Nationwide League Division Two - Tuesday 19th October, 1999
Cambridge United (4-3-3): Van Heusden, Ashbee, Duncan (Wanless 25'),
Joseph, Wilson (Preece 83'); Mustoe, Paterson, Mackenzie; Kyd (Taylor 68'), Butler, Benjamin.
Burnley: Crighton, West, Smith (Brass 87'), Mullin, Davis, Thomas, Little (Mellon 72'), Cook, Cooke, Branch (Lee 79'), Johnrose.
Referee: John Kirkby (Sheffield) |
In a classic example of "after the Lord Mayor's show", Cambridge United never looked like getting back on terms after being hit by an early goal from a Burnley side who had come to defend and would clearly have settled for a point. The loss of three points is compounded by the potentially serious injury to Andy Duncan who was stretchered off in the first half and could be missing for several months.
There was one enforced change to the starting line-up tonight with Marc Joseph replacing the suspended Scott Eustace. Burnley were without striker Andy Payton, missing through injury. The game kicked off in cold weather with a slight breeze.
The U's got off to their usual shaky start although Michael Kyd looked lively, and Burnley took an early lead after our defence failed to deal with a sixth minute corner. Lenny Johnrose stabbed the ball forward and Andy Cooke was allowed the time and space to turn on the edge of the six yard box and fire the ball home.
Almost from that point on, Burnley looked content to sit back, defend their lead and try to hit United on the break, and it took some time to carve out the next chance. After seventeen minutes a brilliant turn by Butler made room for a shot from 20 yards, but the shot wasn't up to the quality of the turn and failed to trouble Paul Crighton as he saved comfortably. A minute later some good build-up play down the right saw Kyd link with Neil Mustoe who fed the ball inside to Neil Mackenzie, but his shot from around 20 yards was blocked by Trevor Benjamin.
Just as we were mounting a gradual recovery it faltered with a serious-looking injury to Andy Duncan. He fell awkwardly in a 23rd minute three man challenge for the ball and after a couple of minutes' attention from Ken Steggles he was stretchered off. Paul Wanless was his replacement and the reshuffle saw Ian Ashbee move over from right back into the centre, Neil Mustoe pressed into service as an emergency right back while Wanless took up his customary midfield position.
As United adjusted to the changes Burnley were the more threatening side, and in the 31st minute a Little cross found Johnrose just inside the box but his rasping drive was blocked by Ashbee. Then in the 34th minute Scott Paterson demonstrated that he has spent most of his career in central defence when he ghosted across to end a Burnley break with a fine saving tackle, although the move was judged offside anyway.
The U's commenced the usual pre-half-time revival and after 38 minutes Paterson was allowed to run unchecked before firing in a 25 yard shot that scuffled just wide of the post as Crighton raced across goal to cover. He went closer a minute before the half-time whistle when a lovely move between Clive Wilson and Neil Mackenzie presented him with the chance of a shot from 20 yards, but his shot was pushed wide by Crighton at full-stretch. (Half-time 0-1)
The visitors had an early half-chance after the break when a West cross bounced off Johnrose's shoulder and into the arms of Arjan Van Heusden. United were attacking the favoured North Terrace after the break but with Burnley determined to defend in numbers it was clear why they had only conceded three goals on their travels. The game became bogged down in midfield and although Mackenzie tried to make things happen, time and time again United's attacks broke down on the massed ranks of Burnley's rearguard.
The next noteworthy chance was after 66 minutes when Paul Cook fired a shot from 35 yards into Van Heusden's hands. Three minutes later teammate Steve Davis tried do better from fully 45 yards and a chance that should have been comfortable for Van Heusden had to be gathered at the second attempt as he fumbled and made a meal of it.
Michael Kyd had faded after the break and was replaced by John Taylor mid-way through the half, but despite some noisy and concerted singing by the home support, United's few half chances and set pieces were snuffed out by the eight or nine man at the back for Burnley. The visitors threatened again in the 81st minute when Cooke was through on goal but Ian Ashbee won the ball and cleared it for a corner. David Preece replaced Wilson for the last seven minutes and United mounted a late charge but to no avail, with Paul Crighton only called upon to make one uncertain clearance.
