Paul Beasley

Only the JPT

The words on everyone’s lips at half – time were, “that was entertaining”. At only a tenner to get in that was possibly the best vfm we’ve had all season. I don’t know how a crowd of under 3,000, created one of the better recent atmospheres, but we did. Probably a case of you deliver a product and we’ll add to it.

I experienced a first in the 6th minute. Never before had I been looking the other way when a goal had gone in at the Kassam. I was distracted by Joe Reading’s young lady bringing him his chips. What kind of behaviour was that, leaving her in the food queue whilst he took up his seat? (Thinking about it I would probably have done the same in the circumstances)

After that goal went in, I decided to gaze pitchwards and concluded that we looked as if we’d lose by a minimum two or three goal margin.

Then just before the quarter hour mark it all changed. We hadn’t attacked much until then but when we did it was effective. Tricky wing play from Alfie Potter with good delivery saw Tyrone Marsh on hand to finish after a Tommy Craddock header was saved.

I was really pleased for the lad. I’ve not been one of those who’ve been very critical of Chris Wilder for not give him a starting berth. Marsh has only just turned nineteen and the management team, who see him in training most days, will know much better than us when he’s ready. I thought he had a decent enough game but nothing to get too excited about. Reading some posting you’d think he had done enough to cement a place for the rest of the season. He tired, understandably, and I don’t think we can hide the fact that he is a bit lightweight.

For the rest of the half the Shrimpers weren’t bad at all but we were the better side and deservedly got a second. I don’t think Simon Heslop is the best footballer at the club but he’s way better than many give him credit for. I’m sick of some of the stick he, and many others, unfairly get. Even his harshest critic couldn’t have failed to spot the Stevie Gerrard like quality ball he played to Craddock for his goal. Did it go in or not? At the time I thought yes. The linesman thought yes. The players didn’t react as though it hadn’t. The Southend fans behaviour was a bit strange though. They seemed to wait a few minutes then get all angry about it.

Given that we didn’t have our strongest side out I was very pleased with what I was seeing and was still pleased at the start of the second half. But the game turned again with Luke O’Brien doing an Ivanovic even before Ivanovic had done an Ivanovic.

After that gift we looked extremely vulnerable. I’m not convinced that we were doing much defending when Southend went 3-2 up just five minutes later but I’ll take my hat off to them and say it was one of the best goals I’ve seen the opposition score on our, now shared, patch. They played the ball from one end of the pitch to the other and it was some finish too.

To our credit we didn’t buckle and kept going right to the end. I was more impressed with Josh Parker on this viewing. He played two really tempting balls into the box which on another day with a little touch could easily have found their way beyond the keeper. But true to form we had internet posters declaring that his contribution was crap.

Much as we were going for it I didn’t think we had the fire power to equalise and could not see what value Alfie Potter was adding playing more centrally.

I was wrong of course. Sean Rigg’s never say die attitude getting what it deserved as a sharp header took it to penalties.

This time I wasn’t confident. Our penalties were all superbly taken, as usual, except Alfie’s. People around me had a premonition. As he walked up to take his turn the groans were the giveaway. And to make it even harder to stomach, the usual king of penalty stoppers, Clarkey, let three of Southend’s go through or under him.

I was pissed off but a couple of minutes later was over it because it was just the JPT, I had seen a good game of football and this fixture had meant Beano misses one less league game.

CoC Semi Finalists 1 JPT Area Semi Finalists 2

As the game at Valley Parade drew to a close with the score still at 1-1 I thought even if Bradford somehow sneak a lucky goal we now look like a proper football team again. I headed for home feeling genuinely more positive than I had done for many a day. Reasons to be cheerful were many.

If it was a case of after the Lord Mayor’s show for Bradford it was only because we made that so. They started pretty confidently but when it came to the final reckoning we had been superior in every department except one, and thankfully that didn’t matter.

What made this even more satisfying was that we achieved the win without some of our best players. CW set the team up perfectly but to be honest I’m not quite sure what our formation was. He picked three centre halves but I thought Jake Wright was played as half centre half and half left back. Liam Davis was the other half left back/wing back and the other half of his game was more left sided wide midfielder, but obviously not as attacking as Riggy. I’ve probably interpreted this all incorrectly but that’s how I saw it.

In central midfield we saw Lewis Montrose for the first time in a United shirt. On that showing he was everything Coxy was and more. The more being that if the opportunity was there he seemed quite happy to try and dribble into the box. Alongside a now fitter Peter Leven we had a very solid base in that area of the field. On reflection criticism of PL’s fitness earlier in the season was probably unfair as he was being asked to play without having a proper pre-season under his belt. I hold my hand up in the style of the Arsenal back four of yesteryear.

Alfie and Riggy were their now usual tricky selves out wide and the contribution of Justin Richards putting in a Beano like donkey work shift down the middle should not be overlooked.

Throughout the game we’d kept and passed the ball really well and for now it seems that we’ve solved the issue we had previously of doing nothing much with it and looking like we’d never seen the section marked “attacking” in the coaching manual. We forced Matt Duke to make a number of high quality saves, hit the bar and had one cleared off the line.

For all his ability he couldn’t keep out Rigg’s well hit first half effort and Leven’s last minute penalty after a home defender stupidly brought Alfie down in the box. It might have been late on but it was absolutely deserved.

In contrast Wayne Brown never had to make a save. This was probably just as well. I wasn’t impressed with his performance, and not for the first time. He should have bought the entire back line a few drinks after the game such were their efforts in giving him such an easy afternoon.

I am no goal-keeping coach but can work out that the art consists of many things including decision making. With Dubes bossing Nahki Wells, 100% in command of the situation and about to head the ball back to his keeper, if I was that keeper at no time would I have calculated a need to rush to the edge of the penalty area. Wayne is our goal-keeping coach. He thought otherwise. There’s a lot of explaining to be done here.

With our number one out for a while, if not the rest of the season, I think it goes without saying that we need a new goalie in on loan, smartish.

Anyway, less of the negativity. It had been a fantastic day out. As again I wasn’t driving I was able to do more beer sampling than usual. The Corn Dolly never disappoints. A real football supporters’ pub. And this time we discovered the Sparrow Bier Cafe, opened in 2011 by local beer enthusiasts, and to be visited again if /when we return. The beer quality was excellent and it was surprisingly close to the ground. I wasn’t so fussed about the Ginger Goose though. It felt too much like a Wetherspoons outlet for my liking.

Some people may accuse me of swaying with the wind but I’ve always said that I will go on the evidence before me, which of course will change over time. Most of my views are not engrained to such an extent that I refuse to change them.

Anyone who read the Fan’s View earlier in the season will know that I (reluctantly?) thought that it was time for a managerial change.

Given the way we are currently playing and the results we are achieving I cannot see any reason, other than lack of dosh, why the stay away fans who “won’t come back until we get rid of Wilder” and “won’t watch that rubbish” do not return and show genuine support for the football club.

You won’t be guaranteed a master class or win every week, and there will still be some poor shows between now and the end of the season but I reckon you’re much more likely to see something decent and satisfying than you were a few months ago.