RANDALL BUTT reports on a nail-biting draw that keeps United on top of Division Three

HE had not started but thank goodness, he finished, as the third division's highest-scoring attack ran into the Rochdale rock face.

The first home defeat for six months was just six minutes away when Richard Walker grabbed the goal which kept Cambridge United at the top, and maybe him at the club.

Desperately unlucky to be dropped after scoring the crucial goal against Halifax on Saturday, the Aston Villa loanee had the hunger and incentive some team-mates seemed to lack when he joined the inaction with 19 minutes left.

It was hardly an encouraging entry for him, to a chorus of boos in the 71st minute, presumably aimed at manager Roy McFarland for bringing off Trevor Benjamin. But it was not a night when 'Bruno' or his partners in a 53-goal attack looked like finding the punch to break through the nine-man wall the Lancastrians constructed after taking a shock 29th minute lead.

Walker's final touch, sometimes not quite crisp enough under pressure, has hampered his aim of swapping perpetual reserve team football at Aston Villa for a place in a League line-up. But the confidence he gained by starting the two previous games was evident as he supplied the much-needed movement which at last wrong-footed a disciplined defence, creating a rare opening he was able to exploit with a diving header.

Rochdale complained long and hard that he moved a little too quickly for the rules. "My players were sure it was offside," said their manager Graham Barrow.

Walker. however, dealt with the question as diplomatically as he tackled the one about his feelings at being left out of the starting line.

"I was running back with the defence when I saw the ball going out to Paul Bruc," he said. "I turned and made the run because I knew where he was going to put it. I think I got the timing right, although in those situations you often don't know if you were offside when the ball was kicked. I'd have to see the video, but that's what the linesman is there for.

"You am always disappointed not to start a game, but you are part of a squad and I'm happy with that. I'm just glad I had the chance to get the goal I think we deserved in the end."

Just about. It was scarcely promotion form, other than during one short spell midway through the second half when his team increased the tempo of their game to a point where the Rochdale line was stretched, if not snapped.

Conditions, admittedly, were awful, as cold, wet and windy as mid-winter. But with the driving sleet at their backs in the first half United should have been able to put a team from the lower reaches of the division under some pressure, if only at the five corners they forced.

McFarland sounded almost incredulous when he said: ",We didn't have a shot at goal in the entire first half. Rochdale did well to slow the pace right down, we never got our game going."

Apart from Gareth Stoker's 29th minute goal when Ben Chenery could not prevent the cross, Jamie Campbell failed to challenge for the header, and goalkeeper Shaun Marshall looked poorly positioned there was only one goalmouth moment worth recording before the break. A John Taylor flick sent Martin Butler on a surging run into the box in the sixth minute, but he was prevented from shooting by full-back Paul Carden's perfectly-timed tackle.

There was a more encouraging start to the second half when Scott Eustace sent a glancing header flashing across the face of goal at a 49th minute free kick. United's first attempt on target, however, was hardly worth waiting 57 minutes for on an arctic April night. Benjamin's header looping tamely into the keeper's hands.

Butler, inches wide with a 62nd minute header, kept on running as ever, but with little support in a disjointed attack, and backed-up only by the efforts of Paul Wanless in an ineffective midfield.

The 14-match unbeaten home run was stumbling to an end before Walker's enthusiasm, and a touch or two of class from another late substitute Alex Russell, loosened the grip of Rochdale's man-marking defence.

Said ex-Rochdale man Russell: "When I made my first couple of runs their player with me was watching me all the time instead of the ball. That makes it difficult when they have a lead to defend."

Butler got the first breakthrough to sew a little doubt in the defence, his 82nd minute header ricochetting for a corner off a centre-back's shoulder. Then with the pessimists, or the frozen, heading for the exits Walker ran clear to arrived unmarked as Bruce's soaring centre dropped into one of the few open spaces to appear all night in the Rochdale box.

