Matty D
7th March 2005, 14:08
In typically Siberian Colchester we were probably fortunate to be gifted all three points in a poor game littered with errors from both sides. Both Andy Frampton and Kev O’Connor returned as full-backs, but new signing Scott Fitzgerald only made the bench, with Deon Burton again the lone striker.
Brentford started very brightly and within the first five minutes a lovely through-ball from Burton gave Tabb a clear shot on the edge of the box with only the keeper to beat. His scuffed effort would set the tone for most of what followed. Minutes later Eddie Hutchinson planted a free header straight at Aidan Davison in the Colchester goal, but so far we’d looked like creating plenty more chances.
As it happened we barely created another in the rest of the game. Jay Tabb claimed the 58th minute winner when an underhit United back-pass put substitute Fitzgerald through on the keeper, who could only parry his initial shot, and the Colchester defence always looked the most likely providers of any Bees goal.
Colchester passed well, and broke quickly, but crumbled under the slightest pressure – Davison allowing a tame shot to slip through his hands for a corner, countless panicked clearances etc. The problem was that our 4-5-1 wasn’t allowing us to apply that pressure consistently. Burton – who had a lacklustre game, and might well have departed before half time – couldn’t manage it on his own up front, and as soon as Tabb and Hunt pushed up to make it more like 4-3-3 they left big gaps down the flanks for the U’s to exploit.
There were a few moments of first-half incident – the Bees survived a huge goalmouth scramble involving about a dozen players, Turner narrowly failed to complete a one-two on the edge of the Colchester box, having run the ball fully 60 yards, and Hunt had a reasonable shout for a penalty turned down. Sodje received a booking when eagle-eyed referee Prosser spotted him kicking the ball very hard. Not something we want to see in football, and judging by the rest of his performance I suspect Mr Prosser considered a straight red.
Although Fitzgerald replaced Burton at half time we stuck with the 4-5-1 and struggled to take the game to the hosts. Instead they were able to apply pressure, and Nelson did well to turn one long range shot away from the top corner, while another crashed down off the underside of the bar before being hacked away. At the other end Hunt was providing useful running down the left, but there was rarely anyone in the box for him to supply. Fortunately we were spared the troubled of creating our own chances, and although Davison did well to get something on Fitzgerald’s toe-poke when one-on-one, the ball rebounded kindly for Tabb, who drilled it in past a defender’s lunge.
Although the goal initially took a lot of the wind out of Colchester’s sails we never really looked like adding to it, and eventually Tabb was withdrawn as well, with Dobson playing a much more defensive role on the right flank. Nelson was relieved to see a driven shot from the corner of the box whistle past the post having somehow evaded Sodje’s attempted block, amid handball appeals from the Colchester fans. There was also drama right at the death as the home keeper came up for a corner and met it with a firm diving header that O’Connor had to clear off the line. Although the ball was eventually worked to Hutch with Davison still well off his line, the Bees midfielder was content to try and run it to the corner flag, before the whistle stopped him, and the game.
So all in all a frustrating performance from something close to our first XI, and no chance yet to see a Burton/Fitzgerald partnership in action. Whilst our newest recruit didn’t dazzle he was quick to pounce on a mistake to help bring about the goal, and it’s those sorts of instincts we need. At times both sides seemed to be competing to see who could make the other look better, and the ref was the most entertaining and unpredictable man on the pitch for long spells. We knew we needed an away win or two from March to keep the pressure on those above us, and hopefully these three points will help to shake off the cup hangover and provide a platform for the remainder of the league campaign.
Nelson 7 – kept us in it at times
Sodje 7 – decent display
Turner 8 – tough in the tackle, composed on the ball
O’Connor 6 – couple of important interventions at the back
Frampton 6 – did well enough defensively
Talbot 7 – broke things up well, but couldn’t find his passing range
Pratley 5 – willing runner, but lacked composure and discipline
Hutchinson 6 – touch let him down too often
Tabb 7 – in the right place to claim the goal
Hunt 6 – tried desperately to conjure something
Burton 5 – didn’t look 100% fit
Fitzgerald 6 – didn’t get much opportunity to shine
Dobson 6 – did OK at defensive winger role late on
Brentford started very brightly and within the first five minutes a lovely through-ball from Burton gave Tabb a clear shot on the edge of the box with only the keeper to beat. His scuffed effort would set the tone for most of what followed. Minutes later Eddie Hutchinson planted a free header straight at Aidan Davison in the Colchester goal, but so far we’d looked like creating plenty more chances.
