Walsall Pact

[OUFC4eva]

HNY everyone !

United ended a fantastic year for the club with a disappointing goalless draw with Walsall at Grenoble Road.
This might prove to be a point gained as the Saddlers finished the stronger team and only a brilliant reflex
save from Simon Eastwood late on, after a deflection off Chey Dunkley, prevented a successive home defeat.

Despite some enterprising play up to and around the penalty area, United struggled to open up a dogged
Walsall defence and chances were at a premium. United, in my view, lack creativity in the middle of the park
and play with an isolated forward which seems to be a recurring issue. The team enjoys a lot of the ball but
can't turn that possession into meaningful goal scoring opportunities at the moment.

We must however remember that the club has finished a wonderful year in its highest league position
for more than 16 years. 2017 could be very interesting too for a host of reasons.

Gillingham at Priestfield tomorrow gets another year off and running.

COYY.

[Matt D]

this felt like boxing day again to me without the sucker punch. either side could have won it but another 5% from Us would have meant it was Us. we didn't find that additional 5%.

I feel we're back where we were before the shrewsbury 'line in the sand'. not bad, but not good enough to win unless chris maguire conjures up something for Us. drifting a little bit.

the league is tight and the margins are fine. that coventry game was when we found a bit extra to make the tackle, win the second ball, reach the pass. we seem to have stopped doing that.

how many lines in the sand can you have? not sure but I think we need another. and we need maguire to stay.

aside from the football, thought the club has found a nice way to remember those connected to the club who'd died in the year just ending. it was well handled I thought.

surprised raglan's staying but I guess we need the cover and maybe the new loan rules mean this is his best chance of football. surprised we're looking to persist with roberts. a baggies friend speaks highly of him but I wonder if it's a bit too early for him. I certainly haven't seen much to convince me he'll make much of a difference to Us.

happy new year all, I'd like a good cup run (and I don't mean in that checkatrade nonsense) and to still be in league one come the end of the year!

[Werthers Original]

Surprised no one has mentioned another anonymous performance by Hemmings, our lone striker. Being hauled off on 55mins must be a humiliation. Taylor is no world beater but he offered a lot more. I hope we can keep him and get someone better in too. Would be very happy to wave bye to Hemmings and Roberts

[Kernow Yellow]

First half - meh.
Second half - bleurgh.
A truly insipid performance. We could have played all night and not scored. Eastwood did his job, including a great reaction save from Dunkley's deflection at the end. Dunks himself made some important blocks, but conceded a blatant and avoidable yellow card. Macca was industrious, we were generally solid at the back, but everything from midfield forwards was pretty pathetic. I quite like Johnson at left back, but don't see what Edwards offers.

Rob Hall played on the opposite side in both halves from my vantage point in the North Stand, but from a distance seemed very ineffectual. Hemmings managed to get round the full back impressively, but failed to find a yellow shirt when given two opportunities. On other occasions when we got balls into the box there was either no-one there, or everyone had got too excited and run in front of the cut-back.

I feel sorry for anyone who watched both that and Boxing Day. I attended this with a group of old friends, including several kids in tow who enjoyed catching up oblivious to the paltry football fare on offer. I envied them!