AXA sponsored FA Cup Round Five - Saturday 29th January, 2000
Cambridge
United (4-4-2): Marshall, Kavanagh, Eustace, McNeil, Ashbee; Mackenzie (Taylor 89'), Wanless (c), Mustoe (Guinan 89'), Russell; Butler, Benjamin. Bolton
Wanderers: Jaaskelainen, Holden, Ritchie (Gardner 49'),
Bergsson, Whitlow, Warhurst, Elliott, Jensen, Johansen, Taylor (Farrelly
86'), Holdsworth (Gudjohnsen 69'). Referee: John Brandwood (Lichfield)
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There
was just one change to Cambridge United's line-up this afternoon as Jason
Kavanagh returned from suspension at the expense of Ben Chenery. Midfielder
Neil Mustoe was fit to start despite being doubtful earlier this week with
a reported hamstring problem. Sam Allardyce made five changes to the side
beaten in mid-week by Tranmere Rovers in the Worthington Cup semi-final
and the biggest shock was that leading scorer Eidur Gudjohnsen was relegated
to the bench.
A minute's silence for Mick Peters - a popular steward in the Supporters
Club for 30 years - was followed by an impressive show of 'yellow cards'
to protest at the delay by the City Council in making their decision about
the proposed Abbey Stadium redeveloment. The action was soon underway
with Alex Russell firing a fierce shot over the bar from 20 yards after
just two minutes and at the other end Bob Taylor sent a tame shot wide.
There was a strong breeze swirling around the Abbey Stadium that made
conditions difficult and both sides took a little while to adjust.
In the seventh minute Butler and Benjamin combined on the edge of the
area to set up Russell for a shot which was deflected for a corner. It
was made difficult by the wind and Jaaskelainen collected the ball after
Russell's second cross. In the early stages United, backed by a noisy
crowd, competed fiercely and pressured Bolton while the darting Butler
and muscular Benjamin kept the Bolton defence on their toes. As last week,
Paul Wanless was taking no prisoners in a competitive midfield battle.
A mildly amusing moment came in the 18th minute when Jaaskelainen took
a goal-kick without noticing that physio Ken Steggles was on the pitch
attending to Martin Butler after a whack on the back of the head. In the
22nd minute United broke out down the left with the lively Russell taking
the ball on before putting over a good cross that Jaaskelainen claimed
well. From the goalkick Dean Holdworth's low shot rolled across the goalmouth
and narrowly wide of the United goal, and as action immediately switched
back to the other end, Russell again found space on the left to meet Benjamin's
flick-on and curled a shot into the side-netting from about 12 yards.
After 28 minutes Benjamin was felled by Bergsson as he made a typical
surging run towards the left hand corner flag and from the freekick Russell's
dangerous curling kick was tipped over by Jaaskelainen. Russell curled
in the corner from the left and after the ball bobbled around it returned
to Russell who played the ball in again to Butler, his low shot under
pressure landed at the feet of Trevor Benjamin who looked offside
but bundled the ball over the line at the near post.
The game went through a scrappy spell before Holdsworth gave the home
side a scare in the 41st minute when his low shot from 20 yards was held
by Marshall. The ground erupted a minute later when Butler's flick sent
Benjamin bursting clear down the middle and he was clearly hauled down
from behind by Whitlow, but as U's fans howled for a sending-off and Benjamin
reclaimed his boot which had been pulled off in the rugby tackle, the
referee mysteriously awarded a freekick to the visitors. It was a moment
upon which the game might have turned, but with a talking point for each
set of supporters to debate at half-time, United took a deserved lead
into the dressing room at half-time. (Half-time 1-0)
Bolton made an early and crucial change in the 49th minute, sending
on Jamaican international Ricardo Gardner for Robbie Elliott and after
surviving a spell of pressure from United they equalised in the 53rd minute
when Gardner's cross was met with a spectacular volley over his shoulder
from the experienced Bob Taylor. United almost took the lead again five
minutes later when Russell's deep cross was met by Mackenzie who headed
it back across the face of the goal where it just eluded Neil Mustoe.
A minute later Russell's free kick was met by a Wanless header that was
cleared off the line by an overhead kick from that man Taylor.
In the 63rd minute Mackenzie's freekick rebounded off the wall, Mustoe's
follow-up was charged down and Jason Kavanagh's vicious 30-yarder struck
the bar and probably left it rattling for some time. The action barely
paused and two minutes later Ashbee saw his shot saved, shortly before
there was a minor bust-up in the area after Benjamin challenged for a
loose ball in front of Jaaskelainen and nearby players piled in to either
protest at his challenge or join him in trying to claim the ball.
