"What are we doing with
our lives?" Asked young Josh as we climbed into Adams car to make
the short trip to Gloucestershire to visit Cheltenham. Me, Adam and Cal
all claimed it was to tick the ground off and what else is there to do?
He did have a resounding point. Nevertheless, I will always ask the
question why not? Last night we were rewarded with an enjoyable away
day to kick off my season as I had missed out on Ilkeston on Saturday.
Cheltenham, like much of
Gloucester and its surrounding areas is a very pleasant place indeed.
Unfortunately, it was lacking considerably in pubs near the ground and we
found ourselves in the
feathered fish. The less said about the pub the better as the variety
ale and price perturbed my good mate Chris. More entertaining was some
local fella who was stumbling around holding 3 bottles of Modelo. He was
smashed out of his wee head and it was very apparent, as per usual, he wanted
to engage in conversation with me. We didn't oblige but he was a very
amusing piece of pre match entertainment. In future I would suggest
venturing into Cheltenham central rather than the pubs nearby.
We arrived at the Abbey
Business Stadium and it was very close to a non-league set up. Similar to
Stevenage if you were being lazy with your comparisons. A quaint old
stand where the players come out, standing behind one goal and a new stand
filing the other two sides of the stadium. I purchased the leaflet, which
was moonlighting as a programme and took my seat just in time for the game to kick
off.
Adkins had said he would give
players 60 minutes before wholesale changes, something I presume he will also
adopt on Thursday down at Exeter. A fixture I wont be attending, as I
want to enjoy Tramlines and not argue throughout with my better half, sorry
Lucy. So it was no surprise to see the team, which had finished Saturdays
trip to Ilkeston with the one change of Wallace replacing Baxter.
United started quite brightly
and the ball moved forward much more regularly than I remember for much of last
season. Unfortunately an inexperienced
back four, as patched up as last nights were, would always have problems.
Che Adams always looks
dangerous with his movement and I really feel he could have a massive season
for us from the bench initially but grow into a real asset. His goal was taken very coolly after the
superb ball through from young Calvert Lewin to put the Blades in front.
James Wallace who has never
failed to impress me had a good solid half and unlike any central midfielder we
have had in this division since Kevin McDonald, consistently played the ball
forward. If he stays fit I feel it will
be a quality addition to our arsenal.
I am sure you all want to hear
about Diego but there is nothing much to say.
He looks very good on the ball and has excellent feet. He held the ball up well in one passage of
play but those of you who remember York City last season he doesn’t look like a
player who has progressed much in a year almost to the day. If that is the young mans fault remains a
different story.
Other notable performances
include the sprinkles of magic for Reed, despite the fact he couldn’t tackle
out of a paper bag, and the vocal George Long looking very assured until the
patched up back four containing two central midfielders made a mistake for the
hosts to equalise. Harrison McGhaey
overplayed a pass, which spit the defence, quit unusual, as he had smashed
about 4 balls out safety first until this lapse in concentration.
The real stand out performer of
the first half was local boy Callum McFadzean.
Not offered a new deal by his predecessor Mr Adkins has given him a
chance and this performance would have been encouraging to the manager. A gritty and determined player Callum was
strong in the tackle and put in a quality challenge, which he was incorrectly
cautioned for, to stop a Cheltenham attack.
Bob Harris will always be first choice but I wouldn’t see any reason not
to offer the academy graduate a year deal even if the majority of his football
was still to be played in the under 21’s.
His brother who was released after a few credible loans like Callum will
be lining up in the Championship when it kicks off, so the question is
certainly worth asking.
The game was evenly poised at
half time even though United had been better for the initial period, without,
as you may have guessed, creating any real opportunities.
The second half was predictably
dull as the players tired as the 60-minute mark approached. It was genuinely as non-event in terms of
action.
The substitutes happened and a
more experienced team appeared with Martyn Woolford playing at full back. Baxter tried some tricks, which didn’t work,
Murphy ran the ball out of play, McNulty flicked on a pass for Higdon, which
would have been too much for Messi, and it looked as disjointed as 11 changes
to a team mid match would do.
Campbell Ryce grew into the
game and his deliveries caused Cheltenham to conceded a number of corners. One was cleared to Higdon who smashed home a
well taken volley in emphatic fashion.
Moments later the ball was drilled
across the box after good work from Murphy and the ball fell to Baxter who
emphatically smashed it home to make it 3-1.
The referee drew the game to a
close and that as they say was that, a worthwhile exercise by all accounts and
plenty of food for thought for Mr Adkins.
I was home for Half 12, still questioning my sanity, but I
tell you one thing, football is back and I for one am delighted.
Attendance 1,247 (236 away)
CHELTENHAM TOWN: Phillips (Kitscha 60), McLennan (Wynter 75)), Storer (Hall 60), Downes (Deaman 60), Barthram, Pell (Rowe 60), Wright (Dale 60), Morgan-Smith (Williams 60), Waters (Kotwica 60), Munns (Bowen 60), Parslow. Substitutes: Kitscha, Bowen, Williams, Deaman, Dale, Rowe, Wynter, Kotwica, Hall.
SHEFFIELD UNITED: Long (Howard 60), Dimaio (Freeman 60), McGahey (Collins 60), K Wallace (McEveley 60), McFadzean (Woolford 60), Scougall (Campbell-Ryce 60), J Wallace (Basham 60), Reed (Baxter 60), Calvert-Lewin (Murphy 60), De Girolamo (Higdon 60), Adams (McNulty 60).