It looked like a real case of "after the Lord Mayor's Show" compared to Friday's goal fest and the defeat drops United back into the relegation places, four from bottom. Undoubtedly the side was affected by the bad injury to Andy Duncan and disrupted by the enforced reshuffle, but it looked as though we could have played until the end of the week and not scored.
Reporter Mark Johnson commented that sponsors' man of the match Neil Mustoe did a good job as stand-in right back, but the final ball was all too often lacking, while the versatile and consistent Ian Ashbee did a sound job in central defence. But his man of the match was Neil Mackenzie: "Our only player to show any class tonight."
Early and unconfirmed reports are that Andy Duncan's injury is a suspected double fracture.
RESULTS AND ATTENDANCES ON 19/10/99
AFC Bournemouth 0-1 Bristol Rovers 5,613
Blackpool 1-2 Oldham Athletic 3,845
Brentford 1-2 Gillingham 6,264
Bristol City 1-1 Colchester United 7,777
Cambridge United 0-1 Burnley 4,320
Cardiff City 1-2 Stoke City 6,146
Luton Town 1-1 Wycombe Wanderers 5,820
Millwall 0-2 Preston North End 6,355
Notts County 1-0 Chesterfield 4,749
Scunthorpe United 1-0 Oxford United 3,829
Wrexham 1-1 Wigan Athletic 3,392
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Burnley I'm told had conceded only 3 goals away from home this season, and it quickly became clear that United would have it easy score. The whole Burnley team looked solid and experienced, and United were no match for most of the game.
Burnley took the lead after 5 minutes, a corner to the back post was headed straight up into the air by Duncan about on the 6 yard line, Van Heusden punched the ball out to the edge of the penalty area where it was returned by a Burnley player into a mass of bodies, a Burnley forward swung a leg and miskicked, the United defenders didn't seem to even swing a boot at the ball allowing the forward a second chance to shoot and score. There was so much time to clear yet no one did.
On 16 minutes Butler flicked the ball over the defenders head and shot weakly and it was an easy save for the keeper. On 22 minutes Duncan got injured, I'm not sure quite what happened though. He was carried off, Wanless came on into the middle with Mustoe dropping to full back and Ashbee to centre half.
Burnley didn't do a lot, but made a number of half chances which in the main came to nothing, although Wilson blocked a goal bound shot. Paterson shot wide on 37 minutes, then a few minutes later their keeper made a good save from Paterson as his low curling shot looked to be creeping in the corner. At half time their keeper had a practice session, probably because he'd had so little to do so far.
In the second half Burley were content to sit on their lead and threatened rarely, although they did have a couple of long range swerving shots that Van Heusden had to deal with.
We did nothing until the last 15 minutes, by which time Kyd had been replaced by Taylor. Wanless had a run at goal, his low shot deflected away, then from a Mustoe cross Benjamin headed back into the middle for Taylor to control the ball and make some space but his shot was wide. Preece came on for Wilson on 37 minutes, and soon had a chance to shoot but chose to cross to no-one. Butler had a run through and shot high, and in injury time tried an overhead kick which also went high.
Burnley would probably have been happy with a point, and when they scored they then seemed to shut up shop, and showed why they have conceded so few goals. I thought we played reasonably well overall, but our forwards could not make any headway against the defenders.
The defence looked more solid after Duncan was replaced, Ashbee doing very well, as did Mustoe and Joseph. Wilson had a poor game, seeming to be caught out of position on a number of occasions, although at least once he was wrestled off the ball but that was no offence according to the referee!
The midfield did OK, Paterson and Mackenzie both showing good touches, and were able to make space for themselves. At the front Kyd had a poor game, Butler and Benjamin not much better. There were good signs throughout the team, but Burnley were a much stronger team than Colchester, and always seemed to have an extra defender when required.
Hopefully Gillingham will be buoyed by their win at Brentford tonight, and we will bring them crashing back to ground by winning away. I think Benjamin will be suspended for that game, so I guess Taylor will start the game. Duncan's injury sounded quite bad, so again I'm guessing that Eustace will partner Joseph at the back.
Terry Wilby |
Burnley were a well organised defensive unit and capatolised on a mistake by Andy Duncan (he won't be making any more of them for at last 6 months I suspect) to take all the points. Ian Ashbee did very well in the centre of defence after that though, but the midfield which looked so effective against Colchester struggeled against much stearner opposition. Losing Duncan was a blow, but ironically after we lost him we looked much tighter at the back. I feel so sorry for the lad, as despite not having the best of starts to the season we will miss him.