In the 74th minute Benjamin was again clattered, Whitlow was booked
and Martin Butler sent a 25 yard free kick soaring into the home end.
That was as good as it got for United as Bolton countered straightaway,
Gardner's cross eluded everyone and Bob Taylor was on hand again to bundle
the ball over the line from close range with his knee or thigh.
Despite some brave battling from United the threats of another cup upset
faded when the impressive Claus Jensen put through substitute Eidur Gudjonsen
who brought the ball into the area and coolly beat Marshall with a good
finish from 10 yards. Bolton could then afford to sit back and let United
come at them but, despite the late introduction of strikers John Taylor
and Steve Guinan for midfielders Mackenzie and Mustoe and four minutes
of stoppage time, the U's were unable to make an impression.
The downcast United players trudged from the pitch to generous applause
from the home fans and the last man off the pitch was Martin Butler who
waved and applauded to the fans as he left - was that a farewell gesture?
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Bolton kept their Wembley dreams alive with a brave fightback at the expense of unlucky Second Division strugglers Cambridge.
Sam Allardyce's side missed out on a trip to the Twin Towers earlier this week as they lost their Worthington Cup semi-final to fellow First Division side Tranmere. And they could easily have bowed out of the FA Cup as well at a blustery Abbey Stadium as Cambridge belied their lowly status at second from bottom of Division Two.
The home side took the lead in the first half, Trevor Benjamin scrambling home his 11th of the season before being involved in the most controversial incident of the game, when Mike Whitlow appeared to rugby tackle the striker to the ground as he advanced on goal only for referee John Brandwood to give a free kick the other way.
Bob Taylor then levelled the scores on 53 minutes before putting the visitors in front on 75 minutes with his second, substitute Eidur Gudjohnsen sealing a quarter-final place seven minutes from time. But it was all very harsh on the home side who had the majority of the chances, Neil Mackenzie's header cleared off the line and Jason Kavanagh hitting a thundering drive off the woodwork.
The home side had started much the better and with just two minutes on the clock Benjamin's clever knock down was driven over the bar by Alex Russell and minutes later Bolton were lucky to scramble away the ball as top scorer Martin Butler threatened.
Bolton were given little time to settle in conditions made more difficult by a strong swirling wind. It took the visitors until the 22nd minute to create a clear-cut chance and they should have taken the lead through former Wimbledon striker Dean Holdsworth. Paul Warhurst's long ball from midfield found Holdsworth running into space but as goalkeeper Shaun Marshall dashed off his line the Bolton forward dragged his shot well wide.
United's front pair of Butler and Benjamin have been the subject of fevered transfer speculation with Butler in particular rumoured to be leaving the Abbey Stadium if Cambridge's Cup run came to an end. But it was the impressive Russell who was getting on the end of the home side's best chances, firing into the side-netting after 24 minutes from Benjamin's back header.
Russell then almost gave the home side the lead just before the half hour when his left-wing free-kick caught a gust of wind and had Jussi Jaaskelainen back-pedalling quickly to tip the ball over. And just seconds later Cambridge were in front from the resulting corner, the ball ricocheting kindly in the box to Butler whose shot-cum-cross was stabbed home by Benjamin.
Holdsworth finally forced Marshall to make a save on 40 minutes but the keeper was able to comfortably gather the weak effort. Butler then robbed a dawdling Dean Holden inside the Bolton half before advancing into the area and firing a left-foot drive just wide of Jaaskelainen's right-hand post.
Referee Brandwood left the pitch to a chorus of boos at half-time with the home fans incensed that he had failed to send off Whitlow for downing Benjamin. Benjamin would have been clean through with Whitlow the last defender as they tumbled to the ground in a heap but to the dismay of the locals the referee gave a free-kick to Bolton for what appeared a foul earlier in the move by Benjamin.
Bolton boss Sam Allardyce made his first substitution just after the break, Ricardo Gardner replacing on-loan Hearts defender Paul Ritchie. And Gardner had an almost immediate impact as Bolton equalised in the 53rd minute through a spectacular effort from Bob Taylor.
Claus Jensen's initial corner was woeful but Gardner was allowed space to float the ball back in the box and Taylor swivelled to hit a superb right-foot volley past Marshall into the far corner. Jensen then curled a shot just wide two minutes later as Bolton threatened to assert their supposed superiority but the home side still posed plenty of danger of their own.
