U's:0 Hammers XI:0

Last night it felt like Newmarket Road had temporarily transformed into an East London overspill.

Chirpy cockney geezers were everywhere, exchanging pleasantries, swigging lager and slapping one another on the back. I was half expecting to see that the Wrestlers had been replaced by a pie and mash shop, or to come across the pearly king doing the Lambeth walk round the stadium car park.

At least the sizeable visiting contingent, most of whom eschewed the delights of the South Stand to mix with the locals, swelled the crowd to just under 2500. On the pitch, it was very much a second string West Ham line up, with the only familiar faces being ex-U’s Jack’s Collinson and Jeffrey, and Freddie Sears, an 18-year old striker who already has a Premiership goal to his name.

The Brabinator appears to have jettisoned most of the trialists, and named an all killer, no filler(ish) starting line up, with Tonkin being the latest man to don the captains’ armband.

Early on it was the visitors who were making all the running, with Collinson and the excellent Sears particularly prominent. United came into the reckoning more as the match progressed, but neither team was displaying much cutting edge. Collinson should have done better when he shot wide under pressure from Gleeson, while Sears showed his pace by beating Hoyte in a race for the ball on the right, but his cross blocked by the alert Coulson.

Paul Carden was back in the side for the rather useless Hutchinson, and he and Convery provided a solid base for many of United’s attacking forays. A nice move involving Carden and Tonkin saw Willmott play in Beesley for a shot that flew wide. Beesley also hit a free kick from the edge of the area into the wall which took a big deflection and was dealt with fairly easily by Jimmy Walker.

The Pittster picked up an injury in the first half, and had to be replaced by Farrell. It was perhaps this, and the absence of Jardim, that persuaded Brabin to switch to 4-3-3 at half time. Evil and Tom Youngs replaced Beesley and Parkinson, and Youngs was impressive, using the ball well and linking play between midfield and attack.

It was he who played in Willmott for an angled shot that Walker blocked comfortably, and moments later he provided the pass which set up Convery for a blaster that was charged down by the lunging Jordan Spence. The rebound fell to Gleeson, whose cross was almost bulldozed into the net by Evil, who jumped above Walker but saw his header loop over the bar.

Sears continued his one-man assault on the United goal, having a shot deflected away by Hoyte then seeing Tonkin race back to nick the ball off his toe when he advanced into the area again. He came closer still with a shot from just outside the box which beat Potter but kissed the outside of the post. On this showing the boy is going to be a star.

For United, Evil had another cleared off the line, substitute Quinton shot straight at the keeper, and right at the death another replacement, Craig Bussens, spurned a great chance to win the game. A cracking through pass from Youngs put him clear, but he chose to check back rather than go for goal, and the chance was gone. He’ll learn.

All in all it was a bit of a mixed bag from United. The football we’re playing now is very easy on the eye, but the final pass or shot let us down all too often. The defence were much improved, and it’s good to have finally kept a clean sheet, but we’ll need to show a lot more clinical-ness in front of goal if we’re to have a decent season.

Man of the Match: Gavin Hoyte – He never looks like he’s totally in control of his movements, but in the absence of Hatswell big Gav enjoyed a solid, cock-up free, game, making several great interceptions.




Shock of the Match: Courtney’s shorts – Did anyone else notice that he had shunned his normal, billowing, XXL shorts for a normal size pair. And the first game he wears them he goes off injured. Coincidence? I think not.