Nationwide League Division Two - Tuesday 22nd February, 2000
Cambridge
United (4-4-2): Marshall, Kavanagh, Eustace, Joseph, Cowan;
Youngs, Mustoe (Abbey 90'), Wanless (c), Hansen (Ashbee 68'); Benjamin,
Taylor. Bury:
Kenny, Williams, Daws, Bullock, Barnes (Avdiu 75'), James, Redmond,
Preece, Littlejohn (Reid 66'), Swailes, Barrass. Referee: Fraser G. Stretton (Nottingham) Shots
on target: Cambridge 9 Bury 1 |
Like buses, you wait nearly a year for an away win and then two come along at once! Cambridge United were rarely troubled tonight at Bury and deservedly recorded the second successive Tuesday night away win thanks to a 97th for the club from surprise inclusion John Taylor, and a first ever U's goal for defender Scott Eustace. Roy McFarland made four changes to the team tonight and sprung a surprise by naming Tom Cowan at left-back. Marc Joseph returned in place of teenage defender Martin McNeil who is probably ready for a rest from first team duties, new signing John Hansen started in midfield at the expense of Ian Ashbee, John Taylor started up front in place of hamstring victim Steve Guinan, and Cowan replaced the injured Clive Wilson. 30-year-old Cowan signed on loan in a hush-hush deal this morning and joined up with the squad for the first time this afternoon. He is an experienced defender who has represented Rangers, Sheffield United, Stoke and Huddersfield before joining Burnley for a nominal fee last March. He has signed initially on a month's loan and will wear shirt number 24. McFarland also tried to sign Spurs reserve striker Paul McVeigh on loan this morning but I understand that fell through or could not be completed in time for him to feature tonight. Recent signing Zema Abbey was on the bench for the first time since signing from Hitchin Town, and the game kicked off in cool but dry conditions on a bare and rutted surface that bore testament to the fact that Gigg Lane is shared with Manchester United reserves and Swinton Lions. United started well and the four men representing changes to the side acquitted themselves well. Hansen was full of running and lively, Cowan looked solid and demonstrated a long throw from the left to match Marc Joseph's from the right, Joseph looked alert and John Taylor was 'up for it'. In the fifth minute a long clearance was flicked on by Trevor Benjamin to Taylor whose shot was blocked for a corner, but the opportunity was wasted when Mustoe's kick drifted past everyone and out of play on the far side. Three minutes later Littlejohn's deep cross confused Joseph and Cowan who both went for the ball and collided, the ball ran through to Lutel James whose shot was blocked by the fast-recovering Joseph. Then in the tenth minute Benjamin's flick-on put Hansen into the area, despite brilliant control the Danish midfielder was closed down before he could shoot but he still managed to find Taylor with his cross, but Taylor had just strayed offside. Two minutes later James scurried into the area and was poised to shoot before he was robbed by a perfectly timed challenge from Cowan. After 18 minutes Joseph's long throw was flicked on by Benjamin but the danger was cleared by a Bury defender under the nose of Taylor who was poised to pounce. Seconds later the U's veteran was not closed down so he tried his luck from 20 yards and goalkeeper Paddy Kenny was forced to claw the ball away for a corner. After that the game got bogged down in midfield for a while but in the 33rd minute Taylor's persistence encouraged two defenders to go for the same ball and he seized upon the opportunity to find Tom Youngs in space on the overlap. Unfortunately Youngs reacted a little slowly and his shot was charged down by Redmond, and Neil Mustoe lobbed the rebound fractionally over the bar. Then in the 40th minute Taylor led a United breakaway move before finding Mustoe, the little midfielder's lob over the defence was into the path of Benjamin but he didn't make a very good connection and the goalkeeper made a scrambling save low down to his right. Then in the second minute of stoppage time United missed a golden opportunity to take the lead. Taylor ploughed his way through the defence before finding Mustoe on his right in acres of space on the overlap, but Mustoe elected to pass to Tom Youngs instead of shooting and Youngs, who was not expecting the ball, fell over as he blazed a shot high and wide. At half-time Shaun Marshall hadn't had a save to make and on balance United had had the better of what turned into a scrappy half. (Half-time 0-0) United kicked off after the break towards the 178 travelling fans, but Bury started the strongest and almost immediately they won a free kick which Daws curled between the post and the out-stretched boot of a Bury forward. After