Russell just failed to get a touch to Mackenzie's low cross before goalscorer Taylor turned defender to clear off the line from Mackenzie's header. The home side then went agonisingly close to retaking the lead with a thundering 30-yard drive from Jason Kavanagh that thudded off the crossbar with Jaaskelainen well beaten.
The introduction of Gardner proved to be a masterstroke by Allardyce as he set up Bolton's second goal on 75 minutes. Another substitute, Gudjohnsen, played Gardner in neatly down the left and his low cross evaded Marshall's despairing dive for Taylor to bundle the ball home for his second.
Cambridge still piled forward but Gudjohnsen then capitalised on a defensive mix-up to seal victory seven minutes from time to send the home fans away grumbling about justice not being done and leaving them to concentrate on a relegation battle.
(c) Copyright Press Association Ltd 2000
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IT is a cliched call, often no more than a miserable moan by the blinkered and biased. But it would have been impossible as well as unadvisable to argue with any Cambridge United fan who claimed: "We wuz robbed," after the bitter disappoinment of this defeat. Five seconds of jostling, wrestling action which ended with a rugby tackle halting Trevor Benjamin's run for goal decided the game as much as the heroics of Bolton striker Bob Taylor. An extraordinary, outrageous, completely erroneous decision, by a referee who should have known much better after 30 years in the business, saved Wanderers from being reduced to 10 men when they were a goal down two minutes before the interval. Bolton boss Sam Allardyce admitted his team struggled through the first half, and needed a tongue-lashing plus tactical change to get them back into the match. And the chance of them doing that after having a player sent off would have been severely reduced. It looked clear-cut when Benjamin's power and pace won the battle for the ball with full-back Mike Whitlow who, in his desperation to stop the striker heading unopposed for goal, dived and grabbed his leg eight yards outside the penalty area. But there was a gasp of astonishment in the packed Abbey when John Brandwood instead of reaching for the red card, awarded a free kick against United. The official offered this explanation? "There was a foul by Benjamin right at the start as the players were racing for the ball. He pulled the other player back in an attempt to get on the wrong side, or rather the right side of him. "I'm happy, no that's not the right word, I'm satisfied with the decision I made." Why then was there no whistle for an infringement when Benjamin and Whitlow first made contact in what appeared to be a typical 50-50 jostling contest to get to the ball first? Brandwood waited for the action to stop when both men hit the ground 25 yards further on before indicating his decision. If Bolton were the wronged team they were hardly going to gain any advantage in that situation by the game going on after Benjamin's alleged foul. The pack of national pressmen to a man expected a sending off, and this was the comment of the Daily Mirror man: "I usually try to keep neutral, but I jumped up with the crowd shouting for the red card. I can't remember when I last did that. It seemed so blatant." The TV cameras, which at the Abbey are on the other side of the ground to the press box, can often tell a different story. But the BBC Match of the Day coverage of the incident -- in slow motion -- showed Whitlow using his hands much more than Benjamin when they first came into conflict. It still seemed United might win the day. The sheer determination of skipper Paul Wanless in midfield prevented clever Claus Jensen running the game in the first half, allowing Alex Russell and Benjamin on the left flank to become the dominant influences. There was setback to follow Brandwood's clanger when veteran striker Taylor hit a brilliant equaliser eight minutes into the second half. But the second division men rallied and went agonisingly close to a response which might well have broken the resolve of a Wanderers team so badly beaten at Tranmere only three days earlier. Twice in four minutes they were denied a goal by a wonder save and the woodwork. Taylor somehow hooked a Wanless header off the line in the 59th minute, then a 30 yard thunderbolt from Jason Kavanagh thudded against the Bolton bar with keeper Jusso Jaaskelainen beaten. "I thought it was a certain goal," said Wanless. "I don't know where Taylor came from, it was an amazing save. If we had gone in front again then I don't think Bolton would have come back." A replay looked likely for an evenly-fought 15 minutes after that, until the kind of defensive frailty which has dogged United throughout their League campaign was exposed once more. Jamaican international Ricardo Gardner vastly improved Wanderers when he went on to the left flank as a 49th minute substitute, but it was no more than a hopeful lob from him which bounced though the United box to supply Taylor with a soft second goal. United had to pile forward then after a late equaliser, but when you gamble and give space to million pound-plus players the risk of being caught on the break as they were by Icelandic star Eidur Gudjohnson in the 84th minute is just too high. Bolton rode their luck to the quarter-finals, while United slumped back to the bottom of Division Two. It was no consolation at the time, but may offer encouragement for the rest of the season that Allardyce commented: "When you see a match like that you wonder how a team such as Cambridge can be where they are. It couldn't have been much tougher for us." Report © Cambridge Newspapers Ltd |
As expected manager, Sam Allardyce rung the changes after the midweek defeat at Tranmere. Of the five changes the most surprising was Eidur Gudjohnsen, the club's top scorer, being relegated to the bench. Mike Whitlow continued in the centre of defence with Paul Ritchie at left full back. Paul Warhurst started in midfield with Ricardo Gardner named in the substitutes. Jussi Jaaskelainen regained his place in in goal at the expense of Steve Banks.
