Andrew Bennett reviews last season, continuing with the month of October 2008.
October 2008: "Maybe we are too nice to them"
Gavin Hoyte was sent out on loan to Halesowen Town until the New Year, having failed to dislodge the immovable Hatswell and Bolland thus far. Danny Crow would be given more time, Brabin advised: "He knows himself he can definitely get fitter but it's not easy - it doesn't just happen in a couple of games or training sessions. I think he only realised how far behind he was when he came here for his first training session - he's spent the last 18 months just training with the youth team at Peterborough... I know when he's fit he'll score goals galore."
Saturday 4th October 2008: York City 0-0 Cambridge United (BSP)
Attendance 2,608 (away 415) | League position: 6th
York were another fallen 'giant' languishing in the bottom half of the table, and Brabin opted to revert to 4-3-3 against them with McEvilly starting in place of Jardim, and Tonkin returning for Brown. Home skipper Mark Greaves reminisced in the programme about his days as a team-mate of the United boss: "Brabs was a massive character at Hull City and although he took every free-kick in four years he never scored one and became a cult hero there."
Potter made a vital early save when Craig Farrell broke clear one-on-one, but a scrappy contest then ensued with the formation simply not working at all, with no width and no real understanding shown between the players. The game's dreariness was summed up by the fact that the first corner, for York, came after 53 minutes, and on the hour Brabin accepted that the system was malfunctioning and went back to 4-4-2 with the introduction of Jardim for Convery.
There was some improvement thereafter, but the match remained at best turgid and the U's finished the day having forced no corners nor one meaningful save from the home keeper, York had been little better, and their finishing had been not far short of atrocious. Dullest game of the season, bar none.
Brabin tried to justify the 4-3-3 despite it only having worked once this season: "We've got some good forwards and they're all chomping at the bit to play, I thought it worked well against Wrexham... but as a team we just didn't get the ball down and play as much football as I'd like... I just thought our attacking play was nonexistent. We're a lot better than that.
"I don't think you'll get a better back four than Glees, Phil Bolland, Wayne Hatswell and Anthony Tonkin, and there was a great save from Pottsy as well in the first half to keep it nil-nil."
York boss and former U's player Colin Walker was unimpressed with the officials: "Maybe we are too nice to them; perhaps we should look after them a bit less and make their room a bit dirtier with no clean towels and we might get a few more breaks." Yes, Colin, that'll work.
Tuesday 7th October 2008: Cambridge United 1-0 Lewes (BSP)
Scorer: Challinor 90 | Att. 3,194 (away 29) | League position: 5th
Little Lewes were already shaping up as this season's whipping boys, with one win all season (against struggling Oxford), and United returned to 4-4-2 with Willmott and Jardim recalled to the flanks, Beesley back up front alongside McEvilly with Crow and Holroyd dropped to the bench, and Convery not even making the sixteen, replaced by Ben Farrell as one of the subs.
The visitors' cause was not helped when keeper Rikki Banks experienced back spasms during the warm-up and had to be replaced by American, Dean Ruddy, and the stand-in was forced into a fine save within five minutes by Beesley. Ten minutes later Bees miscued what should have been a simple tap-in, which would have sealed a whirlwind start by United, and the hosts' early fire began to blow itself out as Lewes wasted time when they could and broke up play with a succession of fouls.
Potter made a fine reaction save to foil a rare break from Scott Taylor early in the second half, but United gradually turned the screw again while the visitors tried to disrupt proceedings the best they could. On 72 a frustrated Brabin switched back to 4-3-3 with the withdrawal of the wingers and the introduction of Holroyd and Farrell, but Potter made another important save from Sam Gargan and for the last ten minutes United laid siege to the Lewes goal.
Beesley missed one late sitter by an over-deliberate finish, but right at the death the pressure finally paid off when Holroyd spooned a shot up into the air, McEvilly headed it back into the danger zone and it appeared to be handled by a Lewes defender before Challinor popped up to lash coolly home from eight yards; a suitably messy goal for an untidy game. But a win is a win, and dogged determination had prevailed where finesse had failed.
Brabin summarised: "I think if you took a video of the game and compressed it, there would be twelve minutes of brilliant football but there were too many stoppages... overall it was a frustrating evening." "They got everyone behind the ball to defend, which they did well and it worked for them, but I was made up with our lads' attitude."
The outstanding form of Hatswell and Bolland had restricted the exciting potential of Josh Coulson to a handful of cameos, but Brabin was encouraging: "Young Josh has been working really hard and he's been involved in the work leading up to games so he's chomping at the bit to play... I really expect a big future for Josh." After a slew of injuries, now a flu bug threatened to run through the squad, so perhaps Josh might get his chance yet.
