Saturday 8th September 2007 - Exeter 1-1 U's: Scoring no mystery for Rendell

The legendary Ruth Rendell has written many stories which could apply to our beloved U's: The Rottweiler (Danny Brown), A Sleeping Life (Fola Onibuje), A Demon In My View (John Howard), End In Tears (the 2004-2005 season), A Guilty Thing Surprised (John Howard again) and Bribery & Corruption (I couldn't possibly comment).

Now her grandson, Scott* has created his own mystery with, so far, a very happy ending: the story of a struggling striker who suddenly could not stop scoring goals, for game after game. It has certainly been a pleasure to see it unfold over the last few weeks.

Next stop on 'The Invincibles Roadshow' was St James' Park, Exeter, an unhappy hunting ground since United's demotion to the Conference (2-0 and 4-0 defeats), but a place that still holds happy memories for we veterans who were lucky enough to be there on 4th April 1994 when the great Sir Steve Butler scored all of United's goals in a scintillating 5-0 victory refereed by the legendary 'Can You Hear The' Gurnam Singh. Halcyon days indeed.

Exeter remains, inevitably, one of the longest trips of the season, and the services at Strensham were awash with coachloads of wrinklies, doubtless feeling free to day-trip to their hearts' content now that the school holidays have finished. Although I couldn't see Strensham shifting many of their leftover wetsuit/water gun combos to such a demographic.

The theme for the road signs this week seemed to be music - Portishead, Glastonbury, Rockbeare and, of course, Bridg(overtroubled)water - but the journey was mostly trouble free and the weather in the South West was seasonally warm and sunny. The splendid real ale pub just around the corner from the ground was laden with patriotic bunting in preparation for the day's multi-sport England matches and offered exotic brews such as Cornish Knocker, a name which could cause all manner of regrettable misunderstandings to those of the not entirely sober persuasion.

It is a pity that St James' Park is tucked away in an obscure corner of the city so that the travelling fan misses a lot of what it has to offer, but its quaint, individualistic character was hinted at by the shop names on the way there: Posh Paws by Petra (Canine Beauticians), The Tea Cosy cafe, Bags of Choice 'for all your travel requirements,' and of course the does-just-what-it-says-on-the tin Gun & Sport Shop. Not to mention the sage advice advertised outside a local church: "If God is your co-pilot, swap seats".

The ground itself is a good old-fashioned arena which has changed little for many a year, with seated stands on both sides, a huge covered terrace for the homies and, inevitably, the tiniest, least well appointed end for the visitors, the little terrace seeming to get smaller every year. Now there is a Setanta-constructed camera platform stuck in the middle of it, seemingly held together by sticky tape, and it still curves around the corner towards the never-changing lavs, their ivy-clad, shed-like squalor unchanged since Queen Victoria was on the throne.

There was entertainment to be had from admiring the preposterous wig of one of the stewards, a 1970s-style blond affair whose effect was rather spoilt by the aging gentleman's grey moustache and sideburns. Bet he thought he looked great. Previous mascot the Grecian Goddess is sadly long departed, replaced by a portly lion which is either heavily pregnant or sporting a highly impressive beer belly.

The United fans were joined on their terrace by Danny Brown and Josh Coulson, the former still limping noticeably, and very nice it was too to have them aboard.

No changes were deemed necessary by JQ after Tuesday's victory over Grays, even down to the subs who were again keeperless, while Exeter sported two ex-U's in striker Richard Logan and Cambridge-born former youth product Matthew Gill. They had won one and drawn two of their three home games so far, but had been stunned 4-0 at Kidderminster before fighting back from two down to draw at Oxford in midweek.

Like many teams United have encountered this season, the hosts lined up in a 4-3-3 formation designed to counteract the U's wing-back system, Logan joined up front by Adam Stansfield and Jamie Mackie to leave them three on three with United's back line. And it looked most effective after a couple of Stephen Reed corners for the visitors as Exeter tested the black-and-amber shirted defenders' speed and alertness with balls over the top at every opportunity.

On 5 a long throw from former United target Dean Moxey found Mackie in the box, who could only turn and fizz a shot wide, but six minutes later the hosts were ahead in untidy fashion. The ball came over from the left and a line of players from both sides hacked at it on the edge of the area, United blocking an attempted shot by Logan but failing to clear it as it bobbled along the line. Eventually it fell to Mackie, and he was quick to swing a leg to roll a low bobbler past the helpless Danny Potter and into the far corner of the net. 1-0.

The Grecians almost doubled their lead two minutes later when another ball over the back three sent Stansfield away, but Potter was quick to race from his goal and he was able to block the striker's attempted lob with some ease.