Within the first five minutes he was in the action pulling off a save from a Cambridge corner after confusion among the Wanderers back four. There was little chance to play football in difficult conditions. Route one was the order of the day. Hit the front men early with support, but there were no chances for the Wanderers in the first quarter with the home side looking efficient and strong in defence.
Dean Holdsworth had the first chance in the twenty third minute, but he failed to hit the target and the ball went wide after a swift counter attack by the Wanderers. Cambridge took the lead in the twenty eighth minute. Jaaskelainen had made a great save from a Russell free kick on the left. Confusion in the Wanderers defence, Russell played the ball across the goal and Benjamin got a touch to steer the ball home.
The Wanderers were showing no signs of bouncing back with Cambridge continuing to press on the Wanderers, Butler finding space on the left hand side on several occasions. Worryingly the defence were conceding possesion too often, and not clearing the lose ball quickly or effectively enough.
Holdsworth had another chance in the fortieth minute, a shot strait into the hands of the keeper after some inter passing between Jensen and Taylor. But Cambridge continued to hold the initiative with Mike Whitlow lucky to stay on the field of play after holding back Butler. Had the Wanderers faced a more crucial forty five minutes this season when they came out for the second half? Their first half showing lacked a competitive edge, they had to improve.
Ricardo Gardner replaced Paul Ritchie at the start of the second half, with Elliott dropping back to the left back berth. The Jamaican instructed to provide more width to the Wanderers play. Within a minute he got free on the left hand side, his shot forcing a corner. It was cleared to Jensen, whose cross was volleyed home by Bob Taylor. It was game on.
Within two minutes Jensen had a shot just wide latching on to a great through ball from Paul Warhurst. The game was all edge as Jaaskelainen missed a cross from Russell and MacKenzie's header went narrowly wide. A minute later, in the sixty fourth minute, Bob Taylor cleared acrobatically off the line from Wanless. On sixty three minutes Kavanagh's rocket of a half volley hit the underside of the bar. The Wanderers let off the hook again.
It was end to end football with Eidur Gudjohnsen coming on for Dean Holdsworth. And he set up the Wanderers second with a neat reverse pass to Gardner. The Jamaican's cross sliced open the Cambridge defence and Bob Taylor got the final touch for his second goal.
Jaaskelainen pulled of a good save from Butler, but that second goal gave the Wanderers confidence and they took control of the remaining quarter. With seven minutes to go Eidur Gudjohnsen sealed a place in the quarter finals with a great goal, clipping the ball past the Cambridge keeper after good play down the inside left channel.
So despite the nervous first half, the Wanderers go into the hat where they will be joined by, amongst others, Tranmere Rovers!
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The yellow card protest worked very well, the Bolton fans also joined in to make the whole place a sea of yellow.
In the first minute a cross was chested down by Benjamin to Russell, but his shot from 30 yards went high over the bar. A few minutes later some quick passing was finally halted for a corner which came to nothing. Russell tackled their full back and won the ball, went on a run to the goalline and crossed, but too close to the keeper who gathered unchallenged. Bolton had a chance when Holdsworth (who looked offside) broke through but pulled his shot across the goal and past the far post. Almost immediately from a quick throw Russell got in a good shot that went the wrong side of the near post.
Benjamin was obstructed, and from the free kick a dipping cross from Russell was tipped over the bar for another corner, from which there was a bit of pinball in the Bolton penalty area and eventually the ball was put into the net by Benjamin to give us the lead on 28 minutes. Bolton tried to get straight back into the game with Robert Taylor shooting over, and a shot from Holdsworth was saved with ease by Marshall.
Butler tackled their right full back and won the ball (like Russell earlier), but shot wide. Then came possibly the turning point of the match. The ball was played for Benjamin, he turned past his defender and set off towards the goal only to be hauled back. The linesman was waving his flag indicating the foul, and the referee blew his whistle. we all expected the red card to be shown to the defender, but instead a foul was awarded against Benjamin! Quite for what I don't know, I think the referee didn't want to send off the defender. 1-0 to us at half time.
