Saturday 6th October 2007 - U's 2-2 Halifax: One man over, two points short

To those of us of a certain age, a spectacular goal only seems complete when accompanied by an excitedly screamed catchphrase from an old school Match of the Day commentator like Barry Davies or John Motson. So when Rob Wolleaston's stupendous screamer hit the net in the 55th minute of Saturday's match with Halifax, the words ricocheted around yours truly's mind like a Franny Lee/Norman Hunter fist fight: "Interesting... very interesting!!"; "Look at his face! Just look at his face!"; "A quality goal... from a quality player!" And in a variation on Davies' commentary on the 1988 Olympic hockey final: "Where, oh where were the Shaymen? And frankly, who cares?"

Who even knows the names of today's commentators, apart from Mr Shouty, Jonathan Pearce? Still, it was a quaint throwback to the 1970s when Saturday evening's MOTD featured highlights of only two games, plus Goal of the Month, because everybody else was playing on the Sunday. And thankfully they didn't disinter Jimmy Hill for the occasion...

The Mighty U's were never much of a fixture on Saturday evenings. Neither were today's opponents, Halifax, bar the occasional FA Cup foray. The two clubs have, however, met many times over the past forty-odd years, most memorably perhaps back in the 1980s when an anonymous phone call claiming that there was a bomb planted in the Abbey's Main Stand caused the entire crowd to be evacuated onto the pitch early on during the game. The game was stopped first, in case you're wondering. As the fruitless search was completed, a coachload of Halifax supporters arrived, having been delayed on the way. Who knows if one of that coachload had a somewhat guilty conscience...

It was nice to be back at the Abbey after last week's pointless trip to Nailsworth, even if we had been treated to a view of the world's first pre-vandalised stand. The team now known as 'The Vincibles' showed four changes from that first defeat of the season, one enforced and three tactical. In Mark Albrighton's absence through suspension Mark Peters returned to the side and Danny Potter picked up the captain's armband. In midfield Darren Quinton and Stephen Reed stepped in for Mark Convery and Stephen Smith, while up front Leo Fortune-West missed his first game of the season as he was rested in favour of Marvin Robinson, granted a second chance after his disastrous thirteen-minute two-yellow-card debut against Aldershot eleven days ago.

After his brief flirtation with the vacant managerial chair at the Abbey a year ago, Chris Wilder is still in charge at Halifax after six years, despite his team reacting to playoff disappointment in 2006 by slumping to a dismal season last term and a mediocre start to this one, all against the background of continued ownership and financial upheaval at the one-quarter unfinished Shay. And the consortium aiming to take over there is now is led by two characters called Busomworth & Ham, which sounds more like a faintly risque music hall act from the early 1900s.

Anxious to inspire their side back to winning ways, the NRE was in splendid voice with drum accompaniment as battle was gained on a pleasantly mild afternoon in front of the third crowd to top 3,000 at the Abbey this season. United started reasonably well and had the first shot on 5, Quinton's effort hitting defender Greg Young somewhere around the chest area to optimistic shouts for a penalty.

The visitors looked like reasonable opposition, however, particularly upfront livewire Daryl Taylor, and United's early attacks were limited to ineffective high balls down the channels towards front two Robinson and Scott Rendell rather than making use of the wing-backs to get behind them. Halifax's first goal effort was a Young header from a Tom Kearney corner, wide under little pressure.

Robinson was a willing runner but lacked the aerial power and sheer presence of Big Leo and the team seemed to be missing his totemic presence up front. Midfield was not any better, offering little but huff and puff and not nearly enough creativity and inspiration, and Halifax looked more than a match for them with some neat interpassing. And on 18 they were ahead.

Kearney lofted a free-kick into the box from deep on the right, and as Michael Morrison and Jon Shaw lunged for the ball in the air, the United defender was rather harshly adjudged to have felled the Shaymen striker by whistle-happy ref Halliday, a man apparently intolerant of any physical contact whatsoever. There were no noticeable appeals for a penalty from Halifax, but that is what was given. Shaw stepped up himself and sent Potter the wrong way with ease from the spot: 1-0.