I can't remember one shot on goal from United, and they condensed most of their attacking play into the last 5 mins of the game when we went in a frantic search of the equaliser. It never came ... and it never really looked like it. It was a terrable game, and Burnley have now, I think, the best defensive away record in the country which was pretty apparant.
I think the thing we lacked most tonight was quality distribution into the box, and movement around it. Butler and Bengamin never really got a sniff, and Mackenzie sprayed passes across the field elegantly but never really went for it, as it looked like he could. Neil Mustoe was awarded man of the match over the tannoy, but I thought some of his crosses were very poor to say the least, but he was finding some good position down the right flank and considering he was playing right back that was pretty refreshing.
The goal conceded was really poor, 'Ise' made a very poor punch, and Duncan could have cleared the ball twice but diddn't. We seem to give all the sides we play at home a 1-0 head start, and against a team like Burnley that is never wise.
Anyway ... what a way to follow up that fine win against Colchester on Friday night. The supporters were pretty crap as well, 'booing' throught various different spells of the game, even doing it during an attack at one point! The chant of 'what a load of rubbish' at the end was pitiful, it really was. Why do they bother to turn up?
Man of the match: I can understand why the official MOM was Mustoe, as for a person playing at right back (and playing well there) he was also in the middle of most of our attacks in the second half, but did lack any quality distribution into the box. Mark Johnson went for Neil Mackenzie, who sprayed some fine passes across the field but I would go along with Ian Ashbee, the player of the season to date IMO. |
A lesson in how to defend
Tonight Cambridge United have a chance to build on the excellent result last Friday when they took Colchester to the cleaners. This is likely to be a far more difficult game against a side already showing their credentials. They have conceded just three goals away from home and it is obvious that United will need all the guile they showed in midfield against Colchester if there are to break down this defence. Paul Wanless is fit again but not surprisingly Roy McFarland decides to continue with the same midfield when Scott Paterson passes a fitness test. He is forced into a change at centre-back though, recalling Marc Joseph in place of Scott Eustace, suspended following five yellow cards.
The surprisingly large contingent from Lancashire swells the crowd to over 4,300 as Cambridge kick-off towards the allotment end. Trevor Benjamin is off target with the first header, and after just 60 seconds Michael Kyd turns neatly to win a corner. When Burnley break, Marc Joseph beats Branch to a through ball. Burnley have slung five across the back and are already showing that their mobile midfield will pack behind the ball at the slightest danger. They win their first corner after 5 minutes when Clive Wilson turns away a deep cross. When this comes over United are all at sea. Duncan heads it upwards, Van Heusden's punch is more of a flap and when Johnrose slices it to Neil Mustoe, he commits the schoolboy error of putting it back into the danger area instead of into the stand. Andy Cooke can't believe his luck but it gets better as Andy Duncan stands and watches instead of attacking the ball, leaving Cooke to poke it into the net from the edge of the six yard box. It's enough to make you scream. If there were a cat near by, you'd have to kick it.
Now United have real problems - they need to score twice to win this game. Burnley win two quick corners as Cooke beats Joseph and are looking dangerous on the break with incisive forward balls into space behind the Cambridge defence. On 16 minutes a smart turn by Martin Butler sets up a half chance but the shot is no real trouble for Paul Crichton. Michael Kyd is again lively tonight and once more Mackenzie is looking good in midfield. He is unlucky when Trevor Benjamin inadvertently blocks a shot and although Cambridge are well in this game, they are constantly breaking down when they near the penalty area.
Halfway through the first half Andy Duncan and Marc Joseph collide going for the ball on the halfway line. Duncan is in trouble and Ashbee immediately kicks the ball into touch. It is plain that Duncan has a real problem and physio Ken Steggles immediately calls for a stretcher. As Paul Wanless comes on, Duncan is taken straight down the tunnel. With no defender - let alone centre back - on a bench, Ian Ashbee moves into the centre with Neil Mustoe dropping into the emergency right-back position. Cambridge are still seeing plenty of ball and a great turn by Michael Kyd gives him room to chip in for Martin Butler but for once Butler cannot control the ball.