Go to pot, go directly to pot, do not entertain your fans, and do not even consider collecting any promotion points. It is just lucky for United they had something to stop their lacklustre performance producing all of these seemingly inevitable outcomes... a get out of jail free card. That card, number 12 to be exact, was held up 20 minutes before the end and signalled Richard Walker stepping off the bench. He nodded home minutes before the end to secure a priceless point that extended United's unbeaten run at the Abbey to seventeen games and all bar guarantee Division 2 Football next season.

Until this point United had struggled to break down the well organised and packed Rochdale defence. The 'Dale back-line is better on paper than four of the teams in the top seven, and you could tell why. This having been said, don't be surprised if you see the Rochdale team above the billboard at the Warner Village Cinema. They may well star in the next Arnold Schwarzenegger film as a new type of terminator... who's mission is to destroy and crush any hopes of entertaining or attractive football whenever and wherever they take to the field.

It is no wonder why they have languished in this hellish Division for so long if this is the degree of ambition they show in the matches they play. They played 10 and at times even 11 people behind the ball for most of the encounter thus ruining any chance of a football match. United still should have found the ammunition to blow them away however. Unfortunately individual performances littered with ill-discipline on the ball and a worrying lack of movement of it lead to one of the most frustrating matches of the season.

The game began reasonably brightly, as United lulled the fans into a false sense of security. Trevor Benjamin and Martin Butler were both very close to giving United the lead as neat play from Taylor had put them through. Unfortunately this was the 'King of the Abbey's' most influential action of the game as he faded from this point on. In fact United as a team faded, and like some dithering excuse of a top-of-the-table team seemed to be of the opinion that turning up to the ground was all they needed to do to secure all the points. This attitude must be swiftly rectified.

Rochdale were hardly causing United many problems at the other end, but football proved what a funny old game it is as they took the lead just before the half-hour mark. Gareth Stoker rose well in the United box to power a looping header over the flapping hands of Marshall to give 'Dale an undeserved lead. The Rochdale fans, all 35 of them, must have been wondering what was going on and no doubt nervous that it would rattle the league leader's cage.

It might well have rattled our cage, but luckily for Rochdale it did not contain a ferocious lion but a blue tailed Budgie with as much bite as a jellied eel. For the remainder of the first half we struggled to have any impact on the game. Rochdale were dealing with all the high and hopeless Jamie Campbell punts into the penalty area, and it was obviously going to take some degree of skill for United to break them down.

The second period was a slightly more entertaining affair. United forced a succession of early corners, and looked as though the half time lashing from Roy McFarland had done them good. Trevor Benjamin began to show some of his power down the left flank, and Butler toiled away on the edge of the box. Benjamin went on a surging run just after the hour mark and was cruelly bundled to the ground by a Rochdale defender. The resulting kick came to nothing as time drew on and the United fans grew more impatient by the minute.

Roy McFarland replaced Benjamin with Richard Walker, a move that was heavily booed by large sections of the crowd. It turned out to be a masterstroke as United changed for the last 20 minutes and finally looked as though they had the penetration to get behind the tiring Rochdale defence. Alex Russell also entered the fray on 77 minutes, replacing the out of sorts Neil Mustoe. His neat passing skills alongside Walker's enthusiasm and determination enabled United to set up camp in the Rochdale half and look for the first time in the match as though they could score.

The cohesion and tempo that both Russell and Walker injected into the team reaped almost instant rewards. Russell spread the ball around intelligently in the centre of the field and set Ben Chenery free down the left flank. Martin Butler was denied his 22nd goal of the season as he met the full back's cross but saw his attempt scraped off the line. United were beginning to play well at last but time was running out, fast.

When the goal came, and thank heavens it did, both the substitutes were inevitably involved. Russell delivered an accurate cross which was stabbed out to Martin Butler who lobbed it to the far post where Richard Walker nodded a neat header past the Rochdale 'keeper to rescue a point for sorry United.

