GRAHAM Taylor will never live down the remark, and yes, he was feeling exactly how the Abbey Stadium fans imagined as Cambridge United caused one of the Worthington Cup upsets.

First division Watford looked as clumsy and disjointed as that famous phrase, out-fought, out-thought and out-played. Did he not like that, were not United worthy winners.

Trevor Benjamin overpowered a couple of defenders to fire the third division men in front midway through a first half they dominated almost completely.

The young striker should have won a penalty a minute later, United were close to at least two more goals befote the break, and were never really rattled after Taylor made three emergency changes within 20 minutes of the re-start.

The ex-England boss admitted he decided to stick to the team who scrambled a 2-1 win at Portsmouth on Saturday in the hope they would gain confidence from the result and start playing some football.

United manager Roy McFarland, however, just as dissatisfied with his team's stumbling victory at Torquay, was bold enough to change the system to an attacking 4-3-3 on the return from injury of Michael Kyd. He got his reward as the pace and vigour of Kyd, Benjamin and Martin Butler pulled a panicky defence all over the place then sliced through the gaps.

The tough tackling of Paul Wanless and Ian Ashbee in midfield neutralised the threat of ex-United player Micah Hyde, allowing Alex Russell to show how well he can distribute the ball to the front men.

It was embarrassingly obvious which side was sharper, cleverer and more motivated at a 35th minute free kick. Expecting Russell to try a shot, Watford were laboriously organising a defensive wall when Jamie Campbell's flick caught them stone cold. Kyd nodded the ball into the centre, but Benjamin's header skimmed the crossbar.

Wanless was just as close a couple of minutes earlier from a corner, and there was a huge let-off for Watford just before the break when Butler could not make the most of a good chance after being sent through by Kyd.

United might well have had the two-goal lead their play deserved, however, if referee Andy D'Urso had seen the 22nd minute incident like almost everybody else in the stadium.

Benjamin went charging down the middle into the box and was felled by a challenge from behind by Steve Palmer. "A blatant penalty," complained McFarland, while Taylor said significantly: "I leave those things to the referee."

Instead of going all out for the equaliser in the second half, Taylor was obviously more worried about keeping the score down as he sent on two new defenders.

Paul Robinson and Keith Millen steadied the side, but did little to help a struggling attack so well held by the United defence that Ronnie Rosenthal's tame shot straight at goalkeeper Arjan Van Heusden in the 44th minute was the only threat of the first half.

It was not until tricky ex-England and Aston Villa winger Tony Daley was introduced in the 64th minute that Watford looked like creating anything. But it was Hornets' keeper Alec Chamberlain who had to make the best save of the day, in the 71st minute, to push away a Wanless piledriver for a corner.

There was one late chance of an out-of-the-blue equaliser seven minutes later when Peter Kennedy's low cross raked across the goalmouth. But the labouring Rosenthal could not make good enough contact.

"We felt very comfortable against them," said Joseph, who helped set up the goal as well as teaming with Andy Duncan to give Jason Lee a miserable night.

"We were two or three goals better really. We'll enjoy going to Watford next week where all the pressure will be on them."

And there was an encouraging comment from former United manager Gary Johnson, now director of Watford's youth academy: "It's not as if we have four or five players to bring in next week. That was our best team out there tonight."

GRAHAM Taylor is tipping Cambridge United for promotion after seeing them outgun his Watford team in the Worthington Cup.

"I thought after our friendly against them that Cambridge were a very good side, he said. "And this performance confirms it. It wasn't a case of a lower division team raising their game for a cup match. It was a good quality display.

"If they can avoid any bad injuries they have to be a very good bet for promotion from division three. Their front three have a lot of pace and gave us problems, they play some good football and are organised well.

"Away from home you really need your forwards working hard and unsettling defenders, but we were rarely able to do that.

"We're a goal down going into the second leg next week, and after playing Cambridge twice every player knows we are going to have to battle now to stay in this competition."

United manager Roy McFarland believed his team deserved a bigger first leg lead.

"We had an exceptional first 45 minutes," he said. "We dominated and were a bit unlucky not to have gone in two or three up. Trevor Benjamin should have had a penalty a minute after he scored his goal. He was pulled down from behind in the box. It was more clear-cut than the penalty we were awarded at Torquay on Saturday.

"Watford re-organised and shored up their defence in the second half, but we still created the best chance when their keeper made a great save from Paul Wanless.

"It was very pleasing after a fairly poor display at Torquay. Watford were good second division champions last season, but we shaped well against them.

First chance to see the new season programme, which is pretty impressive, well worth the extra 20pence.

A lot more Watford supporters in the crowd of just over 3,000, the home support not as good as I would have expected after a good away win.

Both sides make some form of chances, Russell had a shot saved after 5 minutes, soon after Watford had a chance due to poor defending, later Rosental headed wide from 12 yards, then Van Heusden saved well after 17 minutes when a player was allowed to run through from midfield to put in a good shot. Kyd had a shot saved after a good run, cutting inside the defender.

