Deadbat
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- Aug 6, 2009
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Another midweek match which I got in late from meant I had no time to do a report before bed and been busy with work/house move etc….hopefully be back doing more detailed reports soon but a brief summary…..
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It was never a 4-1 game. First half I felt we were a shade fortunate to say the least to go in 2-0 up. We scored a very scrappy goal shinned in by Baxter but they could have scored after a minute and also had a few other good chances such as the Porter chance. They created quite a bit. We were slow, sloppy and sluggish and carried on recent form.
However a well made and taken goal from Done and the game was in affect almost finished. Despite the two goal lead fans got impatient at the slow tempo and the inability to move it forward at any pace.
Second half we did improve but not massively. We did have more chances than them this half and more of the ball. The pace of the play was also quicker and with it we had a number of half to decent chances. It could have been all over long before McEveley scored an excellent individual long range strike. They scored a decent goal helped by sloppy defending but you never felt they would come back really. The fourth was a soft penalty but was still a foul.
Overall it was nice to get back to winning ways and to score four goals which is a rarity but I don’t want to get too carried away. The performance was ordinary and the scoreline did flatter us. Colchester were one of the poorest sides to come down here. They look a relegation side. Porter was willing but mostly was the Porter of old, often offside or his first touch pinging off him. He did have one decent chance and got a decent introduction when he was announced. They had some really poor players throughout the side with the defence looking slow and clumsy. However they did have chances and a better side could and maybe would have been in front at the break despite us taking our two chances.
Done was very good in terms of work ethic and nuisance threat but most other players had mixed nights. Brayford played well and was good going forward. Coutts showed a few flashes but many went from doing some really good things to some awful things; often within moments. Baxter, McEveley, Harris some of the chief culprits. Campell Ryce was awful and Murphy had a quiet night too.
United will have to improve massively to get anything from next two away games as another first half and sluggish start will be punished by better sides. Still the positives are the new strikers influence, the number of goals and the fact that in the end we won the game comfortably. So it was a good night in that respect.
Ratings
Turner 7/10 – Came in at late notice and made one good reaction save early on and another low down from Porter. He did well overall although his kicking was dreadful and then he dropped a cross under little pressure at the end and then juggled the ball for what seemed like an age before we scrambled away. Has not let us down when he has played though and Howard has made mistakes recently so could keep his place.
Brayford 7.5/10 – More like the Brayford of old. He got up and down and was a threat going forward linking with Coutts really well in the second half. Nearly scored a header and involved in upping our tempo in the second half. He was one of few on the whole field that seemed sharp and at it, all evening.
Harris 6.5/10 – Wonderful ball for the goal and had a few other decent moments mixed in with some poor touches and sloppy pieces of defending. He gave it away in some bad areas and seems to think he is better than he is at times and often overplays. Sums up much of United’s season in that he can go from excellent to awful in moments. A real mixed bag.
McEveley 6.5/10 – As above. Despite his goal looked suspect for long periods. He got caught twice in opening 10 minutes that both could have led to goals and he seemed really slow at times to react. He overplayed or gave it away. Second half was quicker onto the ball and more assertive defensively and then scored a great goal where he came forward, came inside and hit a really good powerful shot that bounced up and in.
Basham 7/10 – Steady. Nothing more. Nothing less. Not sure he has been quiet as good as he was when he first went to centre half and Porter won his fair share of headers against him. He also lost his man once which nearly led to a goal early on but steadily improved as the game went on and second half was largely untroubled. Still think we lack a real dominant player aerially in this position.
Doyle 7/10 – Steady game. He broke up some play and moved it on but cannot recall him being that involved but second half he was better in breaking up the little bits and pieces after they had a lot of time in midfield first half. Second half the midfield were far better and controlled things after giving them a lot more ball than they should have had first half.
Coutts 7/10 –.Some promise in spells. First half felt he was sloppy in possession but second half he got on the ball and when he went wide right we created quite a bit down that side and he won the penalty. Decent technically and can pass it short and long. Seems to lack some fitness as he was struggling at times to keep up.