Perhaps the most surprising thing after this was the fact it was Rochdale who then had the best chances to snatch all the points. Marshall was busier for the next four minutes than he had been for the whole match. It is such a shame that 'Dale couldn't find it in themselves to take the game to us more often during the encounter. Deep into stoppage time Martin Butler had an opportunity to gift United victory, but his attempt was well saved and cleared from danger.

If you want to be cheered up after this poor display then have a glance at the league table. We only need 8 more points to mathematically secure promotion from this league. This is based on the assumption that Scunthorpe will win all their remaining fixtures, and this simply won't happen. 'We only want one more' the United fans chanted to their players deep into added time. They were right... one more win and United are up.

Man of the match: Paul Wanless tried in vain to lift the tempo of the match with his never-say-die-committed attitude. Strong and powerful on the ball, his play was the catalyst for the few meaningfull United attacks of the match. His improvement since the beginning of the season has been a revelation.

How nice to be back in England after 18 days with the temperature in the high 80's in Florida (yes I had a very nice holiday, thank you for asking), to find snow on the ground! It thawed within minutes so there was no chance of the match being postponed. In the Supporters club I found that Dave Brown had a win whilst I was away. Can anyone confirm it, or is it just a wind-up!

We started brightly, in the 5th minute Butler was almost through but the ball was kicked off his toe as he was about to shoot. Our next chance came on 16 minutes when a cross from Mustoe was headed away for a corner, then on 24 minutes from a free kick after Butler had been tripped (which resulted in a booking for the defender) the ball went wide of the post.

Despite having most of the possession, we fell behind on 28 minutes to a looping header over Marshall after Mustoe had given possession away near the edge of our penalty area. And that was the first half action. Our team play was poor, and littered with individual mistakes as many players gave possession away needlessly, the swirling wind and rain cannot be blamed for misplaced passes of only a few yards.

As expected and attacking the Abbey, we improved in the second half. A dangerous cross went right across the goal, A Benjamin header was saved, a cross from Campbell headed away, a good run by Mustoe set up Bruce for a shot from 25 yards which went high.

After 25 minutes there came the first substitution, I was surprised to see Benjamin go off to be replaced by Walker. I would have taken off Taylor who was totally ineffective. 6 minutes later Russell came on for Mustoe. Immediately we started passing the ball quicker and to feet, which opened up space all around. Butler had a shot kicked off the goal line, and it looked as if we may never score, but on 41 minutes a cross from our left found Walker in space at the back post and his looping header went over the keeper and into the far corner, very similar to the Rochdale goal. They claimed someone was offside, and I think at least one of their players was booked for arguing, but the goal stood to give us a valuable point.

Of course it is 2 points dropped, but it could have been worse. I didn't think it was our worst performance of late, but again we got something despite the poor performance.

I can't blame Marshall for the goal, and had little to do apart from a few back passes and had no problems with his kicking. The defence looked solid and both full backs pushed up whenever possible to support the attack. Eustace could have done a little better when playing the ball forward, managing to put the ball into touch too often.

In midfield Wanless was a powerhouse, Mustoe looked out of his depth as the playmaker in the middle, perhaps trying too hard to impress. I think he is better alongside Russell. Bruce showed a number of good touches, but didn't get too many chances to show his skills. He was the CEN MoM though. Russell made a big difference when he came on, and hopefully he will start the next game.

At the front Taylor did little, Benjamin never really got going, so it was lucky that Butler made up for the other 2 by running all over the place, which is why he is my MoM. Walker seems to be getting better, and has confidence to go at defenders. I think it was the sort of game where bringing on Kyd could have been a good move, but he was not on the bench.

Ratings:
Butler 8
Marshall, Chenery, Duncan, Eustace, Campbell, Wanless, Benjamin, Bruce, Walker, Russell 7
Mustoe, Taylor 6

So we stay top on goal difference, but with 2 games in hand the championship is ours to lose.