Near the start of the second half not for the first time the defender had his arms round the neck of Butler as he tried to take the ball, but the referee didn't see it. Bolton brought on Gardiner after 4 minutes, his extra pace caused us problems for the rest of the game. On 6 minutes a low cross almost got through before being grabbed by the 'keeper, he cleared quickly and the ball went down the other end before being cleared for a corner to Bolton, which was only half cleared and allowed Taylor to score with an acrobatic shot with Marshall well beaten.
We pushed up looking to regain the lead, Eustace trying a long shot that took a slight deflection and most of the pace off the ball for an easy save, then a long cross to the far post was headed back into the danger area and a shot was blocked. From a free kick Wanless put in a good header which was cleared off the goalline by a defender, a few minutes later a superb shot from Kavanagh crashed against the bar and away. I was right in line with the shot and I thought it was going in, it was hit a fraction too well.
Bolton had a little spell of pressure, forcing a few corners without ever testing Marshall. We had a break by Benjamin, but with Butler free on his right and Mustoe free on his left he dallied too long and was robbed of possession much to the annoyance of Butler in particular. 28 minutes in saw the first booking, Whitlow for holding Benjamin as he went past. The free kick went over the bar.
A quick pass and move from Bolton put Gardiner away down our right, his cross was met by the unmarked Taylor who scored easily to give Bolton the lead. On 38 minutes McNeil lost possession in the centre circle, the ball was played through and the forward scored past Marshall. John Taylor and Guinan came on for Mustoe and Mackenzie 2 minutes from the end of normal time, but were unable to make any impact despite 4 minutes of time added on during which we forced a succession of corners.
The added time was due to an injury to a Bolton player. The referee indicated that he should leave the pitch with the physio which he did, but then took the throw-in. Surely if he has to leave the pitch he cannot take part in the immediate restart of the game?
If only the referee had sent off their defender (although with our record of playing against teams of 10 perhaps he did us a favour!), if only the defender had not been able to clear off the line, if only Kavanaghs shot had been an inch lower, if only....
Like many other matches this season we didn't deserve to lose, and certainly 3-1 flatters Bolton and we more than held our own, but unfortunately we must put away a higher percentage of chances, and concentrate more at the back. No-one had a bad game. Mr Versatile, Ashbee, did well at left full back, as did Kavanagh at right back until Gardiner (who cost £1 million) came on. It wasn't really Kavanagh's fault that Gardiner got free a couple of times as there was some good inter-passing to make the space. Eustace and McNeil dealt with £3.5million Holdsworth (who was substituted I think in the second half). Most of the time McNeil would get rid of the ball when under pressure, the one time he didn't led to their third goal.
The midfield did OK, Wanless showed his usual workrate as did Mustoe. Russell and Mackenzie made some good moves and looked good on the ball, but were perhaps a little slow getting back at times to help the defence. Benjamin and Butler caused the defence problems, numerous fouls were committed to stop them.
If rumours are correct this was Martin Butler's last game for us before he moves to Reading. I'll be sorry to see him go, and I wish him well, although I think it is a shame he is not going to a better club. Presumably the offer made to the club is big enough, and they will pay him wages far higher than we can. If his goals do keep Reading up the money spent will be worth it from their point of view. Hopefully half of the transfer fee will be available to Roy to strengthen our team, and also be enough for us to not have to sell Benjamin this season.
Back to League action next week, against top of the table Wigan. If only half the extra fans that were there today come along next week!
