United line-up: Barrett, Matt Joseph, Granville, Ashbee, Craddock, Raynor, Wanless, Hyde, Taylor, Barnwell, Hayes.
Subs not used: Kyd, Beall, Marc Joseph.
Booked: Hyde 1 (foul), Granville 67 (foul).

Ben Mynott's match report:
An encouraging performance and a creditable point against a team with one of the best home records.

The first half was quite a dull affair. The home side had more possession and more chances, but Cambridge probably played the ball to feet more. Wigan seemed to employ the long ball towards Jones rather a lot - to no avail on most occasions as he and his teammates got caught offside time after time.

Tricky Spaniard Diaz spurned a couple of good chances, first shooting wide, then later tamely at Barrett. He was there most likely source of a goal though, and in fact almost set up the first after 30mins when he squared a good ball back only for Barrett to make a great diving save.

Raynor was their second most likely source; twice he gifted Wigan the ball in a very dangerous position and was very lucky that the beneficial Wigan players couldn’t convert the chances.

Cambridge did have a few chances; Ashbee tried a couple of shots (without even coming close to threatening) as did Wanless, while Shaggy hit a tame shot at the keeper. Wanless then crafted an opening a-la Gazza/Le Tissier with a lovely chip over a defender, but ended up stretching to get a shot in and hit the ball quite tamely with his left foot. Wanless also saw a header go narrowly over.

The second half was much more of a spectacle. Cambridge had the better of it, but it was Wigan who took the lead after Craddock and Wanless had both wasted free headers and Shaggy failed to convert a good cross from Barnwell. Diaz got the ball on the right, Hayes gave him far too much room allowing him to deliver a pin-point cross which Jones couldn’t miss.

Cambridge didn’t give up though and got a deserved point from a deserved source - Paul Wanless. A great run down the left by Barnwell, beating his man with apparent ease, resulted in a good cross that had the keeper struggling. All he could do was palm the ball onto the head of Wanless, who made no mistake this time with a downward header under the keeper’s body.

Although we perhaps deserved all three points after such a performance against one of the top sides, we were quite happy to hear the ref blow for full time.

Performances:

Barrett         8       Kept us in it first half with a couple of great saves, came 
off his line well and dealt well with crosses.

Raynor          4       Very poor game.

Hayes           4       As Raynor.  Given the run-around by Diaz.

Joseph          8       Solid game as sort of sweeper.

Granville       6.5     Nothing spectacular, but did all that was asked of him.

Craddock        7       Solid.

Ashbee          5.5     Not great.

Hyde            7       Back to full fitness, he ran the midfield.  But perhaps a bit 
rash with his tackling; he got booked and was lucky not to receive a second yellow card 
late on.

Wanless         8.5     My Man-of-the-Match again.  Tireless performance appearing in 
both defence and (perhaps more often) in attack.  Deserved his goal and was quite 
rightly delighted at full time. 

Taylor          5.5     Too lethargic for most of the game.

Barnwell        7.5     Found himself on both wings quite often - where he fared quite well.

The Abbey Rabbit's report:
This has to go down us our best performance since RM took over. The U's started shakily and were put under a lot of pressure early on. However, most of this was self-inflicted, primarily dure to Paul Raynor playing far too deep and trying to pass his way out of trouble when a general hoof in the direction of the M6 was more in order. Scotty made a number of excellent early saves and Wigan became more and more desperate, relying on the long-ball over the top, which was generally well dealt with by our defence, with Matty Joseph in absolutely imperious form!

Both sides looked unconfortable at the back when attacked at pace and it is surprising that neither side attempted to exploit this more. Hayes looks particularly uncomfortable at left-back. I get the impression that RM would have settled for a draw. We lacked conviction in getting forward during the first-half, although Barnwell probably spurned the best chance of the half, blazing a right-wing cross over from only six yard out...

The second-half was more of the same, except United grew in confidence the longer the game progressed. Both Barnwell and Ashbee(!) put over some excellent crosses that always had the home defence in trouble. Barnwell skinned two defenders and whipped one over from the right-hand side, but Shaggy hit his shot straight at the keeper. Ashbee's cross from the left was a peach - with pace and away from the keeper. Unfortunately Wanless arrived a fraction to late and like most of our attacks we didn't commit enough bodies forward.

Their goal was a real sickener - arguably against the run of play. A ball out wide wasn't cut-out and Hayes should have either tackled Diaz outside the box or forced him out wide. As it was Diaz tied Adi in knots and put over a telling left-wing cross which Jones converted with ease.

I thought that RM should have made a tactical change by bringing on Kyd and Beall and try and force down both flanks. However, he made no changes. To their credit United didn't lose heart and continued to battle forward. Barnwell, who appeared to have a roving role turned up on the left, put in a wicked cross that the goialie could only palm to Wanless who headed home the equaliser.

A thoroughly merited draw, which on balence was probably a fair result. Wigan were a little disapointing and they relied on the long-ball to Jones a little to often. Having said that he's got 31 goals this year, so it's worked in the past!

As I said at the start, this was United's best performance for months. We played really well in patches and at long last the passion and commitment has returned. Funily enough so has Paul Wanless. Coincidence?

However, thetre are one or two problem areas. The left side of our defence is still a problem. Adi just isn't convincing and there is a real worry that he could turn into yet another "utility player." With Ashbee obviously defensivly minded (and like Hayes he lacks pace). The onus was on Raynor and Hyde to support Taylor and Barnwell. If Barnwell is supplying the crosses, someone has to get there to feed off of Shaggy's knock-downs.Wanless ran his socks off again but he to lacks a yard of pace and his first touch isn't that good - but 110% for effort and commitment. Raynor played better second-half when he pushed further forward and Micah is slowly returning to form. He absolutely bossed midfield second-half. However, we play in-front of the opposition to much and lack the vision to play the killer pass.

Still an excellent point which should hopefully consolidate a play-off place - and Boring lost!

SteveJ@AbbeyRabbit

Many thanks to Ben and Steve for their views.

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