What the dickens is going on? (23.10.04)

IT WAS the best of United, it was the worst of United, it was a tale of two halves at York Road on Saturday.
In an entertaining first period, fans were treated to a slick passing game reminiscent of those heady days in August, when the Magpies carried all before them.
But in a dismal second-half display, United were played off the park, while also conceding two soft goals.
The home fans had their hopes cruelly raised as early as the eighth minute by a goal which ranks among the best scored at York Road.
Picking up the ball on the edge of the centre circle, Jamie Cook – playing in a central midfield role – looked up and spotted Lee Hook off his line. With minimal back-lift, Cook unleashed a dipping drive, which sailed gracefully over the stranded keeper and under the bar from all of 35 yards.
It was a goal to silence the Eastbourne drums, albeit very briefly, as even the visiting supporters were momentarily stunned by the quality of the strike.
Safe in the knowledge that they possessed the necessary class to dispatch Eastbourne, the Magpies began stroking the ball around, leaving the visitors to fight for scraps.
On 13 minutes United should have doubled their lead, but the unfortunate Richard Harris missed the target with a seemingly simple back-post header.
Eastbourne then squandered their only chance of the half, when a defensive mix-up gifted Scott Ramsay the freedom of United’s box, only for the hapless striker to chip his effort over.
However, it was one-way traffic from then on, as Harris fired a shot-on-the-turn just wide, and then drove a low cross into the keeper’s arms.
O’Connor fired a low shot just wide of the upright on the half hour, but, with the missed chances mounting, the fans began to suspect another defeat was in the offing.
And so it proved, as Eastbourne emerged after the break and carried the fight to their apparently weary hosts. Key to the visitors’ new approach was substitute Richard Brady, whose direct running caused immediate problems for the home defence, with Nick Hart forced into an early block when one-on-one.
Admittedly, first team regulars Brendan Gallen and Bryan Smith were unavailable for the game, but the back three of Brian Connor, Andy Dugdale and Chris Elsegood were hardly lacking in experience or pace.
Unfortunately, the danger signs went unheeded and Brady duly scored the equaliser from close range on 54 minutes, after Elsegood had given the ball away.
United responded immediately, with Cook ghosting into the box on a 30-yard diagonal run, before firing the ball low across the face of goal for O’Connor,
Unfortunately, his strike from five yards out ricocheted off a defender’s shins and away to safety.
Elsegood then suffered his second mishap of the half, when he caught Ramsay from behind to concede a penalty. Having picked himself up and dusted himself down, the No.9 smashed his spot-kick to Hart’s left, only to see it crash off the inside edge of the post.
The miss might have proved crucial, but another defensive error soon gifted Eastbourne the lead, when a nothing through-ball skidded off the sodden turf, leaving Dugdale and Connor flat-footed and stranded.
Ramsay sprinted forward but was pushed wide by the retreating defence and appeared to have lost his chance. However, having reached the byline, Ramsay lashed a low shot at the near post, which went straight through Hart and into the back of the net.

BEWILDERED: Jamie Cook, left, heads off to celebrate his 35-yard screamer against Eastbourne Borough on Saturday, while the defence stand and scratch their heads. Ref:86842/15