Terry
Wilby |
It is blowing hard as we arrived at the ground for the match to win a place in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup. The Cup might not have any magic for the spoilt brats of Manchester United but it does for us. United have sold out their tickets for the game but Bolton have only sold a thousand of their 2,000 allocation. That means the crowd today will be 7,500. We wonder who owns the scarlet Ferrari in the car park and suspect we may have found the owner when we find George Graham, the Spurs manager, in Vice Presidents Club but then we hear that Gianluca Vialli is there too. One wonders if they are looking at someone or just here for an afternoon out. Of course the rumours revolve around Trevor Benjamin, as the World and his Wife know it is already too late for them to look at Butler. "Vialli can't be looking at Trevor Benjamin" says one sceptical season ticket holder to me "He speaks English." There are some hopes of Cambridge winning this game as Bolton got a right stuffing in midweek when Tranmere took them apart, and they won't be relishing this one. For Cambridge Clive Wilson is still unfit but Mustoe passes his fitness test on a hamstring to play in midfield with Ian Ashbee continuing to fill in as an emergency left back. Jason Kavanagh returns after suspension and Paul Wanless plays. He has had a traumatic week with a very sick newly born daughter but we know that he will still give everything. Sometimes this life just isn't fair. Good guys like him shouldn't have to face this kind of situation. The Bolton squad is full of players who could well be a part of Scandinavia United. Jussi Jaaskelainen is the Finnish goalkeeper, Gundi Bergsson the centre-back, and the Danes Claus Jenson and Michael Johansen are also in the squad and the Icelandic striker Gudjohson - their leading goal scorer is on the bench. Also on the bench, and somewhat surprisingly, is one of the Reggae boys, Ricardo Gardner the 21 year old Jamaican International winger. Up front they have Dean Holdsworth who they have paid £3.5 million for and alongside him is an Old'un but a Good'un - striker Bob Taylor who they have picked up on a free transfer from West Bromwich. We saw most of these at the Abbey in the pre-season friendly but the player that is missing is a big man at the heart of the defence, Mark Fish the South African signed from Lazio for £2.5 million who we have heard is the star of the side. The comment from some fans is that the side that cost more than the Abbey Stadium. Before the formalities, there is a minute silence for the supporters club steward Mick Peters who died suddenly earlier this week. Then comes the protest. Cambridge fans, supported by Bolton, express their disgust at the behaviour of the clowns of the local politicians and the planning committee. The entire ground is a sea of yellow as we all show them the yellow card for time wasting. The crowd roar as Cambridge United kick-off towards the allotments end. In the very first minute the old warhorse Paul Warhurst trips Alex Russell. The free-kick from halfway is shielded to Russell himself but from just outside the area his fierce shot is always rising over the bar. The wind is already causing problems and a long kick into United area bounces awkwardly forcing Kavanagh to hook the ball over the Newmarket Road end stand. Paul Wanless crunches in with a great tackle on Dean Holden as Cambridge take the game to Bolton. Cambridge win their first corner after six minutes as Russell, Benjamin, and Butler all combine to force the defence to scramble ball away. United continued to press until a great catch by Jaaskelainen, the first but certainly not the last time today that he shows that he has hands like sticky buckets. Taylor is caught offside as Warhurst tries to lift the ball over the top and although Bolton are finding their players well, there are no clear cut chances being made. In fact Bolton looked nervous at the back. Paul Wanless is lectured for a late tackle on Jenson and it doesn't take long for Warhurst to dish out the retribution. Cambridge continue to attack Bolton for whom right-back Dean Holden looks particularly shaky. Alex Russell robs him and crosses and again under pressure Jaaskelainen catches it as clean as a whistle. Halfway through the first half United have a let off as Warhurst gets Holdsworth in behind Kavanagh. This is real danger until a woeful shot bobbles across the face of the Cambridge goal and wide. If this is a £3½ million player, that was 3½ million pounds worth of crap. The Newmarket Road end inform him that he is "not very good". Cambridge can't hit the target as Alex Russell bursts into the box when Trevor Benjamin again wins in the air. He is showing up well against a better class of defence and again Jaaskelainen claims another cross with a very positive catch in a packed box. This is a good goalkeeper. Trevor Benjamin bullies his way past the defence again until Bergsson comes across and deliberately runs straight into him. Referee Brandwood gives a free-kick but somehow decides not to show the yellow card for what has been a crude mugging. Alex Russell takes the free-kick. It curls and dips viciously and is creeping in until Jaaskelainen produces a wonderful save diving across a full stretch to tip it over the bar. 28 minutes gone and a corner is half cleared. Alex Russell whacks it back in. The ball bobbles about then finally comes to Martin Butler to slide rule it into the six yard box for Trevor Benjamin to bustle it into the net. As the Cambridge fans roar, the yellow shirts celebrate in front of silenced Bolton Wanderers fans who must be wondering if they are going to get dumped out of a cup competition for the second time in a week. The goal fires United again and when Bolton lift the ball into the Cambridge box, Eustace, Ashbee, and