The hero of the night began the game on the bench as Roy McFarland made three changes to the side that beat Halifax on Saturday. On-loan QPR winger Paul Bruce was handed his chance to impress in the absence of the injured Neil Mackenzie, while the other two men who dropped out can count themselves unlucky. Ian Ashbee had an excellent game as a stand-in right back on Saturday but Ben Chenery returned from suspension to reclaim that berth tonight, while weekend goalscorer Richard Walker made way for record breaker John Taylor. Ashbee and Walker were joined on the bench by Alex Russell, returning after a two month absence and no doubt itching to get into action against his former club.

The match kicked off in strong wind after an afternoon of hail and rain, and the scrappy early play was dictated by the conditions. After just 30 seconds Paul Bruce found John Taylor who flicked the ball on to Trevor Benjamin, but the goalkeeper was out quickly to save at his feet. Then after six minutes a Farrell backpass was intercepted by Taylor who sent Martin Butler racing through, and only a last ditch challenge by Cardon saved Farrell's blushes.

After a quarter of an hour the windy conditions were summed up when a Shaun Marshall goal kick from his hands sailed out over the allotments at the other end of the ground!

There were few chances created by either side and United only summoned two half chances before falling behind. In the 22nd minute a Jamie Campbell cross was knocked down by Taylor but Butler just failed to connect and the ball went out for a corner, and three minutes later Campbell's free kick was flicked on, again by Taylor, and Trevor Benjamin just failed to turn it in.

Rochdale's goal came in the 29th minute when a deep cross by David Bayliss eluded the defence and found Gareth Stoker at the far post, and the midfielder caught Shaun Marshall off his line with a looping header. That was the last noteworthy action of a half in which United created little and threatened even less, and any flies on the wall of the home dressing room would probably have had to cover their ears during the half-time talk. (Half-time 0-1)

United were marginally better after the break, but with Rochdale clearly content to sit back and defend their lead and the wind in their faces it was going to be a struggle. After four minutes Paul Wanless met a Neil Mustoe cross with a firm header that flashed just wide, and in the 57th minute a Campbell free kick was met by Benjamin with a header that was held by the 'keeper in the angle of the post and crossbar. After 62 minutes Benjamin muscled his way down the left before sending over a cross that Butler met with a stooping header, but the keeper met the ball with his fingertips and the referee took play back anyway for a foul on Benjamin. Then in the 66th minute Paul Bruce's 25 yarder was well over the bar, and after 70 minutes an Andy Duncan freekick was driven into the box and eventually kicked away.

Chances were few and far between tonight as the team lacked cohesion, accuracy and ideas, although enjoying the lion's share of possession after the break. Richard Walker replaced Trevor Benjamin in the 71st minute although the big striker was only one of a number of players who could have been replaced in a very under-par team performance. Alex Russell made his long-awaited return to action in the 77th minute when he replaced Neil Mustoe.

After 82 minutes Ben Chenery's cross was met by Martin Butler but his shot was cleared off the line, but then United snatched an unlikely point from the jaws of defeat. Some of the crowd had already started to leave, numbed by the cold and the dire action on the pitch, when Russell's 86th minute cross was cleared to Bruce. The on-loan winger crossed the ball back to the far post where Richard Walker found the room to direct a diving header across the face of the despairing Edwards.

The goal woke Rochdale from their slumbers and Shaun Marshall had to hold a free-kick from the edge of the area, and at the other end Russell found Butler whose shot sliced off a defender and away. At last three minutes of tense added time was over and United's point was a bonus from a performance littered with uncharacteristic slips, and on a night when the chasing pack all picked up points.

Cardiff won 1-0 at Southend to draw level again on points although with fewer goals scored and having played two games more. Brentford, who like Cambridge have played 40 games, won 3-1 at Chester to close the gap to four points, while fourth-placed Scunthorpe were held 1-1 at home by Peterborough and are now four points adrift of Brentford.