United had started at a sluggish pace - perhaps they just don't travel well - and they had difficulty in picking up the tempo to their usual chasing and harrying game in the humid and hostile conditions. The early goal also had the effect (psychologically at least) of slowing Exeter down as they ceased to chase the game with any great urgency. It all led to a rather flat, drab encounter and time seemed to pass slower than a night-time episode of Big Brother, although with marginally less snoring.

United's set pieces were particularly poor, corners failing to reach knee height and free-kicks under or over-hit. Leo Fortune-West thought he would give us some light relief on 23 with a blatant Shaquille O'Neal-style grab at a high ball which was sailing over his head, for which he received the game's first yellow card. The pass was typical of the unimaginative service upon which LFW and Scott Rendell were trying to subsist.

The amber hordes contented themselves with abusing the linesman nearest them, a particularly poor official who seemed unable to make any decision without looking beseechingly at the referee first for guidance and who failed to give several obvious decisions, including a foul on Hoyte and the award of a corner which should clearly have been a goal-kick. If United were playing poorly, old lino was having the proverbial nightmare of nightmares.

A turgid encounter finally began to liven up in the last few minutes of the half. Stansfield wriggled clear of Albrighton's attentions for once and fired an angled drive across goal with which Logan just failed to connect. And that was that for a 45 in which the United back line had striven manfully to cope with the hosts' probing, but nobody else had exactly covered themselves with glory. JQ's hairdryer thrummed in the background.

The boss' little chat seemed to have an effect as the U's started part two more like the up-and-at-'em, high-tempo pressing outfit that has entertained us so much so far this season. First chance fell on 50 for the hosts, Gill's free-kick finding Moxey who slid an effort across goal and wide, but now United were on the ascendant.

And within ten minutes of the restart they were level with their first decent set piece of the day. Reed swung a wicked inswinging corner in from the right, and there was Rendell rising high inside the six-yard box to power a header home unchallenged for his fourth goal in consecutive games. 1-1!

The amber hordes who had hitherto started to resign themselves to a third straight Devonian defeat now had their hope restored; this was the new, super-strength United back in full effect. The tactical changes started soon after as both sides made a substitution around the hour mark, Steve Basham replacing Logan up front for the hosts, and Darren Quinton withdrawn after an uncharacteristically quiet display in favour of the calm, accurate pass-making of Mark Convery.

The match finally began to get some fire into its belly too as Exeter realised that, unlike in the last two years, this United team was not about to roll over and let them tickle its tummy. Who in their right mind would dare to try and tickle Mark Albrighton's tummy, anyway? Reed seemed particularly wound up, perhaps because he was back on home ground (he was born in Barnstaple) and after he was fouled by Gill then Dan Gleeson fouled the same player and some unpleasantness ensued, Reed felt constrained to barge in and was lucky only to be booked for a shove on the Exeter-based Cantabrigian.

Lee 'Whoops, I Seem To Have Fallen Over' Elam replaced Frankie Artus as the Grecians continued to shuffle their pack on 65, and Stephen Smith came on for Reed. United were gaining ever-greater ascendancy as they pushed Exeter back. The hosts' supply to their front three began to dry up as the U's wing-backs came more and more into play, with Convery, Smith and Wolleaston growingly influential in the middle, and the front two looked alert and mobile as their side moved the ball around with ever-increasing confidence.

Gavin Hoyte broke down as he was about to take a throw-in on 70 and was forced to withdraw after another stirring performance of pace and power, replaced by the ever-dependable Mark Peters. United created a cast-iron chance to take the lead two minutes later: Courtney Pitt, a lively menace on the left, lifted a superb cross to Rendell at the far post, and his free header back across goal looked sure to go in but flew wide of the post with home keeper Andy Marriott reduced to clutching his imaginary rabbit's foot in hope.

Exeter still looked reasonably dangerous on the break, although it demonstrated United's dominance that that was all they were reduced to, and a now-stirring contest continued to see-saw. The hosts came close to regaining the lead on 82 when Potter made a rare misjudgement from a Gill corner; it flew over his head to Jon Richardson at the far post, he headed back towards goal and Gleeson was there to head off the line. Even better, the United wing-back followed up his own header with a second nod to deny Matt Taylor at the other post, to complete a magnificent goal-saving double clearance.

Following another home corner Elam was allowed to run at the United defence, cut inside and fire narrowly over the top left angle. This game could now go either way. A low Gleeson cross found LFW at the far post, but within sight of goal he scuffed his shot sideways right into the path of Rendell. If he hadn't been so surprised to receive it, he could have tucked it away from seven yards out, but could only stab at it, too late.

Smith was suckered into a cynical booking on 87 when he was slow to back away from a free-kick and Steve Tully deliberately kicked it straight at him to saddle him with a yellow card for 'not retreating' from the naïve referee. Stupid boy.