Martin McNeil all go to close down Taylor forcing him to clear the Newmarket Road end stand with the shot. Martin Butler appears to get through but the referee gives a handball against him. Bolton are not looking happy at all although this referee seems determined to penalise Trevor Benjamin for trying to get away from all the shirt pulling, arm grabbing and tugging that the Bolton defence are using to try and stop him. On 39 minutes Benjamin hassles a corner out of Whitlow, but Bolton come down on the break, Kavanagh producing a great block in front of a goal bound shot. Some intricate work around the Cambridge penalty area finally finds a way through but the save is a comfortable one for Shaun Marshall from Holdsworth. At the other end Holden still struggling and now it is Martin Butler who robs him but pokes his shot wide under pressure. Four minutes from half time comes a quite astonishing incident that has a serious effect on the game. A ball through the middle sees Whitlow and Trevor Benjamin tussling for the 50-50 ball. Benjamin gets the better of it and bursts through. A few yards outside the penalty area with Benjamin having only the keeper to beat, Whitlow brings him down with a rugby tackle from behind which even rips off Benjamin's boot. The whistle goes as the Cambridge fans bay in anger at the deliberate "professional foul" and wait for the inevitable Red Card and the free-kick on the edge of the penalty area. The referee astonishingly ignores the linesman flag who has been running alongside this incident all the time and has flagged for the rugby tackle on Benjamin. Instead, to a furious reaction from all the Cambridge players, fans and dug out, referee Brandwood inexplicably gives a free-kick against Trevor Benjamin 20 yards away from the incident. It is unbelievable - comic if it were not so tragic. Randall Butt calls it "An extraordinary, outrageous, completely erroneous decision by a referee who should have known better after 30 years in the business." One wonders what would have happened if he had given that decision against the home side at Old Trafford, or Anfield or Stamford Bridge. As the half draws to end Alex Russell is careless but then clears up his own mistake and Paul Wanless blocks another Taylor shot. The referee is being heartily booed from all round aground and get some tremendous stick from the main stand as the one minute board is held up. In injury time Cambridge block another free-kick and the referee goes off with a stewards escort to well-earned and sustained booing from the crowd. The consensus at half time is that he has chickened out. If Benjamin had been fouling Whitlow, then why did he fail to blow several seconds earlier? Why did he only gave the free-kick against Benjamin after he had blown the whistle following the rugby tackle? The second half starts exactly the same way with the referee invoking more anger for the crowd and from Martin Butler. Butler is furious as he is plainly pulled back right on the edge of the penalty area, but the foul not given. Mackenzie and Wanless - both working their guts out - have shots blocked from outside the area, and there are ironic cheers as the referee gives a free-kick against Ritchie for pushing Martin Butler flat. Three minutes into the half Bolton make a crucial substitution. They reorganise the defence by pulling off Ritchie and strengthen the attack by bringing on Ricardo Gardner. Gardner is the player who is to make the difference and as it is to turn out, Sam Allardyce has pulled a master stroke. Cambridge are playing some neat football and Paul Warhurst hacks the ball into touch. They attack again as Mackenzie beats Gardner, Jaaskelainen going down to make a fine save from Trevor Benjamin's header. Seven minutes into the second half Cambridge half clear a corner. Gardner sends it back into the area and there is Bob Taylor with a superb overhead kick to hook it high into the net. It is a magnificent piece of finishing and now United have to do it all again. They immediately win another corner through Trevor Benjamin but once more Jaaskelainen is there with a competent catch. Bolton are now getting on top for the first time with Taylor's movement and Gardner's pace making the difficulties. With the wind blustering around still, Alex Russell opts for a low drive into the box instead of the high cross and once again Bolton belt it into the Habbin. Another Cambridge penalty appeal is turned down and some dogged defending by Bolton blocks efforts as Mackenzie hooks the ball back into the danger area from beyond the far post. On the hour United go so close to going into the lead again. Alex Russell's cross is met by a superb Wanless header but somehow Taylor, of all people, acrobatically hooks the shot off the line as it appears to be going in. "I thought it was a certain goal" says Wanless. "I don't know where Taylor came from, it was an amazing save." It still looks as if United are going to win the game and soon Benjamin is tripped by Warhurst 10 yards out of the area. Mackenzie hits the wall with the free-kick but from the rebound and from all of 30 yards, Kavanagh crashes a tremendous volley against a bar. Oh, the agony of it all! It's the hardest we've seen a ball hit all season. Roy McFarland is later to remark ruefully that he was surprised the goal posts were still standing after that. Perhaps now there is the glimmer of that dreadful thought at the back of the mind that this is going to be "One of those days". United continue to work hard as they look for the lead but Martin Butler is penalised after shooting into the side netting. Shaun Marshall does well to claw away a cross which has been caught on the wind and for once Cambridge cannot get it away. Holdsworth's header is on target but Ian Ashbee clears it round and as the ball is thumped back again after clearing