Saturday 11th October 2008: Cambridge United 1-0 Weymouth (BSP)
Scorer: Challinor 11 | Att. 3,981 (away 71) | League position: 3rd
Brabin began to acquire himself something of a 'Tinkerman' reputation when he changed the system yet again, back to 4-3-3, for the visit of the mid-table Terras. Willmott joined McEvilly and Beesley up front, Farrell replaced Jardim in the middle three, and with Tonkin succumbing to the lurgy which Brown already had, Jordan Collins made his first appearance of the season at left-back.
Beesley wasted an early chance, shooting for the near post with both his fellow strikers waiting in the middle, but good early pressure culminated in an early lead when Challinor's bobbling daisy-cutter found the net. The visitors responded, however, Potter saving a free-kick from erstwhile U's target Stuart Beavon, and the sides traded shots in an entertaining encounter, Willmott lobbing just over.
On the hour Hatswell had a headed goal harshly disallowed for a push by Bolland, and Holroyd replaced Willmott after a successful stint as an out-and-out striker, and although Weymouth began to make their numerical midfield superiority tell, the United rearguard held firm.
Then three minutes before the end McEvilly tussled with former colleague Reed for the ball and caught him, but it was still a surprise to both sets of players when he was shown a straight red. The last few minutes took place almost exclusively in the United box as the visitors laid siege in search of an equaliser, but two fantastic reaction saves from Potter helped keep them out and secure a hard-won victory and a fourth consecutive clean sheet for the U's.
Brabin was unimpressed with the referee, but more than happy with young Collins: "I feel like I'm saying the same things again, and we won so I've got nothing to complain about, but again I thought some of the decisions hurt us again... We work with all the lads equally every day and I've said things to Jordan personally... at no stage did I have any worries about Jordan playing today... Overall I'm made up with the young lads."
Potter added: "I don't think we are yet playing to our full potential and when we do someone will be due a hiding!"
Weymouth boss John Hollins was the King of Sarcasm: "I spoke to the referee when he came off but only to say he had a wonderful game, as we can't say anything more about referees."
McEvilly's dismissal meant a three-match ban, but Brabin was positive: "It gives other people a chance now to come in and stake their claim for the shirt. We've got Danny Crow waiting in the wings and Chris Holroyd and they're both chomping at the bit, and Lee's going to be out now for the next three games so it's a chance for them... the lads have looked bright and breezy in training and they're all buzzing."
Thursday 16th October 2008: Forest Green Rovers 2-2 Cambridge United (BSP)
Scorers: Symons 20, Preece 73, Hatswell 34, Crow 66 | Att. 789 (away 130) | League position: 3rd
Next up it was back to the glamour of live television, and the watching dozens could see the words 'High Tempo' scrawled on Our Gary's flipchart with a big ring around them as an indication of his determination to take the game to the hosts. He stuck with 4-3-3, Crow replacing McEvilly, Danny Brown replacing the injured Carden as skipper, and a recovered Tonkin back in place of Collins.
Unlike last season, the ref did not deem United's black and amber shirts to be a clash with Rovers' black and white stripes, although they did have to play in their white away shorts; at least they were not forced to wear the last-minute 'Sweden' strip they had to adopt in this fixture last year.
The Amber Army wasted no time in getting into the anti-Setanta chants, unimpressed at having to make this lengthy trip on a weekday, but their heroes were much slower in getting going, the system simply not working with sloppy passing, an outnumbered midfield, no width and vulnerability down the flanks, and forwards who enjoyed neither supply nor any understanding with each other.
The hosts' opener came, predictably, from the flanks, Alex Lawless crossing from the right and Michael Symons stealing ahead of a slumbering Gleeson to slide his shot across the helpless Potter and into the far corner. Farrell cleared off the line from a corner, then at last United began to awaken from their torpor, perhaps remembering that they would top the table if they won tonight.
The U's revival bore fruit when Willmott's pinpoint free-kick was nodded home by Hatswell, and although they then let it slip a bit, they could have gone in at half-time one up had Bolland not had a similar header brilliantly saved by keeper Robinson.
The tempo was reasonably high in part two, and although United were some way from their best, Beesley missed a great chance to give them the lead when he had a shot cleared off the line on the hour. But soon they were ahead with a goal of tremendous quality; Willmott was the creator with a jet-heeled run from his own half which climaxed in an inch-perfect cross for Crow, sneaking in unmarked, to bullet a header home for his first goal in U's colours.
