and the U's went to 3-5-2, taking the lead just before the break when Goma Lambu brought down Pitt in the area, Boylan slotting the penalty home to keep up his golden scoring streak. Pitt's mind was elsewhere: "He caught me in my crown jewels so I immediately had my mind on other things than whether it was in or out of the box!" Sounds like well in to me.

There was a comedy moment in the second half when Potter got sloppy at a backpass, Liam Marum charged down his attempted clearance then stopped it from looping into the net by stumbling after it and having it hit the back of his neck. The rest of the afternoon's proceedings was eminently forgettable as United ground out an efficient win over toothless opposition. Man of the Match: Courtney Pitt

Tuesday 18th March: Crawley Town 2-1 U's [att: 1,024, away 361]

CRC midfielder Sam Cutler was drafted into the squad due to a plethora of ankle injuries and United started in a 3-5-2 with Beesley and Boylan up front, Vieira ineligible under the terms of his loan. In fact all five of the U's subs were teenagers, Cutler joined by Jeffery, Coulson, Collins and Willmott, JQ still unable to find a suitable backup keeper.

Steve Evans' programme notes were as entertaining as ever, the usual litany about budgets and all the officials who had apologised to him for costing his team points when they had got decisions wrong. Evans' side was one up on 13, a Bulman free-kick headed across the box by Glenn Wilson for Kevin James to guide his header past a stationary Potter, but United were level within eight minutes, Convery's corner nodded on by Peters and Boylan ramming his header home at the far post.

United were unimpressive for the rest of the half, outbattled by a combative Crawley with Carden trying to carry the midfield almost single-handed. It was no surprise when the hosts retook the lead on 58, Cook crossing to the far post where Bulman was on hand to steer a neat volley past a startled Potter, and the U's switched to 4-4-2 with Collins, Jeffery and Willmott providing some fresh, youthful legs. But it wasn't enough, Boylan coming nearest to restoring parity when he hit the top of the bar with a late half-volley. JQ's pithy verdict was "...not good enough." Man of the Match: Lee Boylan

Three members of the 'ankle club,' Brown, Reed and Hatswell, returned to training on the Monday, but Farrell was still out alongside long-term crocks Quinton, Chilli, Hyem and McEvilly. Jack Jeffery had his loan extended for a further month after being restricted to four sub's outings so far.

Saturday 22nd March: U's 0-0 Weymouth [att: 2,914, away 59]

Easter Saturday brought the proverbial four seasons in one day as the weather vacillated wildly between sun, rain, hail and sleet. Hatswell was back for Peters and Jeffery was awarded his first start in place of Convery, who did not even make the bench. Alan 'Fester' Lewer returned to the Abbey for the first time since he upped and left in January, but he did not merit a single mention in either the programme or JQ's pre-match interviews; it later transpired that the two had not even spoken since the parting of the ways.

The match could only be described as turgid, Weymouth coming for a point, although both sides came close with headers in the first half, Albrighton's effort coming off a defender's heel on the line and Matthew Bailey missing unchallenged at the other end.

Briefest sub of the season was the visitors' Jake Hyde, who entered the fray on 42, got accidentally stepped on by Carden, writhed around in agony and was then carted off again. Mind you, he was wearing the most hideous orange boots. A blizzard enlivened half-time and the yellow ball made its debut in part two, although the sun restored the pitch to greenery within fifteen minutes, and the second half was more of the same, United exerting pressure but with no real cutting edge, a change to 4-4-2 not working either. Jeffery came nearest to winning it with a curler narrowly wide. All United's promotion rivals won and they were left to rue their lack of quality where it counted on a day when the weather was more interesting than the football. Man of the Match: Paul Carden

Monday 24th March: Ebbsfleet United 2-1 U's [att: 1,388, away 470]

An Easter Monday evening kickoff for Setanta saw the Webbsgeeks on a high after beating Aldershot to make the FA Trophy final, although they had lost their two subsequent league games. Carden was missing through injury so JQ went radical, sending out a 4-3-3 with Gleeson in central midfield alongside Wolleaston and Pitt, and a mighty midget strikeforce with Vieira flanked by Boylan and Jeffery, Beesley dropped to the bench.