Baxter 7/10 – Odd game. At times he gave it away or looked languid but then he produced some lovely and clever passes. For all criticism he gets he still at times looks better than most others in terms of technique, touch and ability to create things by passing forward, than many in the side. Agree he has his limitations but so do many more. He played just behind Done tonight and was able to link well with him at times. Scored twice and involved in some of better things we did.
Murphy 5.5/10- Quiet game tonight. Did not beat his man too much, nearly got in to score when Baxter released him but came inside too much and often got crowded out. Still feel like he can be a threat when he gets on the ball.
Campbell Ryce 4/10 – Thought he had a poor game. Miscontrolled it out early on. Ran into the advertising boards and barely beat a man all game. His touch was poor and other than one decent cross, he hit the first man or failed to get any air on his crosses all game. Could have gone off long before he did.
Done 7.5/10 – Good debut. He never stopped running and harassed the centre halves all night. Like that he often went into them (ok some were fouls) and they knew they were in a game. Good movement too. Took his goal with real calmness just sidefooting it in. Second half he nearly had another and was a threat all night playing on the shoulder. Does not win much in air (quite small) and did get caught offside quite a bit but he looked a player that could give us something we have not; pace. He was surprisingly fast when running onto the ball.
Subs-
McNulty – Never really got in the game. Miscontrolled a few times and sliced one good chance horribly off target. Looked less of a threat when Done went off.
Holt – Cannot say I was overly impressed. Looked like Scougall in physique and I can’t recall him playing the ball forward all night. Continually went backwards even when under no pressure. Guess he did not want to give it away but at 4-1 up he had the chance to show us something and I saw little in the time he was on sadly.
Adams –Played wide left for final moments. At this stage we were just seeing out the game and he only had a few small pieces of involvement in the play.
Officials – Referee was poor. Saw numerous imaginary corners for them. Had no idea when to play advantage and when not to and stopped game way too often, loudly shrilling his whistle. A nothing game with barely a bad foul yet he was noticed way too much. The linesman on the South Stand side was as bad giving numerous throw ins the wrong way.
Crowd – Quiet. Not surprising. It was cold and a flat sort of game despite the scoreline and goals going in. Hard after all the cup ties and playing better teams for the crowd to get up for such a game. We have some bigger clubs and followings (they brought maybe 200 tonight) that may lead to better atmospheres in weeks to come.
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It was never a 4-1 game. First half I felt we were a shade fortunate to say the least to go in 2-0 up. We scored a very scrappy goal shinned in by Baxter but they could have scored after a minute and also had a few other good chances such as the Porter chance. They created quite a bit. We were slow, sloppy and sluggish and carried on recent form.
However a well made and taken goal from Done and the game was in affect almost finished. Despite the two goal lead fans got impatient at the slow tempo and the inability to move it forward at any pace.
Second half we did improve but not massively. We did have more chances than them this half and more of the ball. The pace of the play was also quicker and with it we had a number of half to decent chances. It could have been all over long before McEveley scored an excellent individual long range strike. They scored a decent goal helped by sloppy defending but you never felt they would come back really. The fourth was a soft penalty but was still a foul.
Overall it was nice to get back to winning ways and to score four goals which is a rarity but I don’t want to get too carried away. The performance was ordinary and the scoreline did flatter us. Colchester were one of the poorest sides to come down here. They look a relegation side. Porter was willing but mostly was the Porter of old, often offside or his first touch pinging off him. He did have one decent chance and got a decent introduction when he was announced. They had some really poor players throughout the side with the defence looking slow and clumsy. However they did have chances and a better side could and maybe would have been in front at the break despite us taking our two chances.
Done was very good in terms of work ethic and nuisance threat but most other players had mixed nights. Brayford played well and was good going forward. Coutts showed a few flashes but many went from doing some really good things to some awful things; often within moments. Baxter, McEveley, Harris some of the chief culprits. Campell Ryce was awful and Murphy had a quiet night too.
United will have to improve massively to get anything from next two away games as another first half and sluggish start will be punished by better sides. Still the positives are the new strikers influence, the number of goals and the fact that in the end we won the game comfortably. So it was a good night in that respect.
Ratings
Turner 7/10 – Came in at late notice and made one good reaction save early on and another low down from Porter. He did well overall although his kicking was dreadful and then he dropped a cross under little pressure at the end and then juggled the ball for what seemed like an age before we scrambled away. Has not let us down when he has played though and Howard has made mistakes recently so could keep his place.
