I first arrived at Layer Road as a Bristol City follower, but a mercenary-like instinct of 'support your local team' meant that I was instantly converted. It wasn't quite like Paul's conversion on the road to Damascus as it was initially a question of loving my football and common sense economics. Also Scott McGleish certainly wasn't any cherubic angel, but how I wish he was still strapping on his boots and leading the U's line today, or any number of others that followed in his footsteps.

Since that day, I have rarely missed a home game in eleven years, but there were pangs of nostalgia as I boarded the CUSA bus for the West Country. The DOM was absent on family duties, so any talk of Hornby Railways and Beeching's Axe was absent. Instead, there was the excitement of another big name away fixture. Like at Bradford, 10,000+ spectators, but here including a surprising number of noisy U's fans given such a distance, perhaps as many as 300. I soon learn that our numbers had been boosted by a reunion of Colchester youths in exile from Bristol and Birmingham Universities engaged on a pub crawl that had been continuing since Friday, with an indefinite conclusion.

Welcome ladies and gentlemen, we hope to see you again at WHCS when you get your degrees. But their exuberance of alcohol fueled mirth merely added to my disappointment that I didn't manage to get a pre-match pint. We were deposited in a car park surrounded by high metal fence designed to 'kettle' Cardiff City fans and were then funnelled directly into the ground. Inside, to our horror, no away supporter's bar, again I was told, a legacy from such international skirmishes. I had to be content with a steak & ale pie and a whiff of the alcohol fumes wafting from three rows back.

The first half was a tremendous exhibition by two sides that evidently want to play good football. It was a shame that in the Wedlock Stand the away fan's view is so poor and most uncomfortable. I have never before seen folding seats without seat backs, and my opinion of all forms of Wedlock in Bristol hence remains unchanged. Passionate opposing fans might disagree who shaded the half, but I have no doubt that a fine U's goal came against the run of play. Former Ipswich favourite, Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, was bossing the show. But a good defensive performance by Garbutt and Taylor kept him from doing any damage down our left flank.

At half time, I perhaps naively suggested that the U's were playing a clever game, and like Peterborough (League Cup) had been content to let the opposition have oodles of possession, luring them to burn out, become fatigued with slick passing and running, and then hit with five sucker punch goals. Frankly, I thought this was Joe Dunne's tactic.

City certainly had most of the possession, largely in their own half. But how wrong could I be? In the second half Sam Walker and the defence endured an absolute barrage of attacks reminiscent of Bury (away) last season, where, at least, we were down to ten men. Today, we had a full complement of players and the only difference (compared to Posh) was that Bristol scored only one goal (and not five) after 23 shots to our 8 shots. We had merely 3 on target, but mercifully one header by Taylor did go in the home net.

We had our chances to win this. U's fans could see the anguish on Jeffrey Monakana's face as he repeatedly beat his full back only to find nobody in the Robin's box in a position to accept the ball and finish off his good work. Late on, Jabo was one- on-one racing towards the keeper with a bouncing ball, but it simply wouldn't drop to his feet. Gilbey and Sears had a number of chances too.

In summary, credit to our battered defence, and goal keeper Walker that made a number of fine saves, plus the time wasting excellence of Iberhe and Bean in the forward corners as they ran the clock down from a very long time out. Yes, this negativity did frustrate some U's fans who wanted us to go on and win, but the wiser fan will realise that a well won point was more than we deserved, and we would have probably conceded again had we not played the run down clock/possession game. But, consider these U's records,

Jamie Cureton 52 Games, 27 goals, one goal every 1.9 games
Chris Iwelumo 92 games, 35 goals, one goal every 2.6 games.
Kevin Lisbie, 83 games, 30 goals, one goal every 2.8 games
Scott McGleish, 144 games, 38 goals, one goal every 3.8 games.

Freddie Sears 53 games, 12 goals, hence one goal every 4.4 games.

I think the case closed M'lud!

To bed fair, Jabo Ibehre, 38 games, 10 goals, that's one very 3.8 games, just like Scott McGleish (not too bad given what else Jabo does!). But he does need a goal poaching partner (just like Iwelumo had either Lisbie or Cureton).

Photo: Action Images

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