Hartlepool United displayed exactly why they have lost their last six matches, and why they are languishing near the foot of the table. Unfortunately, we were outplayed and outfought by this substandard and inept team for most of the match, played in bitterly cold conditions. Hartlepool looked on the whole a very an average side, yet we made them look like world-beaters for much of the match.

Most of the Cambridge players appeared to be frozen by the biting winter winds, and the Hartlepool team shattered their fragile icey figures and will be left feeling perplexed that their sustained pressure did not reap more rewards against a rather subdued and average United side.

The game started with Cambridge having the better of the chances. Alex Russell fired in another pile driver from outside the area after two minutes, but watched as it shaved the top of the bar and went behind for a goal kick. Most United fans were then convinced we had taken the lead as after neat approach play from Taylor and Butler, Neil Mustoe fired in a shot which this time did not graze, but shook the Hartlepool bar before falling at the feet of a Hartlepool defender.

This was perhaps Taylor's most effective contribution of the afternoon, as he and the United team lapsed into a poor display of passing and commitment as Peter Beardsley took centre stage. 'Be gentle with us' I asked the former Newcastle and England star jokingly before the kick off, but there was nothing gentle about his 18 minute thunderbolt which rocketed into, and nearly broke Arjan Van Heusden's net to give the crowd exactly what they wanted.

United then found themselves facing a Hartlepool team possessing something that for much of the season they have been without, confidence. Beardsley, De Lella and Stephenson began to ask serious questions of the United defence, and luckily for United were just about given the answers. Duncan and Joseph were on the edge, but just holding on as the rampaging Hartlepool team, cheered on by nearly 4,000 fans, threatened to put the game beyond us before half time.

An succession of corners and attacks looked inevitable to give Hartlepool the opportunity to extend their lead, but Arjan Van Heusden found some competent punches in the heat of the moment to clear the danger. Steven Howard broke free of the United defence on the half-hour, but his fierce shot was palmed away for yet another corner to the home team.

Then, just as it looked like United were going under, Richard Walker found himself with the time and space to turn inside the penalty area and deliver a shot which Miotto in the 'Pool goal did well to tip over for a corner. The distribution from Russell though was poor for much of the game as he failed to test anything other than the heading ability of the near post defender as United finished the half wondering how they were still in the game.

The second period would start surprisingly brightly for United and they found themselves level just three minutes after the restart. After a typically hard working run, Martin Butler watched Ian Clarke slice his low cross into the back of his own net to draw the U's level.

Ian Ashbee, who replaced the injured Wanless at half time, began to show promising signs he was taking it upon his shoulders to lead the United fight back. His neat ball to Richard Walker looked as though it was going to prove the turning point of the match as the on loan Aston Villa striker took one touch to put him clean through on goal before Mick Barron took his legs away on the edge of the penalty area. Referee Mr Jones failed to deem the chance as clear and goalscoring and leniently booked the defender. The resulting free kick was well worked but the offside flag spared Martin Butler's blushes as he blazed wide from two yards.

Then came yet another sparkling goal from Alex Russell, oozing class and ability in every one of its constructed parts. His neat run was spotted by John Taylor who fed him the ball. He then showed a fantastic variation of speed to dazzle the Hartlepool defenders into submission before showing alarming accuracy to slot home from 8 yards to score one of the best goals of the campaign.

Earlier in the season United would have coasted to victory after fighting back in such a fashion, yet after Russell's goal were barely able to get out of their own half. We disintegrated into a shambles, giving away possession on countless occasions with all members of the team guilty and seemingly unwilling or unable to do much about it. Chennery and Campbell at the back both had terrible games during which their distribution fell to alarmingly low and worrying standards. The ball might as well have been on the end of an elastic band attached to Arjan Van Heusden's crossbar as Hartlepool set up base in the United half of the pitch for the remainder of the game.

Quite how we managed to hold on until the 68th minute before conceding the inevitable equaliser is beyond me, and when it came was another example of the lack of concentration being displayed by the Cambridge team. David Stephenson rose unmarked at the far post to head home beyond the out of position Van Heusden and set up a rousing finale for the home team.

Beardsley was certainly offering them stability and experience in the final third with his neat lay offs and darting runs. He and De Lella combined well in the penalty area on 74 minutes to reduce the few United fans huddled behind the goal to nervous wrecks. A fine challenge from Duncan saw the ball cleared to Stephenson on the 18 yard line who hit a weak shot at the 'keeper who was grateful to have the opportunity to reduce the tempo.

If it was United who were unfortunate not to take all the points from their trip to Carlisle, it would take a very ardent fan to justify the point we gained from this performance. Ironically it enabled us to move up to third place in the table, but a United team performance would surely have overpowered the Teeside outfit with ease. Despite the total dominance in the final third Hartlepool produced in the last few minutes there would only be one other clear goal scoring opportunity. Peter Beardsley looked odds on to cap a fine debut by completing his brace as he raced onto a lofted through ball in the final minute. Luckily for United his legs are not quite as quick as his mind these days and Marc Joseph was able to recover and boot the ball away for a corner. The corner was swung in and grasped on the goal line by Van Heusden whose resulting kick saw Mr Jones blow for full time.

