Nationwide Division Two - Saturday 27th November, 1999
Cambridge
United (4-3-3): Marshall, Ashbee, Joseph, McNeil, Wilson; Mustoe (Preece 75'),
Wanless, Mackenzie (Youngs 66'); Kyd, Butler, Benjamin.
Blackpool: Caig, Hills, Bardsley, Carlisle, Hughes, Clarkson, Bushell, Beesley, Lee (Lambert 83'), Murphy, Durnin (Nowland 89').
Shots on target: Blackpool 7 Cambridge 6
Referee: P.J. Joslin (Newark)
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Cambridge United's new white and navy away strip got off to a poor start as the U's crashed to their first defeat by Blackpool in a performance worryingly bereft of passion and effort once the home side had scored their two early goals.
United started brightly and carved through the Blackpool defence almost at will for the first six or seven minutes, and only wayward finishing, no-nonsense defending and the excellent Tony Caig stood between the Seasiders and early embarrassment. Unfortunately they won a corner after their first real attack which was only cleared back to David Lee, and the winger's cross dipped over Shaun Marshall as he slipped in the goalmouth, allowing big striker Murphy to climb over Marc Joseph and head the ball down and over the line.
Ian Ashbee, probably our most consistent player of the season so far, was having a nightmare and four minutes later Blackpool doubled their lead when former Everton defender John Hills put over one of many excellent crosses and the ball fell kindly for Clarkson to score. For much of the the rest of the half it looked as though Blackpool would score again and make absolutely sure of their first home win since the opening day of the season, but United's midfield clawed their way back into the action for the last ten minutes or so and Martin Butler had one shot well-saved by Caig just before the end of the half. (Half-time 2-0)
The U's were better after the break and troubled Blackpool in midfield and with occasional breaks down the flanks, but Neil Mackenzie, who ought to be an influential figure in midfield, was well below par, as were many of his teammates, and play often broke down with the lack of a telling final ball. After an hour Michael Kyd's good work on the right set up Neil Mustoe but the midfielder could only manage a weak shot over the bar, and a few minutes later Paul Wanless met a corner kick with a powerful header but Caig did very well to get a hand to it.
"He cost us points when he was playing for Carlisle too," were the grumbles on our terrace.
After 66 minutes Tom Youngs replaced Mackenzie who was struggling to fulfil his role on the left of midfield, and with 15 minutes left David Preece replaced the hard-working Mustoe to provide a genuine left-footed solution. The changes gave United more shape and purpose, Blackpool were rocking and eventually we got the breakthrough. Trevor Benjamin raced away down the left and crossed the ball into the area, and although the ball flashed in front of the outstretched leg of substitute Youngs, Martin Butler was at the far post to bundle the ball over the line.
Unfortunately, despite a late charge the home side held just about firm and last minute substitute Nowland even had a shot cleared off the line by Marc Joseph as they mounted a rare breakaway.
This was a very below-par performance against a poor Blackpool side that were there for the taking, and apart from a good early spell and the closing ten minutes when the U's had Blackpool on the ropes, there was little to cheer the 376 hardy souls on the one remaining section of crumbling away terrace. I'm struggling to think of a 'man of the match' so I won't bother. There were too many individuals on the pitch who underperformed and didn't even appear to care, and it should come as no surprise to the players that they were called in for extra training on Sunday morning.