As it happened we barely created another in the rest of the game. Jay Tabb claimed the 58th minute winner when an underhit United back-pass put substitute Fitzgerald through on the keeper, who could only parry his initial shot, and the Colchester defence always looked the most likely providers of any Bees goal.
Colchester passed well, and broke quickly, but crumbled under the slightest pressure – Davison allowing a tame shot to slip through his hands for a corner, countless panicked clearances etc. The problem was that our 4-5-1 wasn’t allowing us to apply that pressure consistently. Burton – who had a lacklustre game, and might well have departed before half time – couldn’t manage it on his own up front, and as soon as Tabb and Hunt pushed up to make it more like 4-3-3 they left big gaps down the flanks for the U’s to exploit.
There were a few moments of first-half incident – the Bees survived a huge goalmouth scramble involving about a dozen players, Turner narrowly failed to complete a one-two on the edge of the Colchester box, having run the ball fully 60 yards, and Hunt had a reasonable shout for a penalty turned down. Sodje received a booking when eagle-eyed referee Prosser spotted him kicking the ball very hard. Not something we want to see in football, and judging by the rest of his performance I suspect Mr Prosser considered a straight red.
Although Fitzgerald replaced Burton at half time we stuck with the 4-5-1 and struggled to take the game to the hosts. Instead they were able to apply pressure, and Nelson did well to turn one long range shot away from the top corner, while another crashed down off the underside of the bar before being hacked away. At the other end Hunt was providing useful running down the left, but there was rarely anyone in the box for him to supply. Fortunately we were spared the troubled of creating our own chances, and although Davison did well to get something on Fitzgerald’s toe-poke when one-on-one, the ball rebounded kindly for Tabb, who drilled it in past a defender’s lunge.
Although the goal initially took a lot of the wind out of Colchester’s sails we never really looked like adding to it, and eventually Tabb was withdrawn as well, with Dobson playing a much more defensive role on the right flank. Nelson was relieved to see a driven shot from the corner of the box whistle past the post having somehow evaded Sodje’s attempted block, amid handball appeals from the Colchester fans. There was also drama right at the death as the home keeper came up for a corner and met it with a firm diving header that O’Connor had to clear off the line. Although the ball was eventually worked to Hutch with Davison still well off his line, the Bees midfielder was content to try and run it to the corner flag, before the whistle stopped him, and the game.
So all in all a frustrating performance from something close to our first XI, and no chance yet to see a Burton/Fitzgerald partnership in action. Whilst our newest recruit didn’t dazzle he was quick to pounce on a mistake to help bring about the goal, and it’s those sorts of instincts we need. At times both sides seemed to be competing to see who could make the other look better, and the ref was the most entertaining and unpredictable man on the pitch for long spells. We knew we needed an away win or two from March to keep the pressure on those above us, and hopefully these three points will help to shake off the cup hangover and provide a platform for the remainder of the league campaign.
Nelson 7 – kept us in it at times
Sodje 7 – decent display
Turner 8 – tough in the tackle, composed on the ball
O’Connor 6 – couple of important interventions at the back
Frampton 6 – did well enough defensively
Talbot 7 – broke things up well, but couldn’t find his passing range
Pratley 5 – willing runner, but lacked composure and discipline
Hutchinson 6 – touch let him down too often
Tabb 7 – in the right place to claim the goal
Hunt 6 – tried desperately to conjure something
Burton 5 – didn’t look 100% fit
Fitzgerald 6 – didn’t get much opportunity to shine
Dobson 6 – did OK at defensive winger role late on