As so often this season, going behind had the effect of galvanising United into decisive action. Wing-backs Dan Gleeson and Courtney Pitt began to have an influence on the game and the front two worked tirelessly to provide them with options. Keeper Adam Legzdins was quick to snatch a Quinton through ball from the galloping hooves of Robinson on 21 as the hosts began to turn up the pressure.

And on 24 the U's notched the quick equaliser that they had sought. Quinton aimed a high diagonal ball at Rendell in the corner of the box, he nodded backwards for Pitt unmarked on the left, and the little wing wizard arced a perfect dipping cross over Legzdins and the entire Halifax rearguard to the far post where Robinson was thundering presciently in to lash home from close range for his first goal for United on his first start. 1-1!

Halifax remained a menace on the break, however, and four minutes later that man Taylor sprinted forward, played a precise give-and-go with Shaw to send him clear on goal down the right channel and was only foiled when his low angled drive was splendidly stopped by Potter's lunging legs.

United responded with a good spell of their own, but their crosses were of insufficient quality to defeat a stern Shaymen rearguard led by the impressively monikered Cortez Belle, who sounds more like an oil tanker and had all the imposing presence of one. Corners also lacked accuracy and invention, a typical one on 36 by Reed failing to get past Kearney at the near post.

It had been a reasonably entertaining encounter despite its rhythm being constantly disrupted by the man in black's incessant whistling and accompanying grinning, lending him the effect of an even more irritating George Formby, if he had had a whistle instead of a banjo. Although he might have had a bit of trouble in singing with three inches of plastic and a pea in his mouth.

Two minutes from the break Halliday's officiating finally claimed its first victim when Shaw was booked for complaining long and loud about being penalised for another ho-hum challenge, although the home players had thus far suffered far more from the man in black's vagaries. Clearly still fuming, he launched himself into an aerial challenge elbow-first against Morrison a couple of minutes later right in front of the ref, and as Morro lay clutching his face, Shaw was shown a straight red.

His dismissal bore certain parallels with that of Robinson against Aldershot, whose first rather soft booking wound him up so much he got himself booked again shortly afterwards for a much worse challenge. Full marks to Marvellous Marvin for his rather forthright views expressed about it later though: "I thought the referee was pretty stupid." Wonder if Shaw had the same opinion of Mr Halliday?

So ended part one. United had played in fits and starts, only occasionally threatening to turn on the pacy power football that has taken them so far this season and clearly missing the leadership of Albrighton at the back and Fortune-West up front, and no-one in midfield had really stepped up to the plate to inspire and drive the team on, although there had been no lack of effort, just quality. Halifax had, however, provided sterner opposition than their league position might have suggested and a draw at this stage was a fair score.

Part two resumed in much the same vein. First chance on 50 fell to the visitors, Adam Quinn nodding over from a Kearney free-kick, and three minutes later a rare Reed run provided a cross for Robinson to head narrowly wide under pressure from Young. Any thoughts of lack of quality were forgotten on 55, however, with a goal worthy of all those vintage Goals of the Season from the likes of Mickey Walsh, Justin Fashanu and Ronnie Radford.

Robinson was the creator, beating his man to cross low to Wolleaston some ten yards outside the box. Without breaking stride, the United midfielder blasted a stupendous first-time shot with stunning power and accuracy into the top left corner of the net before Legzdins had time to blink, making it look as easy as a two-yard lay-off. 2-1!

Now we could see the real United. Within a couple of minutes Quinton had made a foray down the right channel and saw his goalbound shot blocked away by Quinn; the ball ricocheted to Reed 25 yards out and his low rocket shot hit the diving Legzdins on the chest as he tried to gather. Robinson pounced to fire home the rebound, but Abbey celebrations were curtailed by an offside flag. Close one.

