| Cambridge United | 0-1 | Hull City |
| Greaves 88' | ||
| Att: 2,388 |
United line-up: Marshall, Matt Joseph, Wilson, Marc Joseph, Foster, Campbell, Wanless, Finney, Taylor (Barnwell 59'), Butler, Rees (Preece 70').
Sub not used: Hayes.
Booked: Wilson (77' foul)
Ref: Mr Knight (Orpington)
First a detailed report from a Hull newspaper, then the views of our fans:
DEFENDER Mark Greaves was City's hero of the hour as he headed home their last-gasp winner which sealed the Tigers' first away points of the season. City ground out an unspectacular 1-0 win at the Abbey Stadium in front of just 2,388 spectators but the small travelling Hull contingent were delighted with the outcome.
Cambridge had dominated the first half, laying siege to Steve Wilson's goal, but the Tigers fought their way back into the game after the interval. They pressurised the home side, creating a number of chances, but seemed to have settled for a goalless draw when Greaves rose to head home in the 88th minute. It was the centre back's third good headed chance of the game. Young goalkeeper Shaun Marshall had denied him on two occasions but he finally found the net in the dying minutes when it mattered.
Cambridge were forced to throw teenage goalkeeper Shaun Marshall into first team action after losing regular keeper Scott Barrett with an elbow injury. City came under intense early pressure from the home side, who were looking for their first win since the first week of September. As early as the second minute, the Tigers saw a Steve Finney cross pulled across the face of goal only inches away from the oncoming Matt Joseph. The home side then forced a string of corners, none of which they made pay. City defended frantically to stop crosses from fullback Paul Wilson and midfielder Martin Butler.
It was Butler who went close in the 10th minute. He turned well outside the box but Brien blocked his shot for another corner. City failed to come to terms with Cambridge's first-half onslaught. They never won any serious possession and were unable to control the play. On 20-minutes, Matt Joseph beat Fewings and his cross was headed away to safety by Warren Joyce, under pressure from Paul Wanless. Six minutes later, John Taylor dispossessed Greaves inside the penalty area but rifled his shot into the side netting. The centre forward was in the thick of things moments later. He met a Wilson corner to plant a firm header goalwards but Kevin Gage somehow cleared off the line and City bundled the ball behind for yet another corner. From the corner, the Tigers found themselves under more pressure. Wilson failed to collect the cross and when the ball eventually found its way to Wanless inside the box, his snap shot was well saved by Wilson.
City did get forward to force a corner on the half hour. A Fewings run down the left was halted and the ball put behind for a corner but Cambridge defended it without any problems. The Tigers seemed to weather the early Cambridge storm but they were still unable to force young keeper Marshall, making only his second appearance for the club, into action. The nearest they came followed a powerful Greg Rioch run through the centre of the pitch. His run was blocked but an attempted Cambridge clearance rebounded off the chest of the City skipper to striker Chris Bettney. His shot was deflected wide for a corner. Alarm bells rang again for City in the final seconds of the first half. A free- kick taken by Paul Wilson was swung to the far post, where it was headed back by Campbell. Two City defenders failed to head the ball clear but the Tigers eventually forced the ball away.
City came out more positively after the break and played some of their best football of the game. David Rocastle, largely anonymous in the first half, began to find space and time on the ball to instigate things from the midfield. Four minutes into the second half, Joyce intercepted a Campbell pass and released Bettney in an inside-right channel. The young on-loan striker accepted the ball but dragged his right-footed shot wide across the face of Marshall's goal. Bettney was at the heart of things again when his good turn on the right and cross was turned behind by Taylor for a corner. Moments later, a Gage cross found Greaves unmarked eight-yards out and the centre half's header was well saved left-handed by the young keeper.
The home side broke directly from the save and at the other end Butler shot left-footed wide of Wilson's goal. Wilson was back in action in the 56th minute. Matt Joseph worked a one-two inside the box to create a shooting chance and Wilson saved with his body. Matt Hocking forced the ball away. In the 59th minute, Cambridge brought on their former Hull Schools' striker Jamie Barnwell for Taylor.
Fewings, down the left, crossed low for Rocastle in the 66th minute. The ex-England international controlled it well but was unable to get his shot in. Seconds later, Rocastle was clean through but, after seizing a pass from Rioch, shot at the goalkeeper. Cambridge brought on player-coach David Preece in the 70th minute in place of skipper Rees. Steve Wilson had to be on his toes once again as he came out to block Finney. The City keeper was less assured, however, as he juggled with a long ball into his penalty area under pressure from a United attacker. Paul Wilson was booked for a foul on Gage in the 77th minute. From the resultant free-kick, curled in dangerously by Fewings, Greaves had another chance to head the Tigers into the lead. His effort, however, was too close to Marshall, who clutched it thankfully. A minute later, another run from Rocastle at the heart of the United defence was blocked by a foul. From the free-kick 20-yards out, Rioch drove the ball into the Cambridge wall.