RESULTS AND ATTENDANCES ON 27/11/99
AFC Bournemouth 1-2 Millwall 5,121
Blackpool 2-1 Cambridge United 4,040
Bristol Rovers 3-0 Luton Town 7,805
Bury 1-3 Preston North End 6,469
Cardiff City 1-2 Gillingham 7,608
Chesterfield 0-0 Oxford United 2,768
Notts County 4-4 Bristol City 5,374
Oldham Athletic 0-0 Wrexham 4,963
Reading 1-1 Scunthorpe United 6,142
Stoke City 1-1 Colchester United 14,183
Wigan Athletic 1-1 Burnley 11,986
Wycombe Wanderers 2-0 Brentford 5,879
BOTTOM OF DIVISION TWO AFTER TODAY'S MATCHES
20 Reading 18 4 5 9 22 34 -12 17
21 Cambridge United 19 3 6 10 28 34 -6 15
22 Blackpool 19 3 6 10 20 34 -14 15
23 Colchester United 19 3 6 10 20 42 -22 15
24 Chesterfield 18 2 6 10 11 20 -9 12
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AN APPROPRIATE venue as Cambridge United's newly constructed revival failed to stand up to the crucial test in this early, but definite, relegation battle. A couple of goalkicks away from the Golden Mile the recovery suggested by good quality draws in the previous two away games looked as solid as a sand castle. Blackool's "plan" of attack was almost as predictable as the tide -- hit the ball in the direction of towering striker John Murphy. Yet United were caught out by it twice within the opening 13 minutes, slumbering on after the first shock like deckchair dreamers oblivous of the waves washing around their ankles. All need not have been lost, however. The timing of the goals at least gave them more than an hour and a quarter to re-group and hit back against a side without a League win in front of their home fans since the first day of the season. And they were soon in some sort of control, playing maybe 70 per cent of the rest of game in their opponent's territory. But although possession has huge importance in the law, it was largely meaningless in this match, as United failed to turn it into anything very positive in the penalty area. The quality of the crosses was so appalling it made you wonder if, like Hoddle's penalty-takers, they ever practiced them. Too often Martin Butler and Trevor Benjamin would be in good positions at the far post as hopeless centres flashed over the crossbar or dropped into the arms of goalkeeper Tony Caig. And in the absence of accuracy there was no clever inter-passing through midfield to unlock a defence which, with the luxury of a two-goal cushion, was able to keep plenty of bodies back when the slightest danger threatened. Apologies for another seaside simile, but if United had been playing on a surface which left tracks, observers happening along later would have guessed they had just missed a migration of crabs. Three passes sideways and a couple back before a hopeful long ball for Butler to chase was only too typical. No wonder the centre-forward is beginning to suffer from fatigue. There was no link between any of the departments of the team for much of the time, a deficiency which pointed the largest finger at the mysterious loss of form of Neil Mackenzie. He offered little in Alex Russell's playmaker role. And the point at which exasperated manager Roy McFarland lost patience with him was all too obvious. United staged a rapid attack down the left flank in the 65th minute, one of their better efforts it seemed. Benjamin fed the ball out to Mackenzie, but with Butler and Michael Kyd racing into position the midfielder hammered a low ball straight into the keeper's hands. Within 60 seconds he was substituted, fulfilling the plea of one female fan who, spotting chairman Reg Smart during the interval, requested: "Can't we have Preece on instead of Mackenzie, he isn't doing anything." He was not alone in that, though, if "anything" was taken to mean playing anywhere near your best and trying to make up with a bit of passion and effort, what on the day you might lack in technique. There was presumably still some hope among the very good long distance following of around 300 at the break. Blackpool had launched just one other first half attack after their gift goals, Shaun Marshall saving well from David Lee, whereas United had so much of the ball, even if Butler's 42nd minute shot was the only time the home keeper had been tested. But it was soon clear in the second half there were not going to be the two or three steps up in quality required in United's play. Butler fired over in the 59th minute, and hit the side-netting in the 72nd, a minute before Benjamin sent a header over the crossbar. There was one moment which might have altered the course of the game, a powerful Paul Wanless header from David Preece's 75th minute corner. It looked a certain goal until Caig pulled off a brilliant one-handed reflex save. When a goal did come eight minutes from time there was no barmstorming last gasp follow up. Indeed, Blackpool went closest to the next one when John Durnin sliced through for the third time in the half to force another good save from Marshall. The changing room door stayed shut for half an hour at the end, forcing the press to linger in the scruffiest, nastiest, tackiest stadium in the Nationwide League. When it eventually opened it was a grim-faced and silent side who emerged.
As fleets of coaches started arriving in the town for the Iluminations, one was heading the other way into the darkness, on a miserable five-hour journey towards special Sunday punishment training.
Report © Cambridge Newspapers
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Battling Blackpool recorded their first ever victory over Cambridge to earn three precious points in this basement battle at Bloomfield Road.
The Seasiders - without a league win at home since the opening day of the season - grabbed two early goals from John Murphy and Phil Clarkson to put them in control.
But Martin Butler set up a frantic finish when he slotted in his 12th goal of the season with eight minutes remaining, but it was too little too late for Roy McFarland's men.
Report © Soccernet
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