Hoyte sent Gleeson clear down the right on 58 into acres of space, but with several colleagues to cross to in the middle, he chose to shoot wide of the near post. A third goal in this spell would surely have clinched the game.

Halifax's ten men, however, responded in spirited style after weathering the storm. Taylor fired wide on 61, then the visitors made a positive change in replacing defender Quinn with midfield man Steve Bushell. The amber cyclone seemed to blow itself out as United's tempo slowed, probably thinking that the game was won, and their passing became sloppy.

Peters was harshly carded on 66 for a challenge on Kearney which looked like ball first, and two minutes later Hoyte was withdrawn to present young Josh Coulson with his league debut, stationing himself to the right of Peters while Morrison switched to the left. Next booking on 72 was for Shayman Anthony Griffith for fouling Reed, and the United man's free-kick found Rendell who could only prod wide as he lost his balance.

Goal hero Wolleaston summed up the hosts' slump into somnolence when he was caught dithering on the ball like an even more effete Frank Spencer and he tumbled feebly to the ground as he was dispossessed by Lewis Killeen. He sent Taylor racing away down the middle, he skimmed straight through the United defence and was only denied an equaliser by a tremendous close-range reflex save from Potter, tipping over the top. Ooh, Betty.

JQ made a change up front on 76, withdrawing the hard-working Rendell for Lee Boylan. Halifax almost levelled the scores again a minute later when Kearney's left-wing corner found the head of Belle unchallenged six yards out but his header was straight into Potter's arms. United were making hard work of closing out a game against a team which had been one man short all half.

Ten minutes from time an underhit backpass by Young was seized upon by Robinson, and as he pushed it past the outrushing Legzdins, he tumbled to the ground. Penalty? Mr Halliday thought otherwise and Robinson became the second United player to be booked for 'simulation' in two matches.

Marvin claims there was contact from the keeper, so we must assume there was. But was it sufficient to bring Marvin down, or was there an element of exaggeration? Or did in fact Marvin go down because he was running at full pelt and lost his balance in trying to avoid the keeper? And did that make it a penalty? So many questions, all unfortunately with more than one answer depending on one's angle of view or outlook. All irrelevant, because the only opinion that counted was that of the man in black. At least it was only Marvin's first yellow of the match. And if it was a dive, it wasn't nearly as pathetic as that of Dida earlier in the week after being tickled under the chin by that Celtic fan.

Duly reprieved, Halifax bounced back again and seven minutes from the end they were level. It was a simple long throw which caused the trouble, the visitors packing the box, and in the ensuing traffic chaos it was Belle who seized upon the ball to lash high into the net from close in. 2-2.

Perhaps now was the time to introduce LFW to terrorise the Halifax defence for the last few minutes, but JQ showed no interest in doing so. United did respond well, though, Wolleaston's 85th minute cross from the right evading the flapping Legzdins and dropping for Pitt at the far post, but instead of keeping his cool he showed all the bottle of Gordon 'Election? No Thanks' Brown and blazed hopelessly over the angle.

Two minutes later the wingman came much closer to restoring United's lead. The lively Boylan, so far subsisting on a diet of idiotic high balls, finally received the ball to his feet and raced down the right channel before arrowing a precision cross to Pitt, whose header bounced down and was headed for the top corner until pawed impressively off his line by a diving Legzdins. Courtney nearly scoring with a header? Now we really had seen almost everything.

Still no sign of LFW even warming up. Jake Wright replaced Matt Doughty for the visitors, and as four extra minutes were indicated, United almost self-destructed altogether. Taylor sprinted onto a ball down the left channel, Peters gave chase and Potter raced from goal. Inexplicably, United's two most experienced players failed completely to communicate, made a complete canine fundament of it and Taylor nicked it past them both, only to fire into the side netting of the open goal from a difficult angle. Phew.