In the 88th minute, Mark Joseph fouled Chris Bettney on the left-hand-side. Joyce swung in the free-kick right-footed and once again centre back Greaves found himself unmarked in front of goal. This time Greaves made no mistake, powering the header past Marshall to give the Tigers a glimpse of their first away win since February.
[Keith Webb's match report] [The Abbey Rabbit comments] [Ben Mynott's match report]
Keith Webb's match report:
Well, after Saturday's dismal showing we actually managed to go one better and lose to what was a very, very poor Hull side. Nobody could blame the Tigers for their defensive tactics as they had after all lost their last 6 away matches and the onus was on United to break them down.
After what is now almost an obligatory first half of missed half chances we came out for the second half and after the first 15 mins you could almost guess what was going to happen. Totally bereft of creative ideas from midfield we resorted to longer and longer passing with only occaisional glimpses of the passing game we were so good at earlier in the season and even when we managed to string a few passes together we were guilty of trying to walk the ball into the net. I honestly cannot remember a single shot on goal in the second half and as time wore on we got more and more desperate and left ever increasing gaps at the back, leading to the inevitable goal on the break (yet another last minute goal).
Once again I have to say that I am thoroughly dissapointed at the amount of possesion we surrendered needlessly in midfield and unless we can get a couple of decent ball players in the middle of the park then I fear we are destined for mid-table obscurity at best this season. In a nutshell Hull were crap and are the kind of side we should be beating, especially at home where we should play far better than tonights inexcusable bilge.
Keith
Second-half you could feel(and hear!) the anxiety set in and we became more and more predictable. Rees unfortunately lost it second-half and the crowd got on his back. He was not a happy bunny at being substituted! To be honest, Preece made very little impact...
We've totally lost the plot... passing the ball around but getting nowhere before launching a long-ball and searching for the flick-on. Without Kyddie we really lack the pace to try that sort of game. When Shaggy was substituted we lost the one player who was good in the air and who could hold play-up. I'd have substituted Finney for Jamie.
Hull got their tactics exactly right. Pack midfield - defend the 18 yard line and watch our inability to prise an opening. Pick a tall centre-half who can the deal comfortably with our hopeful (and desperate) punts.
We need at least one creative midfield outlet and some width. In the first half Matty almost played as an out and out right winger. Why not play Jamie from the off and get him and Matty to work the flanks. As it is, everything gets compressed in the middle of the park. Having said that, if ewe don't get some bloody movement off the ball, no amount of creative midfield play is going to help us!
Ben Mynott's match report:
I've been too depressed to write anything about the match until now!
First half we must have had 95% of the play, but the luck wasn't with us and we couldn't find a way through Hull's packed defence. Had we scored, we'd have been raving about the performance. Second half we were brought down to their (very very very low) level. Crap all round really - including MacFarland.
Performances:
Marshall 6.5 Having made a few good saves, he was on for MoM until the goal; it was
very close to him and he perhaps could/should have saved it.
Matt Joseph 6.5 Back to his old self early on, but faded.
Wilson 6.5 Did most that was asked of him. RM made him push up in the second
half which left us very exposed.
Marc Joseph 5.5 He needs to sort out his distribution!!
Foster 7 My MoM. Looked interested again and it made all the difference in his
performance.
Campbell 5.5 Got the run-around in the second half, but not totally his fault.
Rees 6 Actually had one of his better games of late, only making one bad
blunder. Perhaps unlucky to be subbed this time.
Wanless 6 Did a lot of running and looked the most dangerous midfielder, but
still largely ineffective.
Butler 4.5 Failed to perform.
Finney 2 It seemed obvious that he didn't want to play! He never made any runs
in to space, and he had so few touches you'd be excused for not
realising he was playing. Why why why didn't RM take him off instead
of Taylor?
Taylor 5.5 Tried hard and saw a couple of shots go agonisingly wide. The ball
just didn't seem to run for him. Was justifiably annoyed when he was
subbed.
Subs:
Preece 3 Had a 'mare for the 15 or so minutes he was on.
Barnwell 4 He did at least want the ball, unlike Finney, but did nothing with it.
Ben.
Many thanks to Keith, Steve and Ben for their reports and ratings.
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