Colchester deservedly left Bramall Lane with a point after a keenly contested draw, but it could and perhaps should have been more.
Joe Dunne had made it clear before the game that Colchester would not be having a day out in Sheffield but would be approaching the game with intent. Painful memories of successive 3-0 defeats were still fresh in the memory.
A healthy 17,167 crowd (you're only here for the ColU) were enjoying the slightly overcast but warm weather with occasional sunny periods which were a feature of the afternoon.
It was good to see Wessex in the concourse in good form but with slight apprehension about the match. Once inside the lower tier of the Jessica Ennis stand, Stuart and I met up with Gerry and his daughter (an avid Chesterfield supporter or more properly "Chessy Vegas" who had their own battle at Spotland and fought out a 2-2 draw).
The faithful were present in good number and in very good voice.
JD had named an unchanged XI and lined up:
Wilson Magnus Eastman Dickson
David Wright Eastmond
Watt Sears Massey
Ibehre
Subs: Cousins, Thompson, Pappoe, Drey Wright, Bond, Bean, Morrison
Early days in the season but the U's are beginning to have a settled look about them both formation and team wise. The one exception would be Freddie Ladapo, who has been loaned to Woking, but I would expect him to feature later in the season for the U's.
For their part, the Blades have a new manager in David Weir, and have just seen playmaker Kevin McDonald depart to Wolves. They had made three changes following the defeat to the Bees last Saturday
JD was true to his word and the U's played positively and after an early scare when McMahon attempted to curl a shot beyond Walker and it went narrowly wide of the far post, Colchester looked to be the better team.
The influential Eastmond was playing some great passes from midfield and Sanchez Watt looked increasingly dangerous.
But for my money David Wright and Ryan Dickson were outstanding. Wright winning and distributing from the centre of the park and Dickson probing down the left flank but equally tracking back when required.
The dangerous Febian Brandy was relatively quiet as a result. The crowd were quietened as well and after 25 minutes Bramall Lane became a library save for the 200 or so U's faithful.
A Sheffield attack was broken down and Sanchez Watt made a telling run from midfield to the edge of the penalty area, he waited and picked a pass to the outside left where Freddie Sears was waiting to take one touch and score low down to Long's far post. It was a well taken goal and certainly did not flatter the U's.
It could have been more both Eastman and Magnus has opportunities from U's raids to cement the lead but the U's slick passing on a billiard table surface failed to elicit the second killer goal.
Then just on the stroke of half time and with the Sheffield natives restless, Freddie Sears gave away a free kick on the half way line. The Blades took it quickly and defender Maguire took a couple of strides and hit a speculative shot from about 25-30 yards. For some inexplicable reason Walker failed to gather it cleanly and it seemed to spin off his left arm and rolled gently into the net by the near post. It was a howler and it allowed the Blades to get back into a game that they were second best in.
Half time arrived and Sanchez Watt was booked for suggesting to the referee that we should have had a free kick on the edge of the penalty area. So 1-1 at the interval at a ground where it was normally done and dusted by this time, so why were we disappointed with a draw?
Now in the week when the founder of the Pukka pies company sadly passed away, it was time for half time sustenance. The meat and potato pie was very good whilst son Stuart enjoyed a beef burger. Gerry required a caffeine shot such was his annoyance at the Walker howler.
The second half saw little change in proceedings, Sheffield looked slightly livelier but Walker was equal to everything including a fierce drive and diving low to smother a close range effort.
The Blades crowd also failed to barrack Walker perhaps realising that they were fortunate to still be in the contest. Controversial perhaps but they failed to dominate the U's during the game.
Indeed Colchester had the ball in the net after 55 minutes again when Dickson's free kick was turned in by Jabo Ibehre only to be ruled offside.
JD made some substitutions with Sanchez Watt replaced by Drey Wright on 60 minutes and Sears replaced by Andy Bond on 65 minutes. I thought that Drey Wright did not receive much service and therefore couldn't influence the game as he would have liked.
In a scene reminiscent from the film Kes, a Kestrel circled the stadium landing just outside the penalty area at one point before taking a loftier perch on the floodlights above the main stand.
JD brought on Clinton Morrison for Jabo Ibehre after 80 minutes to a crescendo of boos from the Blades faithful (perhaps the most animated they were all afternoon). The script was written for him to score the winner but it wasn't to be. The home team through Jones had the ball in the net just on time but it was ruled rightly offside.
Three minutes of additional time were safely negotiated and we had secured a deserved point from a game that we could have won, but take nothing away from JD and his team. Even the Sheffield Star noted that we have an effective and dangerous team this season.
It was good to see no obvious ill effects from Walker's howler and he gave an accomplished second half display but my man of the match was David Wright who covered every blade of grass, sprayed superb passes and won many challenges.
It is early days but this team is capable of enjoying an excellent season and if Watt and Eastmond can be protected from the robust challenges that both will have to endure from League One defences then we can begin to dream of May 2006 again.
Up the U's
PS David Weir post match comment:
"It's a compliment to Sheffield United as a club that people come here and make it difficult for you to win. It's obviously something that we've got to adjust to and get used to."