Nationwide League Division Two - Tuesday 4th April, 2000
Cambridge
United (4-4-2): Perez, Kavanagh, Eustace (Preece 78'), McNeil,
Joseph; Mustoe, Wanless (Hunt 51'), Ashbee, Hansen (Lamey 88'); Taylor,
Benjamin. Bury:
Kenny, Barrass (Forrest 78'), Souter, Collins, Swailes, James, Littlejohn
(Bryant 46'), Crowe (Barnes 52'), Reid, Daws, Billy. Referee: Graham Laws (Whitley Bay). Shots
on target: Cambridge 5 Bury 0
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Despite the recent torrential rain in Cambridge, tonight's match was never in any danger and neither were the Mighty U's after a first half in which they scored three goals and saw the visitors reduced to nine men. Roy McFarland made two changes to the side tonight as Trevor Benjamin returned from suspension and John Hansen returned to midfield as the formation reverted to 4-4-2. Young strikers Zema Abbey and Nathan Lamey dropped to the bench. Lutel James and Ryan Souter were added to the Bury team at the expense of player-manager Andy Preece and Paul Williams. The early play was even in the pouring rain with Bury's first half-chance coming in the second minute when Littlejohn got away down the left but his cross was inches in front of Crowe. Two minutes later Bury broke away but Paul Reid fired a shot so high it hit the top of the North stand, and then in the sixth minute Paul Wanless muscled his way through the defence before scuffing a shot straight at the keeper. But the U's skipper made up for that just a minute later when he got on the end of Neil Mustoe's inch perfect right wing cross and headed home from inside the box to give United an early lead. Moments after the re-start Trevor Benjamin broke away down the left and advanced into the box before just failing to find Mustoe with his low cross. Bury struggled to string their passes together while Cambridge looked comfortable with their lead and even stand-in left-back Marc Joseph had the time and space to gallop down the left before whipping a ball into the box.. United doubled the lead through Trevor Benjamin in the 25th minute. Some strong play in midfield from Ian Ashbee saw the ball go to Mustoe, he fed it to John Taylor who shrugged off the pressure from the Bury defence to slip the ball to the unmarked Benjamin, and the 21-year-old thrashed the ball low past the Bury keeper from just inside the penalty box. United's midfield were well on top of proceedings and it got even better just eight minutes later when John Hansen scored a bizarre goal. Hansen's great ball put Benjamin clear into the box and as he seemed to be taking the ball away from goal when brought down by goalkeeper Paddy Kenny, but as everyone waited for the inevitable penalty, Hansen slid the ball home from an acute angle. Bury were aggrieved and two men were booked for disputing the goal, and feelings were still running high as some thunderous tackles flew in. The ground erupted when Lutel James clearly struck Marc Joseph in the face in front of the Main Stand and within a few feet of the referee's assistant, and after lengthy consultation with his assistant Mr Laws sent off the Bury striker. It got much, much worse for the visitors as the half ended. Scott Eustace and Paul Reid both launched themselves two-footed at the ball in front of the Habbin Stand and both went down requiring treatment which took three minutes, but with the crowd expecting a possible second yellow card for Eustace, Mr Laws sent off Reid for his knee-high challenge. The half ended with United's players and fans hardly able to believe the circumstances which saw them three goals up against nine men. (Half-time 3-0) Several stars of United teams from past eras were presented to the crowd at half-time as news emerged that Lutel James had smashed a window in the dressing room area after being sent off. Bury made an early change to their side, bringing on Marvin Bryant for Littlejohn but their already disastrous evening took another bad turn when on loan Dean Crowe fell over Lionel Perez after chasing a through ball. The innocuous looking clash saw him receive lengthy treatment from both physios and the club doctor before he was stretchered off with his ankle in a splint. He was replaced by Paul Barnes, while Paul Wanless limped off with two dead legs and was replaced by Jon Hunt. Eustace took over the captain's armband. In the 53rd minute Mustoe had the crowd on their feet when Hansen's corner was cleared to him and he fired a 25 yard rasping drive just wide, and on the hour came another comedy moment when Eustace headed Kenny's clearance straight up in the air. He then tried to head back to Perez, the ball fell woefully short and fell to Barnes and Bury's evening was summed up when he hammered a shot so wide it hit the corner flag. The match proceeded with a lack of urgency from United as they played the ball around almost at will while Bury's dejected nine men chased somewhat halfheartedly. United came close to extending their lead in the 72nd minute when Jason Kavanagh's cross was inches in front of Benjamin. David Preece replaced Eustace in the 78th minute and as Ian Ashbee moved into defence Preece sprayed the ball around at will, and even whistled a 25 yard shot just wide in the 83rd minute. Nathan Lamey was introduced in the 88th minute for sponsors' man of the match John Hansen as the disappointing second half petered out, and neither keeper had much to do after the break. Trevor Benjamin returned from his one match suspension to maintain his goal-a-game record, Paul Wanless had a towering first half and Marc Joseph was able to make some foraging runs down the left, but Mark Johnson's man of the match was the man who never stopped running in midfield: Neil Mustoe: "Made the first goal to get the ball rolling, and then was perpetual motion." Ref watch: Graham Laws was idiosyncratic and a law unto himself in the first half. 5/10 |
Cambridge United clinched three vital points from their game in hand well before the half-time whistle, seeing two Bury players sent off in a 3-0 win.