The hosts continued to exploit the gaps down the wings, however, and they equalised when a half-cleared free-kick dropped to Simon Clist, he stabbed the ball forward and it squirmed perfectly to Mark Preece, who stuck out a leg and diverted it first-time into the net from eight yards before Potter could move.
United hung on for the point, but in a curate's egg of a performance, the three-striker formation still did not convince. Brabin was happy, though: "The lads have worked really hard and it's not a bad point... And the fans were brilliant again. They're unbelievable and I'm not just saying that. The support in general is fantastic but the away support is magnificent. I've got a few friends here tonight and they're shocked - they can't believe the support."
Saturday 25th October 2008: Boston United 2-3 Cambridge United (FA Cup 4th Qual. Round)
Scorers: Leabon 28, Ryan 57, Crow 8, Willmott 48, Bloomer o.g.83 | Att. 1,956 (away 644)
The first Cup match of the season threw up a fixture at former Football League rivals now operating in much reduced (Northern Premier League) circumstances due to a disastrous financial meltdown, albeit somewhat self-inflicted. The place looked unchanged from our last visit on New Year's Day 2005, still crumbling gently and smelling faintly of creosote.
The Pilgrims were now managed by ex-U's boss Tommy Taylor and captained by former U's skipper Matt Bloomer. United reverted to 4-4-2, Carden and Jardim replacing Farrell and Brown, the latter two on a crowded bench now the Cup permits seven substitutes to be named.
United went at the hosts from the off, Challinor having a looping header well saved early on, and from a short corner Willmott crossed for Crow to divert home with the faintest of touches. With a thrashing looking possible, Taylor made a bold early change on 14 by introducing pacy winger Kieran Leabon, and the hosts gradually began to play their way into the contest. And they were rewarded when Leabon leapt between United's centre-backs to nod home Ollie Ryan's free-kick to level the scores.
The U's lost their composure for a while and they needed the interval to be reminded by their manager of how dominantly they had started the match. A 'Save The Pilgrims' bucket collection was held during the interval; wonder if S. Evans has made a contribution?
The visitors made the best possible start to part two, Willmott forging forward, cutting inside and unleashing a shot from 25 yards which took a deflection off defender Michael Wood to wrong-foot keeper Margarson and trundle almost apologetically into the far corner of the net. It was Robbie's first goal for the first team.
Challinor wasted a breakaway chance soon after, then the hosts' top scorer Ryan astonishingly blazed high and wide when faced with an open goal ten yards out, but he made up for the miss when he latched onto Jon Froggatt's knockdown to ram home at the second attempt from close range.
After that it was end-to-end stuff, a proper Cup tie, Carden having a thunderous drive tipped away, Holroyd also forcing a save, and Boston introduced a third striker to guarantee an exciting finish. United's winning goal, however, owed a lot to luck when Willmott cut inside, lofted a cross goalward and the hapless Bloomer obligingly glanced his header unerringly past the keeper and into the far corner.
Mission accomplished, albeit somewhat fortuitously against spirited opposition, with both plusses and minuses to take from the game. Brabin was ultimately content: "It was a test of character... I thought it was a fantastic game." Of Willmott, he was effusive in his praise: "He was my man of the match by far - he was outstanding and just pipped Anthony Tonkin. Robbie was unbelievable and caused them all sorts of problems. He's probably sick of me moaning at him all this season but that's what he's capable of doing."
For those unimpressed by a narrow squeak of a win over a team from two divisions lower down the Pyramid, they should be glad they were not supporters of Rushden (who lost to Evesham United), Lewes (defeated by Leiston), Wrexham (knocked out by Eastwood Town), or Crawley (stunned at home by Havant & Waterlooville).
Dan Gleeson, who had had to withdraw from the previous squad, was called up again by England 'C' for their game away to their Italian equivalents on 12th November, the Group A decider in the International Challenge Trophy; England needed one point to qualify for the final. Fellow squad members included Josh Simpson, now at Histon, his team-mate Antonio Murray and Kidderminster keeper Adam Bartlett.
Courtney Pitt, on the way to recovery, signed one-month loan forms to CRC to assist him in the next stage of his rehabilitation. Setanta selected United's New Year's Day match at Histon for live TV coverage as they did last year; kick-off was to remain unchanged at 3pm. Pitt was subsequently given the all-clear to resume training, while Darren Quinton missed a few days' training due to a 'minor flare-up' of his knee.
Andrew Bennett
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