Good Friday, Great Monday

A six point Easter weekend for the Monk and his U's, and suddenly things look a little bit brighter in CB5. We report on both games.

Well, that was quite something wasn’t it? Easter weekend is famed for its resurrections, but I don’t think even the most optimistic of U’s fans had it going this well. This, somehow, is the same team which we’d last seen so comprehensively beaten both at Lincoln and at Reading. It’s fair to say they’ve come back from the dead, and in picking up six points the U’s have firmly nosed themselves ahead in this relegation dogfight.

Each game was its own story, but both with the same result. Let’s start up in Yorkshire…

Barnsley 0-2 U’s

This was how the table looked going into the weekend. U’s three points clear of Vale, but distinctly feeling like we were clinging on after a run of no wins in seven.

The amber faithful travelled up to Barnsley firmly in hope rather than expectation. Barnsley comfortably occupied an automatic promotion spot, and despite recently faltering at home, had plenty of firepower and top end quality available to put that right. It was the U’s that needed to figure out a new way to play.

Something that had been discussed on the most recent episode of UTAS is the only positive to take from the Reading game was the fact that we had a week off. It was less of a positive, more of a faint hope, but it did feel like Monk needed some time on the training ground to implement his own ideas and tactics on the squad. And that’s exactly what he did.

We lined up much changed, with three at the back including a league debut for Mamadou Jobe, with Andrew left centre-back and Gibbons at left wing back, with Brophy and Kaikai behind Taylor up front. For many United fans, even just the mere fact of trying something different was already a positive - many just couldn’t take the idea of seeing the same system with the same players failing again.

If you’re going to win at somewhere like Oakwell given the context of both our seasons, you’re going to need some luck. And that’s exactly what we got when their centre back rolled it past his own keeper under no pressure from an innocuous back pass. And it continued when two different Barnsley players managed to miss from eight and six yards out respectively when it looked easier to score.

But make no mistake, despite these moments of luck falling our way, this was a much improved U’s performance. Always a threat going forward, much braver on the ball all over the pitch, and a much more controlled and solid defensive display. Ryan Bennett led the line expertly, but it was debutant Jobe that stood out - a towering performance with impressive pace to match his height, he looks a real, genuine player.

In the second half, it was a returning player’s introduction that changed the game, again in the U’s favour: Gassan Ahadme. Replacing an injured Lyle Taylor (potentially a blessing in disguise), the Gasman was unstoppable. Winning everything, chasing everything, and the one chance he got he climbed highest to smash a header off the post and in. A really really impressive commanding performance, and until Monday, the best we’ve seen from him all season.

The results around us didn’t go our way - only one team lost in the bottom eight on Friday, and that was Fleetwood who lost to fellow relegation rivals Cheltenham. But if anything, while we made no progress, that made this victory even more imperative as it stopped us falling into the drop zone - mentally, the ramifications of that could have been huge.

Here’s how the table looked at the end of the day. Now just to follow it up on Monday to make this a perfect Easter…

U’s 3-1 Wigan

Monk wisely decided not to alter things much for the visit of Wigan on Easter Monday, with the enforced absence of Lyle Taylor and return of Gassan Ahadme the only change.

It was a quiet start at the Abbey as both teams tried to find their feet in the game, and it was Ahadme that found his first as he swept in a James Brophy cross after only 11 minutes.

The game really sparked into life ten minutes before the break as Jordan Cousins (who else?) hauled down a Wigan player in the area and the referee pointed to the spot. Cometh the half-hour, cometh the Will Mannion and he got down low to brilliantly save, and for once Lady Luck shone on United as the two onrushing strikers both tripped over themselves as they tried to poke the rebound home, allowing us to clear.

Twelve minutes into the second half it was Ahadme again, rising like - no, we’re not going there - to nod home a pinpoint Kaikai cross and double United’s lead. That lead didn’t last long as Martial Godo ran on to a brilliant through ball, Ryan Bennett misjudging the flight of the ball, and Liam Bennett letting Godo get goalside of him and he reduced the defecit. For some reason, he decided to goad the entire Habbin stand with his celebration, cupping his ears to them and guaranteeing himself a barrage of abuse for the rest of the afternoon.

By this point Wigan looked well on top and it seemed only a matter of time before they equalised. United did incredibly well to soak up the pressure and keep the scoreline as it was, with newcomer Jobe standing out in particular.

With less than ten minutes to go, Danny Andrew did what he’s been threatening to do all season and fired a freekick right into the top corner. His celebration, in front of the remaining Wigan fans, mirrored Godo’s to hilarious effect. All that was left to do at that point was for the stadium PA operator to cue up Coconuts.

If we’re being honest, this weekend has shown us a different United altogether. The time Garry Monk has spent with them on the training ground has worked, and several players looked like new additions to the squad. Jordan Cousins in particular played like he’s been playing in the Championship most of his career, Ahadme now has 12 goals in 18 starts, Jobe looks like a real prospect and has seemingly leapfrogged Ibsen Rossi and Okedina in the pecking order. He’s got a hell of a throw on him too.

To top off a perfect weekend, results on Monday all went our way, meaning this is how the table looked at the end of the day…

Easter Men of the Matches