United's last substitution was a puzzler, Convery for Quinton when surely Leo would have made a logical choice for a team with five midfielders chasing a win against opposition playing one man short. Too conservative. United dominated possession but their crosses were inaccurate and ineffective now they had only one tall front man who had in any case got little joy in the air all day.

There was one last chance, however, and the mercurial Boylan created it all himself. The little goal poacher won the ball facing away from goal midway into the Halifax half; in a trice he had turned and wriggled his way past two defenders, bearing down on goal with the pair in hot pursuit. As he entered the box he turned onto his right foot and shot, but his goalbound effort was blocked by the extendable leg of that man Belle. That's your lot.

There were a few boos at the final whistle, but hopefully they were aimed at the lame duck ref or Halifax's timewasting rather than the United team, although an expression of displeasure is almost a reflex action when one's team fails to defeat a side with less players than them.

JQ was right is his post-match assertion that this was two points dropped, although we've seen worse (0-0 against eight-man Cardiff, anyone? The horror!) but let's not beat ourselves up too much. There is an early opportunity to get back to winning ways on Tuesday against Rushden, live on telly as long as Setanta don't decide the day before that it clashes with the Johnstone's Paint Trophy, and the pain was assuaged by the news that the top two, Torquay and Aldershot, had both lost. And those Conference giants, Oxford and York, were stuffed by teams with a larger first team squad than fanbase. LFW and Albrighton will be back next time, won't they JQ? Bring on the oldies but goodies. Do you think we could get Gerry Harrison to do the commentary?

Statto Corner
Marvin Robinson today joined a long list of players who have scored for United on their full League debuts. You only have to go back to the first game of this season, the 2-0 win at York, to find the last players to join that club: Gavin Hoyte and Lee Boylan.

Today was the third time that United have played in front of a crowd of 3,027, each time at the Abbey, and they have not won any of those matches. First occasion was a 0-0 draw with Bradford City on 23rd August 1975, and the second was a 2-0 defeat by Bournemouth on 23rd January 2001, with on-loan Jermain Defoe scoring the opening goal. And like this afternoon, an opposition player was sent off in the form of Wade Elliott. Six games later, Roy McFarland was sacked as U's manager.

Player Ratings
Potter 8. Did not put a foot wrong.
Morrison 6. Not at his sharpest.
Peters 7. Decent display, notwithstanding one misunderstanding with his keeper.
Hoyte 6. Not bad, although can do better.
Gleeson 7. Always involved and sent over some splendid crosses.
Quinton 7. Kept harrying and chasing until subbed late on.
Wolleaston 7. Nowhere near his best, but WHAT a goal.
Reed 6. Fairly subdued and only managed a handful of decent balls.
Pitt 6. Superb cross to set up United's opener. Did not repeat the trick nearly enough.
Rendell 7. Put in a lot of unheralded off-ball work to occupy the opposition.
Robinson 7. Much better and a welcome opening goal. Failed to win much aerial ball, though.

Coulson 7. Young debutant kept it simple and let nobody down with an assured display.
Boylan 7. Got involved well, despite a number of ridiculous high balls aimed his way, and so nearly notched a winner in injury time.
Convery 6. Came on too late to make any impact.

Match Summary
United showed they still have much to learn by switching off after they took the lead over ten-man Halifax and almost surrendered all three points as a result. One to absorb the lessons from, then move on.

Man of the Match
Danny Potter. One of few United players to keep up his form for ninety minutes, and his superb reaction save from Taylor ensured that the day was not entirely pointless.

Ref Watch
Halliday 3. It is the mark of a poor referee when he repeatedly gives free-kicks and no player from either side knows what it is for or even to what team it has been given. Woefully inconsistent and ludicrously intolerant of the slightest physical contact, his constant whistling did its best to ruin any flow that the game might have had. Get back to Sunday League and come back when you have learned your craft. And stop that stupid grinning!

Non-League Player's Name of the Week
AFC Emley's Nick Jagger. So close...

Soundtrack of the Day
To My Boy 'Fear Of Fragility'

Andrew Bennett

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