Exeter have made something of a speciality of grabbing late goals this season, but there is no better side in the 'vinegar minutes' this term than the Mighty U's and they came agonisingly close twice to snatching a winner in added time.

First attempt came from an excellent Convery cross from the right. LFW met it perfectly with his forehead and it was screaming unerringly into the top corner until superbly tipped over the bar by an acrobatically diving Marriott, even as the amber hordes were acclaiming a goal. Worldie. The Grecians repelled efforts from Peters and Rendell from the ensuing Convery corner, broke at the other end and Gleeson was forced to concede a free-kick which Moxey touched to Elam to flash across goal and wide of the far post.

United roared back, and with Exeter trying to play offside, LFW's neat ball over the top sent Rendell away down the left channel with Wolleaston racing up in support. They looked frankly well offside, but the hapless lino on that side had long given up trying to make any independent decisions. Rendell scooted past the outrushing Marriott but his touch was a little clumsy (one aspect of his play that needs some work) and, driven wide, instead of shooting he tried to square it to Wolleaston to tap into the empty net; but Rob Edwards had dashed back with him and just got his toe to it to push past the post for a corner. Phew.

The resultant flag-kick spun off an Exeter head onto the bar, but the ref was already signalling a free-kick for some mysterious misdemeanour in the area. The final whistle followed soon after.

A point at Exeter is always a good result, but it could so easily have been three. United remain unbeaten, but there is a feeling that better is still to come, if only they can produce today's second-half form for a full ninety minutes. That's a nice problem to have at this stage of the season, isn't it? Especially when you consider that at the eight-match stage last term, we were still without a win and the manager had already been sacked. Enjoy these times while you can.

*This is a blatant lie.

Statto Corner
Scott Rendell has now scored in four consecutive games. The last United player to achieve this feat was Fola Onibuje, who scored five in four between 24th September and 7th October 2005.

United's unbeaten run now stands at ten, including the last two games of last season. Their all-time record stands at 23 back in 1928-29. Best run in the Football League era was fourteen games in the promotion season of 1972-73.

Player Ratings
Potter 7. No chance with the goal, otherwise as assured as ever with few real saves to make.
Morrison 9. His best of the season.
Albrighton 8. Just keeps on doing it.
Hoyte 8. Yet another splendid, calm performance.
Gleeson 8. Excellent outlet on the right, and some vital defending to boot.
Wolleaston 7. Busy and industrious.
Reed 7. He has played better, but what a corner to set up the goal.
Quinton 6. Quietest game this term; we all have off-days.
Pitt 8. Splendid contribution, both up front and covering back.
Fortune-West 7. Slow start again, like most of the team, but improved as the match wore on.
Rendell 8. All action, terrific runner and right now he just can't stop scoring!

Peters 7. Solid and dependable as always.
Smith 7. Dynamic, impressive effort.
Convery 7. Classiest passer at the club.

Match Summary
Not for the first time this season, a sluggish United gave their opponents a goal start before turning on the style in the second half to roar back and come agonisingly close to an impressive win against one of the promotion favourites. If they could only produce their best for a full ninety minutes, they would be unstoppable instead of just unbeatable!

Man of the Match
Michael Morrison. Morro has been somewhat overshadowed by his defensive colleagues so far this term, but today he was outstanding in a classy display of the centre-back's art.

Ref Watch
Sheldrake 6. Made his fair share of bizarre decisions, but was not exactly helped by the world's worst linesman on the family stand side.

Non-League Player's Name of the Week
Brentwood Town's deeply unfortunate Dan Dafter.

Soundtrack of the Day
The Monks Kitchen 'Bringing Hurricanes'

The MP3 Files
Mark Peters lends an ear to the St James' Park sounds. "I was having a flick through the Exeter programme before the match and I was most impressed by the list of bands playing at the club in the near future: Guns N'Roses, Oasis, Stereophonics, Queen, AC/DC. Then I noticed the tiny words above each name: 'Tribute To...' Ah well! It certainly showed they like their Rock Music down in Devon, and I was hoping to hear some prime Alarm, perhaps, or the Manics or even some classic Man or Budgie for we older Welsh rockers! No such luck, but there was a reasonably varied selection of the rock idiom, with Blink-182, Kaiser Chiefs, Kasabian and the aforementioned Guns N'Roses all audible between the PA announcer's incessant chat. Nothing startlingly exciting, but not bad. Hwyl!" MP3 Verdict: 7/10.

Andrew Bennett

Now talk about it on the message board!

Andrew's previous match reports

The views expressed on this page are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Cambridge United Football Club or the webmaster.