Cambridge United vs Scarborough

United line-up: Barrett, Chenery (Rees 87'), Wilson, Ashbee, Foster (Marc Joseph 86'), Campbell, Brebner, Benjamin, Taylor (Kyd 81'), Barnwell, Beall.
Booked: Wilson (dissent 44').
Ref: D R Crick (Worcester Park).

[Terry Wilby's match report] [Fred Berry's match report] [My summary of media reports]

Terry Wilby's match report:
We lost 2-3, but the number of times particularly in the first half when we were taken apart the score could have been much worse. Scarborough looked the best team to come to the Abbey so far this season, and played good football, probably due to them not having a big centre forward to aim for. Grant Brebner, a Man. Utd. reserve came into midfield, starting wide on our right.

Scarborough scored after 18 minutes, a header straight from a corner, just inside the near post which had no defender on it. How he got such a clean header I don't know. A couple of minutes later we equalised, a half cleared corner fell to Brebner whose shot was too powerful for the 'keeper to keep out. We survived a period of pinball in our penalty area, the ball going all over the place, luckily not in the goal though. Our main problem was that with 3 at the front and 5 at the back, our midfield of Billy Beall was not enough, Brebner was too wide, as were Benjamin and Barnwell. Towards the end of the half Brebner was pulled more into the middle which helped a little. Quite why Benjamin is put on the wing is beyond me, he is not very good in that position, he would be better used in a central position.

We went ahead after 8 minutes of the second half, Shaggy was pulled down a foot outside their penalty area, while the wall was still lining up Wilson curled a shot inside the far post, a very nice goal. They equalised after 25 minutes, losing the ball just outside the area the forward had a fairly easy chance which he took. Almost immediately Barnwell missed an easy chance, a cross from one side went across the face of goal, Barnwell put it just past the post. 8 minutes from the end Barrett didn't come to collect the ball in his 6 yard box, eventually it was scored. Late substitutions were Kyd on for Taylor, Marc Joseph for Foster and Rees for Chenery.

Brebner just gets MoM for his skill on the few times he got the ball, he looks a class player. Billy tried hard, but could not do it all on his own, otherwise it would have been his award again. The front 3 moved closer together in the second half which helped a little, Benjamin did lots of harrying but little else except one run where his power beat a couple of defenders, Barnwell and Taylor did little full stop. Barnwell continued his habit of starting runs into space then stopping just as the ball was played. The back 5 could not cope with a player running at them, or others running past. Although we were better in the second half we conceded 2 goals!

Ratings: Barrett 4, Chenery 5 (Rees 5), Wilson 6, Ashbee 5, Foster 5 (Marc Joseph 5), Campbell 5, Brebener 8, Benjamin 5, Taylor 5 (Kyd 5), Barnwell 4, Beall 7.

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Fred Berry's match report:
This time the defence let us down, some pathetic defending lost us the match. Again we looked half a good team but we never seem to get all departments performing well in one match. To get to the play-off this will have to see everyone perfroming as well as we know they are capable of.

The first half was fairly equal and overall we at least deserved a point. Does anyone know why Chenery is playing instead of Matt Joseph? It's not as if Chenery a bad player but Matt is real class. In or out of contract it really should not matter. Scarboro' first goal came from a corner when the defence failed to notice that a 6ft+ player might be an aerial threat. He rose unchallenged and headed past Barret 0-1.

The defence nevr looked calm, 'Boro were playing simple throughballs that split the defence in half. We did have a good share of chances as well. Our first half goal came from Manure loanee Brebner, he collected the ball outside the area, sidestepped a defender and shot, the ball deflected of a 'Boro players head and looped over the keeper into the net 1-1.

We had most of the chances in the 2nd half but the defence let us down. We took the lead from a Paul Wilson free kick. The 'Boro wall was still organising itself when Willo quickly fired a 25 yarder inside the near post 2-1. Boro' scored there 2nd when we failed to clear our lines and Brodie fired a unstoppable shot past Barret from 10 yrds 2-2. We then found ourselves down when we again failed to clear a simple cross. The ball bobbled about in the area until Brodie swept past Barret.

We have to start winning!! My MOM goes to Brebner, looks quality but has to adjust to the physical 3rd division.

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My summary:
Manchester United reserve Grant Brebner made his League debut this afternoon when he was named in the starting line-up to face Scarborough, and Trevor Benjamin was recalled to the starting eleven in place of Michael Kyd.

Gary Bennett put Scarborough in front with an 18th minute header from a corner, outjumping United's home defence to head the ball inside the near post from eight yards. But 20-year-old Brebner made a dream debut when he scored the equaliser on 21 minutes after a United corner was only partially cleared. The Manchester United youngster took his goal well as the defence charged out at him, controlling the ball and flicking it from his right foot to his left before unleashing a shot from the edge of the box. Visiting goalkeeper Andy Rhodes dived at full stretch but could only palm the ball into his own net.

Brebner demonstrated a willingness to work and some good passing, but he and 'Billy' Beall were outnumbered in midfield for a lot of the game, largely due to the reluctance of the wing-backs to get forward. The hard-working Beall had a scoring opportunity just before half-time but failed to test goalkeeper Andy Rhodes.

In the 54th minute Paul Wilson caught out the Scarborough defence with a quickly taken free-kick from 20 yards, curling the ball around the defensive wall for his fifth goal of the season. For a while United were ahead and in the driving seat at last, and Jamie Barnwell and Billy Beall had chances to extend the lead before two goals in eleven minutes from Steve Brodie gave victory to Scarborough and took them up to third in the table.

Brodie's first came when he got on the end of a three-man move to score a 70th minute equaliser, and he scored the winner with an overhead kick as United's static defence failed to deal with a bouncing ball in the box. Jamie Barnwell had wasted a great opportunity to restore the lead two minutes after Brodie's equaliser, when he met Paul Wilson's cross at the far post only to fire over the bar from a couple of yards out.

Scarborough looked a reasonable side while United were once again made to pay heavily for failing to convert chances. If we could only maintain a performance for 90 minutes there is no telling how high up the table we could be, but as it is we slipped a place to 16th and the task of climbing back into the play-off places starts to look like 'Mission Impossible'.

Grant Brebner was named Man of the Match and said afterwards, "I enjoyed the game but not the result."

Many thanks to Terry and Fred for their reports.

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