THE word around the U’s camp after the Bury defeat was “bring on Shrewsbury”. The players can’t wait to get back into battle.

The fans just want to see more of what they have witnessed because for the last six games we have shown our best form since we relocated from Layer Road, a full seven seasons ago.

The winning mentality of the group is spreading and everyone senses that while our current form lasts we can continue our upward climb. All of the major influences at the club, on and off the pitch, have been with teams which know how to be successful at a good level, and it is showing.

Bury nicked the win last week, but nobody shed any tears because our overall performance was good, and our game plan deserved to produce a win.

The patient build-up in deep positions was designed to draw Bury out, or at least pull them around a bit, with the pace quickening the further forward the ball travelled.

Owen Garvan was again the mainspring, the creator and conductor of many of our best moves. It can never be a one-man show, but Garvan sets the tempo.

Seven chances we created spring straight to mind. Marvin Sordell put three left-footed shots into the North Stand in the first half, all from distance, to show he is human after all, and then a right-footer over the bar after the break, to show he is not only human but two-footed as well!

Joe Edwards also looked to have scored until goalkeeper Lainton got across his goal really well to pull off a flying save just inside his left post. After the break, chances for glory fell to Gavin Massey, who had a close range shot blocked.

Finally, George Moncur who was in on Lainton, but the keeper spread himself and saved, when maybe in the split second available the ball could have been lifted over him. I make that seven good efforts on goal.

Bury were a combination of typical northern solidity, (apologies for stereotyping) with a twist of tactical invention.

They played the first half with a 4-4-1-1 formation, which didn’t cause us many problems. Tom Pope was introduced at half time as they changed to 4-3-3, which was no more effective as we had the upper hand in midfield.

Bury’s crucial switch came 15 minutes from the end, when they took off attacker Danny Mayor, reverted to a lop-sided 4-4-1-1 with Leon Clarke playing behind Tom Pope, pushed out on Bury’s left side so that Tosin Olufemi was marking him for the last 15 minutes.

We gambled a bit by leaving Tosin on the streetwise Clarke rather than bringing on Elokobi so that Kent could follow Clarke out to the wing.

An excellent cross in open play was always the big danger, and when it came Clarke was at the far post to power the ball home.

Clarke was the third old-fashioned centre forward that we encountered in a single week to show that traditional attacking play is not dead, at least not in League One.

James Hanson of Bradford City was the first, and Bury substitute Tom Pope completed the trio.

In some ways Pope was the hardest to handle, simply because his left arm was used solely to hold off the defender and occasionally whack him round the ear.

After retirement a new career as an arm wrestler undoubtedly awaits!

But enough about Bury. With things going well, the challenge for the U’s is to sustain our current form keeping it fresh, riding the wave of success.

We have slipped into a different gear, prompted by the arrival of Garvan, Sordell and Harriot. We look strong on the pitch, and on the substitutes bench.

Good performances are self-sustaining as players are itching to get on the pitch, as Alex Gilbey showed on Saturday in his all-action substitute appearance.

A final (definitely premature) thought, that fans are allowed but players and management are not. The FA Cup First Round proper is six games away. It will be interesting if we can carry our League form into the Cup.

I would be confident if we came up against any side in the draw, home or away, in our current form. How different from how we have felt for the last few seasons.