Alex Russell's brilliant individual goal summed up the game quite well for United. We played as a team of individuals, abandoning the competitive and motivated team play which has produced such fine performances of late. This was a worrying and uninspiring match in which we relied on a lot of luck to come away with a point. We are so often told you make your own luck in this game, and with more performances like this it will surely only be a matter of time before we find the barrel empty.

Man of the match: Andy Duncan proved the most consistent performer for the 90 minutes as he and Joseph between them struggled but managed to hold together a shaky United defence. His timing in the tackle and aerial dominance culminated in yet another accomplished performance. Consistency personified.

Cambridge United made one change to the team that drew at Carlisle, although not an altogether surprising one in view of recent utterances from manager Roy McFarland. Out-of-sorts striker Trevor Benjamin made way for Richard Walker, who has signed on loan for the rest of the season from Aston Villa. There was another 'new' face on the bench too, with Michael Kyd involved for the first time since early November after recovering from a knee injury. Former England star Peter Beardsley made his Hartlepool debut after signing on Thursday.

The game kicked off in bitterly cold conditions and the floodlights were already required to supplement the weak sunshine. The playing surface was rough and pitted, showing signs of the the ground-share arrangement with a local rugby team, but with the wind behind them United dominated the opening exchanges.

In the second minute Jamie Campbell picked out John Taylor who found Alex Russell and the midfielder went close from 25 yards. Then in the fifth minute Martin Butler scampered down the right and found Taylor, who couldn't turn but found Neil Mustoe instead and the former Manchester United man hit the bar from 20 yards.

The tide showed the first sign of turning after nine minutes when Hartlepool went close. A long throw found Graeme Lee and his looping header was saved by Arjan Van Heusden under the bar. But then came the inevitable - a debut goal from Peter Beardsley. After 19 minutes an inswinging Pools corner nearly caught out Van Heusden but he punched the ball away, the ball was cleared to Beardsley who struck from 25 yards and his left-foot shot was deflected past the keeper into the top right hand corner.

They continued to exert pressure just as United failed to impress, and in the 23rd minute the ball was deflected behind off Campbell and the subsequent corner whistled across the goalmouth without anyone making contact. After 29 minutes a Russell free-kick was cleared as far as Mustoe whose shot from the edge of the box flew just wide.

Then both goalkeepers were called into action. First Steven Howard slipped the U's offside trap and forced a good save from Van Heusden in the 31st minute, then four minutes later Marc Joseph's long free kick was flicked on by Taylor to Richard Walker. The Aston Villa man, making his full League debut, stole into the area and from about the penalty spot drew a good low save from Simon Miotto.

That was about it for first half action as Cambridge United failed to build on their good opening and exploit the wind at their backs. The players looked lack-lustre and there was a further blow when skipper Paul Wanless finished the half with a leg injury. He was replaced by Ian Ashbee for the second half, while Hartlepool swapped Tommy Miller and Stuart Brightwell for Lee (injured) and Stokoe. (Half-time 1-0)

United got back into the game after 49 minutes after Butler got away down the left and crossed into the box, the ball was deflected to defender Ian Clark and he sliced the ball past his 'keeper from close range. After 58 minutes the U's had a half-chance when Ian Ashbee led the charge out of defence, slid the ball through to Walker who was tripped on the edge of the box by Mickey Barron, who was booked for his efforts. Jamie Campbell took the quick free kick, Taylor found Butler but the flag went up for offside, which was just as well as he put the ball wide.

But five minutes later Alex Russell put United ahead with a quite superb goal. John Taylor's cross-field ball put the midfielder in wide on the left, he jinked between two defenders and then slid a low ball inside the far post. There were scenes of jubilation from the United bench and David Preece could be seen leaping about on the edge of the pitch, celebrating a goal worthy of winning the game but Hartlepool had other ideas. In the 68th minute David Stephenson took a free kick mid-way into the United half and found Mickey Barron unmarked at the far post, and the defender rose to head home the equaliser.

After that it was all Hartlepool as they pressed forward, backed by the rejuvenated home crowd, and even the late introduction of Trevor Benjamin's pace and power failed to lift the side. The last incident of note came in the 90th minute and it was a heart-stopper for the frozen travelling U's when a through ball was misjudged by the usually immaculate Andy Duncan. The ball dropped over his head to that man Beardsley and there was a collective intake of breath in the stadium before Marc Joseph arrived from nowhere to hack the ball clear. He received a pat on the head from his relieved partner.

Reporter Mark Johnson's Man of the Match was Neil Mustoe - "another hardworking performance from the midfield dynamo, whose repertoire of searching passes was also on display".