There was another strong contender for miss of the season on 12 when keeper Lance Cronin and defender Peter Hawkins collided 35 yards out going for a Pitt through ball to leave Vieira free to advance unchallenged towards the open goal. Unbelievably he took too long about it and by the time he shot, Darius Charles had got back to clear off the line.

The miss seemed even more important on 28 when John Akinde broke clear on the United goal, he took a heavy touch then fell over Potter's arms. Did he do so a) theatrically, b) cleverly or c) cynically? The answer is, of course, d) all three. The upshot was a straight red for the United keeper, Mark Peters stepping into an unnumbered grey jersey in place of the sacrificed Boylan. Chris McPhee converted past Rhino's brave dive. The U's remained positive, playing 4-3-2, and equalised inside five minutes from a Pitt free kick, Hatswell rising to thunder home a far-post header.

Peters was well protected by a doughty defence and made a splendid save when called upon from a McPhee header on 55. The hosts' pressure grew, however, and they regained the lead on 64, Akinde converting a Bostwick cross with an unstoppable shot from fifteen yards. Brown replaced Morrison for his first appearance since January, then Reed depped for Pitt for his first outing since 1st March, and as United battled spiritedly, the Fleet's tackling became increasingly violent, and Hatswell missed the best chance to equalise when he headed a Wolleaston header narrowly wide on 81. McPhee hit the top of the bar in added time, but a gutsy U's side could count itself unlucky to lose, JQ proud of his team although they dropped from 2nd to 4th in the table. Man of the Match: Josh Coulson

Danny Brown was not backward in expressing his opinion of Setanta's expert summariser in his weekly column: "Setanta should get rid of Paul Parker... he's the worst commentator of all time and gets everything wrong." The TV company, noticing that both legs of the BSP playoff semi-finals were scheduled to take place on the same days, decided that they wanted to show them all so the four matches would now be spread over six days.

No-one was surprised when out-of-favour Mark Convery was loaned to Weymouth for the rest of the season. With Potter suspended, strapping teenager Alex McCarthy joined on work experience from Reading to cover. Terry Baker returned to the Board after resigning in the wake of the Abbey Aid debacle in 2006 and would be assuming responsibility for all stadium-related matters. Jordan Collins was loaned to Heybridge for the rest of the season to gain some first team experience.

Saturday 29th March: U's 0-3 Kidderminster Harriers [att: 3,999, away 106]

Twenty-five tons of sand was laid on the Abbey pitch to make it playable after heavy rain for the return against United's bogey team. With Gleeson injured, Potter and Albrighton suspended and Boylan dropped, JQ went for 4-4-2 with a front pairing of Jeffery and Vieira, Reed and Carden in the middle, and Wolleaston and Pitt wide. McCarthy made his debut in goal, while Darryl Knights was now on loan at the visitors.

Kiddie hadn't won away since November until Thursday's 4-0 mauling of Crawley, so anything was possible. The SSI boosted the crowd but United, although looking lively, also looked lightweight, and were one down on 23, Iyseden Christie flicking on for Matthew Barnes-Homer to outmuscle Coulson and slot home. Keeper Dean Coleman make two good stops late in the half to foil Pitt and Reed as the U's struggled to respond.

On 56 JQ went for broke, introducing Willmott for Morrison and going 3-5-2, and United's pressure told when Harrier Alex Jeannin was booked as early as 64 for timewasting. Four minutes later, however, it was 2-0 following the visitors' first attack of the half, Brian Smikle's shot hitting the post, Barnes-Homer and Hatswell giving chase; the United defender seemed to have the ball covered but Barnes-Homer toepoked home from between his legs for a shambolic second goal.

Harriers withdrew to a defensive 4-5-1, desperate United went 3-3-4, but it was not their day and five minutes from time Hatswell was caught out again, dwelling on the ball in the box; Smikle robbed him and scored as Hatswell brought him down but the whistle had already gone for a penalty. There was no red card, but Christie slotted home for 3-0. Bogey team or what? United had sorely missed the line leadership and physical presence of McEvilly, all United's others strikers lightweight in every sense. The U's had now lost four games out of their last six. Man of the Match: Paul Carden

End of month position: 4th

Andrew Bennett

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