Four dribbles, four losses

Sheffield United U23 1 v Bristol City U23 2

U23 Professional Development League

Friday 24 August 2018

Played at Stocksbridge Park Steels

SUFC 2018/19 Game 16

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Although Utd stayed in it. And had some chances. And got a goal in stoppage time. That felt like we'd been well beaten. City looked an older & stronger set of lads. At times, they were moving the ball about very crisply & accurately with one touch in midfield. And, when they broke & ran at our defence, we had to haul them down or trip 'em up.

However, they weren't really turning lots of quality possession into clear cut chances. Just, that the Young Blades really couldn't get anything going. We gave the ball away a lot from the back. Misplaced passes. Or glorious hoofs to come straight back. At one point, Binnion explained, forcefully, to one of the midfielders “you've tried to dribble it out four times, and you've lost it all four times”.

No Jake Eastwood, no Rhys Norrington-Davies, no David Parkhouse (although Parky was sat in the stands just down from me). It was great to see Oli Greaves back on the bench after his bad injury last season. He came on at 60 minutes for Simeon Oure.  He fitted right in. In that he/none of them were awful. He/none of them stood out. He/all of them were basically ordinary. The bits of quality that were, fleetingly, on display tended to come from Stephen Mallon & Jordan Hallam. Although, I’ve seen both of them turn in much better performances. At times, there was nice link up play between them & Reece York. We actually had the first chance on 4 mins - the City keeper clawing away a Mallon effort after he’d been played in by York.  On 22 minutes, Hallam was hauled down (for what I’m sure would have been a penalty) after great interplay by & with Oure & York. Hallam was ruled offside. On 30, the other Jordan (Doherty) had a great point blank chance - I’m told the keeper scrambled that wide.

Bristol City scored either side of Half Time. What? You expect me to be able to report how we conceded? You do realise the Bar was open don’t you? And, Cask Ales are available? Buy a Green ‘Un Pal.  The City second came on 49 minutes. Marcus Dewhurst did reasonably well with a long range shot - but it spilled. He was scrambling on the deck & got tangled with the City player after the rebound. There didn’t look to be many complaints about the Penalty. Which was banged to Marcus’s right - while he went left.  Look. I’ve got two Degrees in Statistics. But, I’m not a Metrics type of guy. Even as I’m writing & reading that, it does sound like we had a number of very clear cut chances. We did. So, it’s not all gloom & doom. But, it did feel like Bristol were bigger & better & worth that win.

In a bizarre twist & homage to Dem Blades Tweets, Blog & Annual. Paul Coutts was the most important player today. This game was scheduled for Bramall Lane, next week. Received wisdom has - that it was switched to Stocksbridge, today - to keep the pitch & dates available for a possible Behind Closed Doors next week. As a key part of the Coutts Comeback Capers. And, of course, Fridays, August, the Bracken Moor Club Bar is open from 1pm. Mondays - the normal U23 day - forget it.

I’ll give you that again - because Coutts needs a comeback game, I was able to watch the second half with a pint of Stancill Brewery, Summer Breeze (cask 4.4%) on the go. Tenuous? Give over.

Very tasty. A nice bitterness running through it. Not much sugar. Very well balanced.

703/1466