On 20 minutes a long throw from Joseph was half cleared back to Joseph, his long cross was headed back by Kyd and Benjamin bundled the ball in at the second attempt. A couple of minutes later Benjamin was pushed off the ball as he ran through into the penalty area, but nothing was given.

Campbell was booked for a foul, soon after they had a player booked for trying to "hand-off" Butler like a rugby player. We made more chances, from a couple of free kicks Wanless headed over as did Benjamin. Watford nearly scored when a lucky deflected clearance fell nicely on the edge of the penalty area, but Van Heusden saved well. In the last minute of the half we almost scored, a cross/shot from Kyd fell to Butler but the keeper saved it.

In the second half Watford had a shot deflected, from the subsequent corner Van Heusden saved on the goal line. We kept on making chances, Russell had a shot saved and Kyd headed just over when under pressure. Shaggy replaced Kyd, almost immediately he headed on a long throw which had to be cleared for a corner, from which Wanless forced a good save with a curling shot. Benjamin had an overhead shot go wide, Shaggy had a shot saved and Wanless shot high. Watford looked dangerous at times, a hard hit low cross being one of their best chances but it couldn't be controlled.

A deserved win from a good open game, but we need to tighten up a bit in most areas. Van Heusden made some good saves, there was at least one occasion where he saved a high ball that Barrett wouldn't have got near, but then he failed to collect an easier cross, and his kicking was not quite so good.

Duncan is my MoM, looked composed at the back along side Joseph, the full backs did OK. In midfield at times we looked good although perhaps a little slow getting forward, and at the front the lively Butler was at times was too quick of thought for his teammates. Benjamin again tried and often succeeded in taking on defenders and generally being a nuisance.

Ratings:
Van Heusden 6, Chenery 6, Ashbee 7, Duncan 8, Joseph 7, Campbell 6, Wanless 7, Benjamin 7, Butler 7, Kyd 6, Taylor 6, Russell 7.

Michael Kyd was restored to the United line-up tonight in place of midfielder Neil Mustoe as Roy McFarland sent out his first choice XI in search of goals. With five substitutes permitted, Scott Barrett and Mustoe were added to the three on duty at Torquay. Former United skipper Micah Hyde made his first playing return to the Abbey Stadium since joining Watford just over a year ago.

The game got off to a steady start in the sticky heat, with both sides toothless in attack as they took their measure of each other. Alex Russell saw a shot saved after a few minutes, at the other end Arjan "Ice" Van Heusden was out quickly to deny Jason Lee, and Michael Kyd saw a shot saved after a positive run. Then to the delight of the home crowd United scored in the 21st minute.

A Marc Joseph long throw came to nothing and the ball ended up with him again, but the defender's cross into the area was nodded down by Kyd towards Trevor Benjamin. Having scored the third goal against Watford in the recent friendly, the big striker did it again when it mattered by collecting the loose ball, holding off two defenders and poking it under Chamberlain from four yards.

Benjamin could have added another a minute later when he was pulled down by Palmer - and unlike Saturday this time he appeared to be inside the area. But the referee waved play on and Benjamin made no great appeal for a penalty. After that incident United took a firm grip on the game and had a number of chances to extend the lead. Skipper Paul Wanless headed a Russell free kick just over the bar after about half an hour, Martin Butler had two chances and Jamie Campbell saw a good shot well-saved.

Meanwhile Watford looked quick on the break but posed no real threat to Van Heusden's goal, despite Jason Lee's aerial dominance. Their first on-target effort came a minute before half-time when Rosenthal broke into the box and Van Heusden did well to parry his fierce drive. A minute later Martin Butler, who was causing all sorts of problems for Watford with his pace and willing runs, met a low cross at the back post and Chamberlain did well to block it. The visitors will have been relieved to hear the half-time whistle and should count themselves fortunate to go in at the break trailing by just one goal. Half-time 1-0.

As he did in the friendly, Watford boss Graham Taylor made changes at half time to try to cope with United's front three. Millen and Robinson came on for Mooney and Easton as Watford boosted their back-line, and from then onwards they kept the threat of Butler and Kyd under control. United managed just one more scoring chance midway through the half when Paul Wanless stung Chamberlain's hands with a curler from 30 yards, the goalkeeper doing very well to reach it. At the other end Van Heusden had little to do, and in midfield Ian Ashbee excelled in a battling second half performance from the U's.

Watford sent ex-England winger Tony Daley on for Bazeley after 64 minutes and for United John Taylor replaced the tiring Kyd four minutes later. Taylor brought all his experience to bear, holding the ball up well and testing the keeper, Paul Wanless saw a shot saved and both he and Benjamin headed over. In the later stages of the game the two teams almost cancelled each other out but if any team was going to score it would have been United.

Reporter Mark Johnson felt this was a very encouraging performance by United and reckoned that the gulf between the divisions did not show on tonight's performances.