Skipper Paul Wanless got his team off to a great start, diving in to score with a seventh minute header from a Neil Mustoe cross. In the 25th minute Mustoe played a part in the move which also involved John Taylor, slipping a pass through for Trevor Benjamin to make it seven goals in his last seven appearances.
The big striker caused more problems in the Bury box eight minutes later going in with goalkeeper Paddy Kenny in a challenge which might have brough a penalty. But as Cambridge appealed for the spot kick the referee allowed play to go on and John Hansen scored with a narrow-angled shot.
It got worse for Bury when Lutel James was sent off for elbowing Mark Joseph in the 37th minute, and six minutes later Paul Reid got a red card for a foul on Scott Eustace.
Cambridge found it difficult in the second half however to break down a determined nine-man Bury defence and the game petered out in a dismal anticlimax. There was another blow for Bury early in the second half when Dean Crowe, on loan from Stoke City, was carried off with a suspected serious knee injury.
(c) Copyright Press Association Ltd 2000
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Cambridge United had three vital points from their match in hand, sewn up in little more than half an hour as they completed an impressive double over Bury. It went from bad to worse very quickly for the Lancashire side who had two players sent off just before half time. But they looked out of contention before being reduced to nine men.
Paul Wanless, Trevor Benjamin and John Hansen hit the goals which put Cambridge completely in control before Lutel James and Paul Reid saw red. Bury boss Andy Preece complained about the second sending off when Reid clashed with Scott Eustace in the 43rd minute.
He said: "The Cambridge player went in for a two-footed tackle before they made contact and I thought that was illegal. It was a decision which decided the match." But Cambrige boss Roy McFarland commented: "It was a very bad foul which deserved to be punished. Reid went in over the top and Eustace has stud marks on his leg and a possible knee injury.
"We virtually had the game wrapped up by then, but it was a disappointing second half display against nine men. The result was all important for us though, it puts a bit of space between us and the relegation zone and we have been playing well enough lately to deserve to be in this position."
Wanless got his team off to a great start diving in to head a Neil Mustoe cross past keeper Patrick Kenny in the seventh minute. And the Cambridge skipper started the move in the 25th minute which led to a John Taylor pass which gave Benjamin the chance to run on and lash the ball past the keeper for his seventh goal in his last seven appearances.
The big striker caused more problems in the Bury box eight minutes later when his challenge on Kenny resulted in the ball breaking free to John Hansen who scored with a narrow angled drive as his team mates were still appealing for a penalty for a foul on Benjamin.
Any hopes Bury had of hitting back disappeared after the sendings off. Bury were forced to defend in depth in the second half and Cambridge were unable to break them down. There was one more blow however for the visitors when Dean Crowe, their striker on-loan from Stoke City, fell over goalkeeper Lionel Perez and was taken to hospital with a suspected serious knee ligament injury.
Cambridge also finished the match with problems, Eustace and Wanless having to be substituted because of injuries which manager McFarland has his fingers crossed will clear up before Saturday's tough encounter with promotion favourites Bristol Rovers.
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