Our 2012-13 away day pre-match ritual has always included breakfast at "Ponti’s" (Liverpool Street Station) at the table favoured by Tom Cruise in ‘Mission Impossible’. Now, having witnessed two consecutive away victories (n.b. we missed Bramall Lane), we superstitiously can't decided whether we should eat elsewhere next time.
Admittedly, Stevenage are falling down the table towards a disaster faster than a fireman down a greasy pole, but that takes nothing away from a fine U’s performance that secured back to back wins and eased us out of the drop zone. Away victories have been hard to find, and we may need them at Hartlepool, Bury and Oldham. However, our visit to the Lamex Stadium proves that a 10/10 award for effort and 10/10 award for determination can succeed even if merely 7/10 for skill.
Jabo Ibrehre was truly awesome and rightly claims the Sunday morning paper headlines. But I again wish to highlight a revitalised Andy Bond. Suddenly Bond has the midfield bite of Kem Izzet and the skills of Marcus Bean, and is once again my Man of the Match. Yet again, speed of ball transfer from defence to attack was in evidence rather than the slower passing game of earlier, but that didn’t mean hoof-ball. However, getting the ball onto the deck was often problematic, as Stevenage always seemed to want it aerial. To some extent, that negated George Porter and Gavin Massey down the flanks who rarely got quality ball to feet, but when they did tormented the home full backs.
However, there were other M.O.M. claimants, notably Sam Walker, who pulled off some outstanding saves. But that of Chris Day in the home goal to deny Jabo the first of what might otherwise have been a hat trick was truly world class. The U’s really should have had the points wrapped up by half time. Tom Eastman again more than justified his recall and the entire team put in a great shift. The back four of Wilson, Magnus, Eastman and Bradley Garmston solidly maintained another clean sheet. Albeit only a loan solution, it’s good to see a solid, yet attacking left back. Skipper Wilson looked a bit more restrained and took full responsibility at the back when Magnus, Tom or Bradley ventured forward. Frankly, I like that, as I think Brian is a solid defender, but less so when he is expected to push forward. We now don’t look remotely as vulnerable. I can’t help thinking that our shocking record of conceding 55 goals in 35 games (1.57 average) is the real cause of our season’s misfortune rather than any shortage of goals in favour. Hence ‘Clean Sheets’ are welcome.
Stevenage have yet to publish the number of away fans within the 3,144 crowd, but what a presence we had. It looked just like a full(ish) WHCS South Stand. We chuckled that even though it was “sit where you like”, there was remarkable uniformity of seating order. The fact that our bass, tenors and sopranos were located largely as normal probably contributed to a huge vocal contribution. With other results going in our favour, I hope Mrs Dunne and the junior Dunne clan are thoroughly enjoying their Sunday morning as Daddy Dunne should be gently smiling as he pours his well-deserved Guinness over his cornflakes.
Finally, on the train back to King's Cross, we sat behind actor Timothy West and his wife Prunella Scales. What outrageous ‘blue and white’ scallywags remarked that he had "made a miraculous recovery considering his mortal demise on Wednesday when in the Rovers Return", and the retort that "but his rising from the dead doesn’t compare to the recovery now being engineered by the U’s"?!