U's:2 Brewers:0

I wasn't joking when I said that I'm rubbish at predictions. But I didn't expect my forecasts to go wrong so soon, and in such emphatic style.

In what must surely be our best performance season, United dominated and dispatched the league leaders in the kind of comfortable fashion befitting a team in top form. There are numerous positives to take from yesterdays game, but for me the biggest is that the result is the culmination of five weeks of gradual improvement, both from the Brabinator in his selections and from the team on the pitch.

For long periods of the season I feel we've been the footballing equivilant of Graeme Hick; happy to dispatch terrible opponents but coming up short when faced with anyone with a bit of quality. However, if we can maintain the form of the last few weeks we'll have nothing to fear if we do make the play offs. Exciting times indeed.

Since they changed their name to Derby Manager Nigel Clough's former club Burton Albion, the Brewers have maintained their impressive pre-Christmas form, with United legend Roy McFarland picking up young Nigel's mantle. Even after yesterdays result, they'll surely wrap up the title sooner rather than later, and it's easy to see why their record is so good, as they zip about the pitch with pace and precision. Although United probably had more possession in the first half, DMNCFCBA had the better chances, with midfield baldy twins McGrath and Simpson shooting wide from outside the box, and Shaun Harrad almost finding the net with a lofted shot that required Danny Potter to athletically claw the ball over the bar.

United's best efforts came from Hatswell, who, as in the Crawley game, should have done better with a free header from close range, and Jai Reason, whose curling free kick was turned over the bar by Kevin Poole, one of the few remaining folk in world football who was playing when I first started watching United and hasn't retired yet.

If the first half was a closely fought contest, the second was totally one-sided, with Carden and Reason assuming control in midfield and pinning Burton back inside their own half. Ten minutes of pressure were rewarded with the 55th minute opener. Tonkin and Pitt worked some space down the left, and the Pittster cut inside and saw his cross take a delicious deflection to loop perfectly into the path of Rendell, who made no mistake from close range. 1-0.

Scotty was about the only United player not on his game yesterday, and one wonders whether three months of almost constant football is beginning to take it's toll, given that he spent most of 2007 on the sidelines. He could've made it 2-0 when Reason's superb through ball found him in space on the right. But after drawing Poole, his attempt at a lofted shot was uncharacteristically weak, and the veteran keeper blocked it away before his defence dealt with the rebound.

At this point Roy Mac did us a favour by withdrawing Andy Corbett and sending on striker Greg Pearson, switching to a 4-3-3 formation. But all this did was afford more space to Pitt and Willmott on the flanks, and the United domination continued. Holroyd was inches away on a couple of occasions before we doubled our lead and wrapped up the match. A Burton attack broke down, and Reason seized on the loose ball before playing a superb pass through to Willmott. Robbie's electric pace took him away from the defence, and for once he kept his cool admirably and beat Poole with a low trickler that found the far corner. 2-0.

Burton looked a broken team, and their fate was sealed when Butler lunged in on Danny Potter and was shown a red card. As he's one of my favourite players ever, I'm inclined to give Butts the benefit of the doubt and say the challenge probably only warranted a yellow, and it was a sad ending to what could be his last ever appearance at the Abbey.

All that was left was for Andy Parkinson to make his long awaited return from injury, replacing Willmott for the last five minutes. And the scouse schemer could have capped his debut with a marvellous goal, but his attempted chip from 20 yards was parried over by Poole. Oh well, you can't have everything.


Man of the Match: Jai Reason - Carden and Reason are fast becoming a formidable duo, and hopefully the Brabinator will be able to persuade his old mate Jim Magilton to let us keep the latter for the rest of the season.






Men of the Match (ii): Jez George and Matt Walker - A great effort on behalf of CUFC and young footballers in general. Lets hope their efforts result in a more level playing field for youth development.