On the half hour Clive Wilson crosses towards Paul Wanless to win another corner and is soon in action at the other end, blocking a shot after another Burnley corner. The long passes to Glen Little on the right are causing Cambridge problems, but at the back Ian Ashbee is having a storming game. Kyd shoots well over the bar then as the veteran Mitchell Thomas gives the ball away, just about his only mistake of the night, a one-two between Benjamin and Butler breaks down. Burnley continue the pack armies of men behind the ball forcing Scott Paterson to try from distance but the shot goes wide. The keeper has made a real effort to get to it so that is probably the closest Cambridge have been so far. Mackenzie and Benjamin are beaten out by sheer weight of numbers. United bring the ball into the Burnley half, but before it can be knocked into attacking position Burnley have got 10 claret and blue shirts behind the ball. Just before half time United go close with a fierce Paterson shot turned round by the diving goalkeeper. As the two minute board is held up Van Heusden has to hack clear. Despite this, the United defence have looked much better tonight, apart from that one collective moment of madness.
The second half starts with a Marc Joseph back pass. Van Heusden carelessly clears straight to a Burnley player then has to catch a header from the resultant cross. Cambridge are still breaking down in the edge of the area and frustration is setting in, Paterson clearing the Newmarket Road End stand with a thump from distance. The crowd are trying to lift Cambridge and where a cross comes over keeper Crichton goes down like a sack of spuds as he and Benjamin jump for the ball. He quickly recovers as soon as the referee - the fussy John Kirkby - penalises Benjamin. A deep run by Little spells trouble until Ashbee clears the danger but the crowd groan as Benjamin needlessly gives the ball away when he get a chance to run at the defence.
Cambridge are giving the ball away far too often with he and Mustoe the chief culprits. Clive Wilson brilliantly provides the cover as Burnley get through again then Neil Mustoe and Michael Kyd break together, but again there is frustration as Kyd gives the ball straight back to Burnley. John Taylor warms up to chants of "Shaggy". A fierce shot from miles out is easy for Van Heusden but Burnley are now really beginning to tick. Kyd is replaced by John Taylor. The Burnley centre back is Steve Davis who they signed for £800,000 from Luton, and he is a player I have always rated. He tries a pot shot from long range. Van Heusden spills it and has to grab it at the second attempt. We all know what the chant would have been if it had been the Burnley keeper.
Cambridge put together another good build up but Neil Mustoe's cross is simply dreadful - straight to the feet of a grateful defender with four United players queuing up for something half decent. More groans of disbelief, then the impressive Davis shuts down Trevor Benjamin in the penalty area as Butler gets him in. Mustoe sends over a cross to the far post, Trevor Benjamin heads it back into the danger area but John Taylor cannot make enough space to get a shot on target. With under a quarter of an hour left Roy McFarland is urging Marc Joseph forward to take a long throw in but this is easily defended. United again have half a chance to make something happen but once again Benjamin gives the ball away inside the penalty box. 10 minutes Burnley hit United on the break from a corner but Ian Ashbee is again a rock at the back. David Preece comes on for Clive Wilson with 6 minutes left, signalling to Mustoe that United are going to three at the back. Butler is the next to run into trouble in the packed penalty area and it is plain that Burnley are far too strong and far too well organised at the back for Cambridge tonight. Butler wins a corner and Cambridge are almost caught on the break again but for once it is Burnley wasting in the final ball. Butler clears the Newmarket Road Stand and in a final fling David Preece sends the ball wide. Butler's shot in injury time is far too high and despite the final pressure, Cambridge can find no way through.
Surprisingly Neil Mustoe is named Man of the Match but for me it should have gone to the emergency centre-back Ian Ashbee, who has been magnificent tonight. The defence has look much more solid and in fairness Cambridge probably deserved a draw, but tonight they have been given a lesson in defending by a side who got the early goal and then gave a master class on how to hold on to a lead. The experience of Steve Davis and Mitchell Thomas and the willingness of the midfield to run back and reinforce when necessary was too much, especially with United making mistakes when they see the whites of the defenders' eyes.