that the U's seized the initiative and looked like the home side while Bury struggled to get out of their own half apart from the occasional threat on the break. In the 57th minute the ball was headed back into the danger area and Youngs found Benjamin who cut inside and toe-poked a fierce shot which was held at full stretch by Kenny. Two minutes later a Mustoe free kick found Jason Kavanagh the furthest forward, he pulled the ball back for Taylor who found Benjamin at the far post, but the young striker's downward header was clawed off the line by Kenny. Then in the 63rd minute a rare threat from Bury saw a long throw flicked on to Littlejohn at the far post but his rasping drive was always rising and cleared the bar. Then in the 68th minute Cambridge took the lead at last. Neil Mustoe crossed the ball and John Taylor nipped in front of Tom Youngs to sidefoot the ball home. The away fans celebrated as hard as the players and in the 76th minute they could do it all over again. Mustoe was the provider again as his corner was flicked on by Benjamin to Scott Eustace at the far post, and the big defender's downward header clinched the points for the deserving U's. On 80 minutes Bury put together their first sustained attack which United struggled to clear and the ball fell to substitute Avdiu in the area, but his curling shot was parried by Marshall. Almost immediately Benjamin was on the charge and goalkeeper Paddy Kenny advanced out of his area and brought him down, but the covering Bury defender ensured that the decision was just a yellow card for the 'keeper. In reporter Mark Johnson's words it was the correct decision from an excellent referee. In the 83rd minute Mustoe's free kick was cleared only as far as Youngs 20 yards out but he slid a shot just wide, then three minutes later there was danger as Bury won a free kick 20 yards out in a fairly central position, Daws' effort deflected off the wall and over the bar. After that United kept the Shakers at arms' length and limited them to long-range efforts, and there was even time to send Zema Abbey on in the 90th minute to make his United debut in place of Mustoe. In summary Mark Johnson thought that Tom Cowan made a neat and tidy debut at left-back, was good in the air for his height (5ft 8ins) and demonstrated a long, fairly flat, throw. On the opposite flank U's Net player Jason Kavanagh had a good game going forward, John Hansen had a good first half but faded in the second half - understandably in view of his lack of recent matches - Marc Joseph made a good first team comeback and John Taylor "was just Shaggy". But for his man of the match he was torn between three players: "I can't really look any further than John Taylor but I'm torn between Jason Kavanagh, Scott Eustace and JT. If I named a defender it would look as though we were on the rack and we weren't .... all three get honourable mentions." |
Two second-half goals gave spirited Cambridge United three valuable points and dealt Bury's play-off aspirations a fatal blow.
Bury started brightly and their best chance in the first-half fell to winger Lutel James whose shot was blocked after seven minutes. Shakers keeper Paddy Kenny pulled off some outstanding stops, most notably from Trevor Benjamin's power header after 58 minutes.
Ten minutes later Cambridge United got their reward as player/coach John Taylor tapped in from close range. Centre-half Scott Eustace doubled the away team's lead on 78 minutes with a towering header following a flick-on from man of the match Trevor Benjamin to give Cambridge's relegation fight a welcome boost.
(c) Copyright Press Association Ltd 2000
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Cambridge boosted their bid to avoid the drop with their second victory in three games. The win over The Shakers was comfortable thanks to two second-half goals from veteran striker John Taylor and Scott Eustace.
Bury's play-off hopes have now faded, despite this being their first loss in five games in front of their lowest league crowd of the season 3,088.
In the opening period, Bury winger Lutel James caused Cambridge a couple of early problems. James, scorer of The Shakers' equaliser against league leaders Preston on Saturday, had a great opportunity to give his side a sixth-minute lead. The ball came to him unmarked in the area but, while he was lining up his shot, United defender Marc Joseph did well to cover and block it.
James was proving a live-wire and had another good chance on 11 minutes. He jinxed past two defenders only for Joseph to make a timely interception and dispossess him - although Bury did shout for a penalty. And it was Cambridge defender Joseph who was again the hero on 15 minutes, steering Adrian Littlejohn's cross around the post.