this corner, Paul Wanless gets it away to cheers. Now it is Bolton's turn for the pressure and Taylor is inches away from a dangerous cross from the right. Back come Cambridge again, and nobody can deny the commitment to this cause. This game is not a classic, the wind and the ref are seeing to that, but at least it has some of the elements of a real Cup tie. Paul Wanless and Trevor Benjamin have shots blocked as Jaaskelainen lies prostrate and a mass melee ensues in the penalty area. Somehow and against the odds Brandwood sorts it out. 20 minutes from time three and a half million pounds worth of striker Dean Holdsworth is substituted for Bolton to bring on the Icelandic striker Gudjohnson. If Holdsworth is worth that money, someone should be paying us the same for Butler. On today's display I know which one I would rather have in my side. Cambridge continue to threaten to break through and this time it is Benjamin, Mackenzie and Butler all breaking together but Benjamin fails to pass and is caught in possession to groans of frustration. On 74 minutes Whitlow is at last booked for another foul on Benjamin. He should not have been on the park for the last 30 minutes in any case after that rugby tackle on Benjamin in the first half. Martin Butler takes the free-kick but fires it well over the top. A minute later Mackenzie fails to track Gardner's run down the left wing. His cross is missed by Martin McNeil and cruelly for him Taylor is there to finish sharply and put Bolton into an undeserved lead. Cambridge still have 15 minutes to come back and Whitlow again pulls down a Cambridge striker, this time it is Butler. Yet again Jaaskelainen claims the free-kick. Cambridge push forward looking for the equaliser and inevitably they get caught out. With 7 minutes left Ian Ashbee is miles out of position as Mackenzie gives the ball away inside the Bolton half. The ball is lifted into space behind Ashbee and substitute Gudjohnson does the rest with a slick finish to make it 3-1. That is a travesty. It is also cruel on Mackenzie who has had an excellent game in midfield. With five minutes to go the hard-working BobTaylor comes off and immediately Shaun Marshall has to make an fine save to prevent Elliot getting a fourth goal. With a minute to go, and surely far too late to do this, John Taylor and Steve Guinan replace Mackenzie and Mustoe. Surely they should have been on as soon as the third Bolton goal went in. The four minute board is held up as Cambridge force three corners one after the other but the last one is wasted and Bolton break, Farrelly shooting well wide. It is a last chance of the game and Bolton have come out with a flattering 3-1 victory. Cambridge United applaud the crowd and they applaud back. As they troop off the field, one player is there on his own. Martin Butler is plainly saying goodbye in an emotional farewell. Paul Wanless runs down to publicly and pointedly shake his hand and David Preece comes on to do it as well. Butler goes to each section of the Cambridge United crowd, now on the pitch on his own, applauding them in what is plainly his farewell to the fans. The following day Reading announce that they are paying £800,000 for him. The question which has been the main one on the Cambridge United fans web site this week is "Why would he go to Division Two strugglers?" If he is going to Reading, it is because they are paying him a tremendous amount of money, £3,000 a week, which seems unbelievable. And as Butler says goodbye, Roy McFarland is commenting that the equally unbelievable decision of Brandwood that he says has been "a major, major factor on the game. I think the referee has bottled the situation" he tells Radio Cambridgeshire. He repeats the accusation almost word for word to the Sky and BBC cameras and he is plainly upset at that appalling piece of refereeing. "It's all hypothetical as to what would have happened but Mike Whitlow should not have been on after that and we would have gone in a half time one up against ten men". He is not the only one critical of the ref. The following morning the Sunday papers are full of what they call "an unbelievable blunder". McFarland says he is proud of his players today but declines to comment on the suggestion to put him on air that Butler has already signed for Reading. He says that he will obviously be going but until Reading, or Norwich, or Forest or Brentford or whoever get him, he remains a player who will give everything for Cambridge United, saying that even today he has needed six stitches in a cut head at the end of the game. No one doubts that this has been Butler's Swan Song, and it's a real shame he has gone in a match which will be remembered not for his contribution but for a ludicrous refereeing decision. All that remains is for us to find out for sure who he will sign for. Today Cambridge United have shown that they are a better side than their position right at the bottom of the Second Division suggests, as Sam Allardyce admits. They have taken the game to multi-million pound Bolton and only the woodwork, some excellent goalkeeping, and a tremendous goal-line clearance have prevented them from winning the game. That, and of course that decision by Brandwood, have helped ensure that it is Bolton Wanderers and not Cambridge United in the quarter-finals. Butler may be going but unfortunately it is the taste of Brandwood that lingers on. Graham Nurse |
I got to the Supporters Club early, just before 1 o'clock in fact. There was a minutes silence for the sad death of Mick Peters. The draw for lucky tickets took an age, probably because people had bought tickets then left the club early to get their place in the ground. Needless to say none of the Moosenetters won! Saw webmistress Andrea on the pitch presenting the player of the month to Martin Butler while the players warmed up.