The news about Andy Duncan is horrendous - a double fracture that could keep him out for a year. He certainly will not play again this season. McFarland explains "Jerry caught Andy on the leg, then Andy twisted and fell. It wasn't a straight forward fracture…. We have been trying to bring in a defender and now that takes on absolute priority." It is the front runners that have to face criticism tonight. "It's the worst I've seen our front three play in that sort of situation" McFarland complains "I thought we played a lot of good football but only up to Burnley's 18 yard line. They had a very experienced defence, but too often we made the wrong decisions and hit poor quality passes."
Burnley manager Stan Ternent denies that they have come with a plan to defend. "Cambridge put pressure on you with a lot of balls into the box" he says "so we had to do a lot of defending. There wasn't a master plan. We got forward when we could, but we are developing a very solid defence based on experience which I think is vital".
That just about sums it all up. Any of the three central defenders we saw tonight would add immeasurably to the strength of the Cambridge defence. Now United are down among the dead men again and ominously two of the teams below them have two games in hand. It is going to be a long hard season.
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THIS was no match to start like an old banger on a frosty morning. By the time Cambridge United coughed and wheezed their way into last night's game, Burnley's mean machine was running it. Handing an early goal to chaotic Colchester merely added to the knockabout fun, giving one to a side who had only conceded three in nine hours of away football was suicidal. Taking on a tight, counter-attacking team would have been bad enough for United. But once Burnley snatched a sixth minute goal, they faced a side who could concentrate fully on the very serious business of keeping what Roy McFarland's men must be beginning to believe is a football myth, keeping a clean sheet. The United manager's counterpart Stan Ternent, a cheerful chap despite the premature grey hair characteristic of his profession, tried to laugh away the suggestion that victory was due to a tactical plan. "Cambridge put pressure on you with a lot of balls into the box, so we had to do quite a lot of defending," he said. "There wasn't any master plan. We got forward when we could, but we are developing a very solid defence built on experience, which I think is vital." It hardly looked like a happy accident for his side, however, when Trevor Benjamin tried one of his bursts through the middle 20 minutes into the game and found himself coralled by five men in claret and blue. The writing was on the wall by then for United, and it said "No entry." Benjamin commented: "It was frustrating. We had a lot of the ball, but they were blocking everything and cutting out passes, so it was very hard to make clear chances." Former Tottenham star and Luton stalwart 35-year-old Mitchell Thomas marshalled his disciplined defence so well that, despite United having maybe 70 per cent of the possession, Burnley keeper Paul Crichton had to make only one real save, and that from a 20-yard shot. Scott Paterson finished a strong run two minutes before the break with a fierce drive the keeper dived full length to deflect for a corner. United had to re-arrange their line-up in the 25th minute, when centre-back Andy Duncan was stretchered off after falling awkwardly in a three-man challenge for the ball. That took Neil Mustoe out of midfield to right-back, with Ian Ashbee moving into the centre of the defence and Paul Wanless coming off the substitutes' bench to reclaim his midfield place. But it made little difference to the pattern of the game, since Burnley had no great interest in trying to pressurise the home defence. A Lenny Johnrose drive on the half hour which slammed into Ashbee, was the only other time they threatened to score. As Wanless said, United, led by Neil Mackenzie, occassionally played some good passing football, but however accurate the final ball, Burnley were able either to intercept or get a body in the way when a shot threatened. Thomas had another mid-thirtysomething, Paul Smith, alongside him in defence, and they showed Martin Butler how much tougher life is likely to be when he makes his inevitable move to a higher division. United's top scorer shaved the crossbar with a back-to-goal bicycle kick two minutes from time, but his frustration was obvious a little earlier when he shot from long range sending the ball over the top of the Newmarket Road stand. There was some long-awaited excitement in the final quarter of an hour as United made a desperate bid to force an equaliser. But a Wanless pass was cut out, a cross from the midfielder blocked, Benjmain was stifled as he tried to set-up Butler, and a centre was taken off Benjamin's eyebrows by a brave Mitchell header. The ball was sponsored by Stealth Stationers, but unfortunately never managed to acquire any degree of invisibility as far as the Burnley blockade was concerned. As United slumped back into the second division relegation zone, it left the fans with the uneasy feeling they were right when they suspected the Colchester game might be a very rare romp in a long, hard season.
Report © Cambridge Newspapers Ltd |
Eustace was suspended, so Joseph took his place.
Well ... bit of a shit night all round really. Andy Duncan has a suspected double fracture in his leg, and United go down 1-0 and slip back into the relegation zone.