Cambridge then began to find their feet. In the 17th minute, a long throw by Joseph was flicked on by current top-scorer Trevor Benjamin before Bury defender Matt Barrass made a clearance from under the post with Taylor pressing. A minute later John Hansen produced a wonderful save from Bury keeper Patrick Kenny - the hero of the Deepdale game. He pushed Hansen's 18-yard drive around the post.
Cambridge continued to test Kenny with long-range efforts while his counterpart, Shaun Marshall, was almost beaten by a Barrass long-range effort after James' initial shot had been blocked on 25 minutes. But the visitors should have led at the interval. They had a great chance on 32 minutes, when a mix-up in the Bury defence allowed Tom Youngs to race through. He set up Neil Mustoe, who had one attempt blocked and skied the other with an open goal beckoning. And, in stoppage-time, Taylor again caused danger on the edge of the area. He set up Youngs, but once again Cambridge failed to find the target.
Bury came out strongly at the start of the second-half, but United always looked dangerous and Kenny once more denied Benjamin on 56 minutes from close-range. And Kenny scooped the ball off the goal-line two minutes later as a Benjamin's header seemed destined to drop in.
The goal finally came in the 68th minute. Mustoe raced down the left wing and found Taylor in the six-yard box, who side-footed past Kenny. Seven minutes later and Cambridge's points were safe. A Mustoe corner was flicked on by Benjamin and defender Eustace crashed home his first goal of the season.
Benjamin pressed for the goal he deserved in the 81st minute, but was brought down by Kenny outside the area. The Bury keeper escaped with a yellow card to end a miserable day for The Shakers.
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A NEW-look Cambridge United bounced back from Saturday's demoralising defeat to batter Bury, but it was the old hero who led the way.
Manager Roy McFarland made four changes from the side who bungled it against Blackpool, most crucially, like a beleaguered Napoleon, calling on his veteran general for one more hoorah. John Taylor made his first start for two months and looked as though he had stepped out of a time machine rather than the team bus.
It is the surging runs of young giant Trevor Benjamin which usually throws fear into defences these days, but at Gigg Lane last night the 35-year-old player-coach was the man who had them twisting and turning. He gave a masterclass in close control under pressure, running through the centre of the Bury defence to coolly make the right decision with his final ball.
Unfortunately, nerves and maybe some lack of confidence among his young team-mates led to the squandering of the two clear-cut chances he carved out in the first half. So when the match entered the final quarter with a doubt creeping in about his side's ability to reap the benefit of their overwhelming dominance, Taylor struck for his 79th League goal in United colours.
Seven minutes later centre-back Scott Eustace made sure of an unexpected second consecutive away win with his first goal for the club.
Forced to make at least two alterations because left-back Clive Wilson and striker Steve Guinan were injured, the manager went for a four-man shake-up when experienced Burnley defender Tom Cowan suddenly became available on loan. The 30-year-old Scot took over at left-back, Marc Joseph replaced Martin McNeil in the centre of the defence, Taylor took Guinan's place, and Ian Ashbee was axed to make way for Danish midfielder John Hansen.
Not surprisingly, the side took a little time to settle and looked vulnerable to Bury's long- ball breaks in the early stages. But there were two vital tackles from the replacement defenders which had a crucial effect on the team and the outcome. Joseph dived in to block a shot from danger man Lutel Williams when he had a clear sight of goal in the eighth minute. Then, four minutes later, Cowan made a bone-jarring tackle on the same player as he again threatened to get an important early goal.
United, with Hansen prominent, played their way into the game on a heavy bumpy surface shared with Swinton rugby league club and Manchester United reserves. They were dictating the play, forcing Bury to defend for long spells, and they created the opportunities which should have put them two goals up by half time.
Taylor's jinking run wrecked the defence in the 32nd minute, but when he slipped a perfect pass to Tom Youngs, the normally assured youngster for once choked on the chance, delaying a shot which turned into a scuffed cross to Neil Mustoe, who lashed an eight-yard shot over the crossbar. In injury time before a break Bury must have been praying for, Taylor weaved through the middle again, this time setting up Mustoe for a 12-yard shot, only for the move to produce a near mirror image of the previous missed chance, Mustoe miskicking a shot into a pass which just eluded Youngs at the left-hand post.
