There was a moment, 26 minutes into yesterday’s game, where I honestly thought we’d win 4-0.
Tendayi Darikwa got down the right and looked odds-on to score. Instead, he drilled a powerful cross into the path of James Collins. I say into the path of James Collins, it was in his path if he was as quick as Ayrton Senna’s car. The ball went out, Tendayi, clearly frustrated, lamented his decision and execution, and we went to go again.
Right then, after the first 26 minutes in which we’d scored and could have had two more, I was convinced we would win the game. Whatever you read on the cesspit that Twitter has become, we were in control, playing nice football and creating chances. I thought the first goal was going to be crucial, but it turns out the second was the big one. If we’d got it at that moment, I think Cambridge would have folded like a poker player holding a seven and a two pre-flop. However, if they got the goal, as they did, our fragile confidence would be hit, supporters would start groaning at every pass backwards, and players would retreat into their shells.
That’s what happened.
That’s not the story of the game; there are so many little subplots running through the club at the moment. I have to keep remembering we’re a top-half League One side because some of the vitriol I hear has me thinking we might be closer to Boston United than we are to Manchester United. Even before the game, I had to endure the conspiracy theories around Sam Clucas, stories of bust-ups and even discussions about who we want as a manager. I want Michael Skubala, for the record.
Of course, the Clucas situation is going to cause debate, and I confess that I have to wonder why he hasn’t played yet. I think McGrandles has looked jaded in recent weeks, and he wasn’t strong yesterday. Ethan Hamilton had a good first half, but a poor second, and I felt Clucas could have been given 30 minutes. He wasn’t, it’s baffling, and the sooner he gets minutes, the sooner that’s one WhatsApp message topic I can start batting away when it lands uninvited on my phone.
Zach Jeacock kept his place for another game, and he’s doing incredibly well. George Wickens was signed as the new Lukas Jensen, Jeacock more like the new Jordan Wright, but the former Birmingham man has kept his shirt on merit. He had another good game yesterday as well, and I hope he keeps his sport for next week’s tricky game against Orient.
Freddie Draper got a start after his new contract, and a few were surprised. I thought for 45 minutes, he was excellent, and if he plays like that, the prophecy Michael Appleton gave me in 2021 (if Freddie Draper isn’t our starting number nine in a couple of years, we’re doing our job wrong) looks more likely to come true. Let’s not also forget this is a side with Bailey Cadamarteri, Jack Moylan, Tom Hamer and Ethan Erhahon, all missing through injuries and all likely to have been around the first XI yesterday. No excuses, but it does add a little context, if nothing else.
After a poor opening five minutes or so, we just took complete control of the game. We could have been 1-0 up on ten minutes, Draper’s smart turn and shot after Roughan’s cross drew a super save from their keeper. Six minutes later, Freddie ‘one of our own’ Draper (never heard that about Jovon, can’t work out why) was on the scoresheet despite being held. It’s funny if you watch it back, he’s impeded by two players, but as a result, it means he’s in a position to get a shot away. That shot was blocked, but he made no mistake with his second bite of the cherry, giving us a solid 1-0 lead that we were good value for.
Genuinely, I thought we’d go on an win comfortably after that. Darikwa’s decision in the area almost put paid to that, because we seemingly eased off after that, and paid a heavy price. I thought Cambridge looked poor, rarely creating anything at all, until suddenly, they didn’t. It is easy to look at the table and say they’re poor, by the way, but they held Wycombe Wanderers last week, so they’re not that bad.
The goal they got isn’t great. Gibbons picks up the ball, turns Hackett inside out, and then sees his shot take a horrible deflection off Paudie. I’m not all that impressed with Paudie in that situation, as he looks like he’s almost trying to get out of the way of the ball. It’s gone past Roughan and McGrandles, hit Paudie and ended up in the back of the net. It’s a nasty stroke of luck, and there’s definitely a question mark over Reeco’s challenge, but it happened, and we needed to deal with it.
We didn’t deal with it, but I have to make a comment about the BBC Radio Lincolnshire commentary. They’re really scathing at the moment about all aspects of the club, and I’m a little baffled as to why. Reeco was utterly annihilated in some of the commentary, and on the way home, there were question marks over desire and whether our players wanted it—I’m not sure Michael Skubala liked having desire questioned, and I’m not surprised. The second half was poor, but a lack of ‘desire’ wasn;t the reason, in my opinion.
That, coupled with the recent podcast tearing the transfer policy to pieces, makes it seem they’re going for the jugular, and perhaps I’m in the minority, but I don’t get it. We’re 11th in League One on a budget that should have us around 18th, and we’ve lost one in five games. I heard a reference to nine points in nine games, but anyone reading this will know stats can say what you want. Try this one – eight points in five games, or an average of 1.6 per game, which would be a total of 73 or 74 over the season. See, it’s easy to make numbers say what you want.
I should know; I do it all the time.
The goal definitely knocked us though, and in injury time, Josh Stokes should perhaps have given the visitors the lead. It took a good Jeacock save to keep it level, and despite having little to do all game, when called upon, he was there. I said at the top of the report I’m impressed by Jeacock and this save proved why. Sure, it was straight at him, but he had to be big and still react to ensure it was pushed away.
Thanks, a very good analysis of the game.
Football games are often won and lost on small margins. I was directly in line for the shot for Cambridge’s goal. The deflection definitely did for Jeacock. Then, as the cliche goes, goals change games.
Good balanced analysis. I said at the end of the game we should have won it in the first half .