Brayford 7.5/10 – More like the Brayford of old. He got up and down and was a threat going forward linking with Coutts really well in the second half. Nearly scored a header and involved in upping our tempo in the second half. He was one of few on the whole field that seemed sharp and at it, all evening.
Harris 6.5/10 – Wonderful ball for the goal and had a few other decent moments mixed in with some poor touches and sloppy pieces of defending. He gave it away in some bad areas and seems to think he is better than he is at times and often overplays. Sums up much of United’s season in that he can go from excellent to awful in moments. A real mixed bag.
McEveley 6.5/10 – As above. Despite his goal looked suspect for long periods. He got caught twice in opening 10 minutes that both could have led to goals and he seemed really slow at times to react. He overplayed or gave it away. Second half was quicker onto the ball and more assertive defensively and then scored a great goal where he came forward, came inside and hit a really good powerful shot that bounced up and in.
Basham 7/10 – Steady. Nothing more. Nothing less. Not sure he has been quiet as good as he was when he first went to centre half and Porter won his fair share of headers against him. He also lost his man once which nearly led to a goal early on but steadily improved as the game went on and second half was largely untroubled. Still think we lack a real dominant player aerially in this position.
Doyle 7/10 – Steady game. He broke up some play and moved it on but cannot recall him being that involved but second half he was better in breaking up the little bits and pieces after they had a lot of time in midfield first half. Second half the midfield were far better and controlled things after giving them a lot more ball than they should have had first half.
Coutts 7/10 –.Some promise in spells. First half felt he was sloppy in possession but second half he got on the ball and when he went wide right we created quite a bit down that side and he won the penalty. Decent technically and can pass it short and long. Seems to lack some fitness as he was struggling at times to keep up.
Baxter 7/10 – Odd game. At times he gave it away or looked languid but then he produced some lovely and clever passes. For all criticism he gets he still at times looks better than most others in terms of technique, touch and ability to create things by passing forward, than many in the side. Agree he has his limitations but so do many more. He played just behind Done tonight and was able to link well with him at times. Scored twice and involved in some of better things we did.
Murphy 5.5/10- Quiet game tonight. Did not beat his man too much, nearly got in to score when Baxter released him but came inside too much and often got crowded out. Still feel like he can be a threat when he gets on the ball.
Campbell Ryce 4/10 – Thought he had a poor game. Miscontrolled it out early on. Ran into the advertising boards and barely beat a man all game. His touch was poor and other than one decent cross, he hit the first man or failed to get any air on his crosses all game. Could have gone off long before he did.
Done 7.5/10 – Good debut. He never stopped running and harassed the centre halves all night. Like that he often went into them (ok some were fouls) and they knew they were in a game. Good movement too. Took his goal with real calmness just sidefooting it in. Second half he nearly had another and was a threat all night playing on the shoulder. Does not win much in air (quite small) and did get caught offside quite a bit but he looked a player that could give us something we have not; pace. He was surprisingly fast when running onto the ball.
Subs-
McNulty – Never really got in the game. Miscontrolled a few times and sliced one good chance horribly off target. Looked less of a threat when Done went off.
Holt – Cannot say I was overly impressed. Looked like Scougall in physique and I can’t recall him playing the ball forward all night. Continually went backwards even when under no pressure. Guess he did not want to give it away but at 4-1 up he had the chance to show us something and I saw little in the time he was on sadly.
Adams –Played wide left for final moments. At this stage we were just seeing out the game and he only had a few small pieces of involvement in the play.
Officials – Referee was poor. Saw numerous imaginary corners for them. Had no idea when to play advantage and when not to and stopped game way too often, loudly shrilling his whistle. A nothing game with barely a bad foul yet he was noticed way too much. The linesman on the South Stand side was as bad giving numerous throw ins the wrong way.
Crowd – Quiet. Not surprising. It was cold and a flat sort of game despite the scoreline and goals going in. Hard after all the cup ties and playing better teams for the crowd to get up for such a game. We have some bigger clubs and followings (they brought maybe 200 tonight) that may lead to better atmospheres in weeks to come.