Benjamin, criticised by McFarland after the Blackpool game for not getting involved enough in the box, was again absent from much of that action before the break. But if Bury thought the worst was over after escaping unscathed from the first half, they soon saw the error of that assumption as the powerful striker slipped into top gear.
He forced a diving save from goalkeeper Paddy Kenny in the 56th minute, with a crisp left-foot drive, and two minutes later was denied by the keeper's reflex block when Taylor's chip set him up for a far post, close-range header. At that stage, before the goals, United were way ahead on points, with 11 goal attempts to Bury's three.
There must have been some fear among the 200 or so long-distance United fans, who were out-shouting the subdued home supporters, that it was going to be another of those matches - producing everything but the right result. But United's all-round superiority against a team who battled for a good 2-2 away draw at top-of-the-table Preston on Saturday, was irresistible this time, although they lost Hansen's influence when the Dane tired after an hour.
Bury, told by player-manager Andy Preece the game was their big chance to boost their slim play-off hopes, forced the first real save from Shaun Marshall with a Kemil Avdiu shot in the 79th minute, but their late, desperate fling was dealt with comfortably.
A slightly stunned-looking Preece said: "Cambridge won't go down if they carry on playing like that. They were a handful."
The Abbey fans, the bitter taste of Blackpool still in their mouths, will be reserving their judgment, and holding their hopes in check this time though. 'Can they follow it up at home on Saturday?' will be their one thought, and their challenge to their team. Report © Cambridge Newspapers Ltd |
This new left back looked very good, played a very solid game and we need to sign him on pretty sharpish. Trevor was awesome yet again, and Shaggy found a new lease of life. Hanson had another fine outing, and seemed to go off with a slight injury, hopefully nothing to serious. I don't think I could give any of the team much less than 9/10 as it was one of the most consistant 90 minutes I have seen for a long, long time. We could and should have been 5-0 up at half time.
Ashbee being dropped was a great decision from McFarland in my opinion, as he has played very average for the last string of games. We were caught on the break a few times in the first half, but Joseph (fantastic) and Tom Cowan made two remarkable last ditch tackles.
The goals had been coming for a while, you could almost sense that we expected to win the game as we were so dominant from the outset. Shaggy's seemed to go in in slow motion, and he went totally bananas when it crossed the line. Eustace's was from a fine flick on from Trevor, who had yet another pulsating game ... he really has picked up the Martin Butler mantle with both hands.
Tom Youngs was busy and energetic, as usual, and should have put United to the good in the first half. Muzzy also blazed over from 4 yards under pressure from a defender but with the goalkeeper stranded. Shaggy had a few one-on-ones which he wasted, but overall the general build up and attacking play was refreshingly non one-dimentional.
I must say Bury looked an awful team though, possibly as bad if not worse than Blackpool when we played there. It doesn't matter though, we still had to win the game and if the league table doesn't lie then this was another cracking result for the U's in a strange old week for us fans. We have won two away league games after going 10 months without one, and suffered the most heartbreaking league defeat of the season inbetween. We can only go forward from this result though, a victory against Millwall on Saturday and we will almost certainly be within 2 and most likely 1 point of safety. See Tom ... we aren't down by a long shot! ;-)
COME ON YOU U'S!!!!!!!!
Will Jones
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It was a fantastic evening. The new line-up worked a treat, with two attack-minded wide midfield players in Youngs and Hansen, two hard workers in the middle, and a solid looking back four with Joseph and Eustace an excellent central pairing and Cowan tackling like a tiger at left-back.
Upfront, Benjamin looks more like a young Heskey every day [thankfully without the diving] while Shaggy turned the clock back ten years in a magnificient, Man of the Match performance. I was particularly encouraged by the way United never resorted to the long 'hoof' to the front two, but played it through midfield, and looked full of attacking ideas and options. With better finishing and facing a less inspired keeper, they could easily have doubled [or more!] the score.
Bury looked dangerous breaking forward early on, but faded as the game went on. Not much of a team, but they were not allowed to play by a superb United performance in which every man played well for the full 90 minutes - something of a rarity!
All this plus a scathing critique of our beloved Council and its vacillations in the programme. Massively encouraging - now let's follow it up at home!
Andrew Bennett
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What a great game, and yet another fantastic level of support from the traveling U's. We were the only people you could hear in the stadium, once again out singing the home fans despite being considerably outnumbered.