AXA sponsored FA Cup round one - Saturday 30th October, 1999
Cambridge United (4-4-2): Marshall, Ashbee, Joseph, Eustace, Wilson; Mustoe, Wanless, Paterson (Taylor 69'), Mackenzie; Butler, Benjamin.
Gateshead: Swan, Watson, Lynch, Raitt (Proudlock 83'), Kitchen, Hall, Hine, Bowey, Thompson, Fletcher, Alderson.
Referee: Peter Walton (Long Buckby, Northants)
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For the third time this season 'King of the Abbey' John Taylor stepped off the bench to score a vital goal, sending Cambridge United into round two of the FA Cup after his younger teammates had failed to break down resolute Gateshead.
There were several changes to today's starting line-up, including Shaun Marshall in goal for the injured Arjan Van Heusden and recalls for skipper Paul Wanless and Trevor Benjamin. The versatile Ian Ashbee switched to right back as Roy McFarland stuck with a 4-4-2 line-up. Gateshead only named four substitutes, while the U's bench included 17-year-old goalkeeper James Mercer.
The game kicked off in warm and breezy conditions in front of a lower than usual crowd and, apart from one early chance for United, the visitors had the best of things for a long spell of the first half. Neil Mackenzie fired a rasping 25 yard shot just inches wide in the fifth minute, but after that Gateshead looked the side more likely to score. Just a minute later Bowey found Alderson who cut inside and saw his shot headed away by Ian Ashbee, and from the subsequent corner Paul Thompson's shot on the turn thumped into Marc Joseph and away.
In the 17th minute Bowey found the ball at his feet on the edge of the box but blazed a good chance well wide, and United countered immediately through Mackenzie whose neat work created the opening for a cross but skidded harmlessly off Benjamin's head. Then in the 19th minute Alderson went on a mazy run, skipped away from two defenders but fortunately chose the greedy option and blazed a shot off target when teammate Fletcher was well placed.
In the 23rd minute there was controversy at the away end when a Neil Mustoe corner was met by Scott Eustace and his on-target header was punched away by Bowey on the line, but referee Mr Walton incredibly waved 'play on'. United seemed to be sparked into life by the decision and got to grips with the game as Mackenzie and Paterson used the ball well, and in the 29th minute Benjamin burst into the area and fired in a shot that hit veteran 'keeper Adrian Swan's shoulder. The ball went for a corner and Eustace's header was cleared off the line by Swan's feet.
The U's built up to their usual late flurry before the break and in the 34th minute Martin Butler's 25 yard free kick was clawed behind by Swan, then two minutes later Mustoe's raking pass to Mackenzie allowed the former Stoke man to slip a little pass inside to Benjamin, but the ball was backed away by Hall. Three minutes into stoppage time Mustoe and Mackenzie again combined to feed Butler, but his neat shot on the turn from 10 yards out forced a reflex save from Swan.
It had not been an overly-exciting first half but United looked to be playing within themselves and capable of stepping up the pace, while Neil Mackenzie in particularly brought some real class to the proceedings. (Half-time 0-0)
Attacking the Newmarket Road End after the break, United raised the tempo and pressed Gateshead back without really carving them open and creating chances. In the 51st minute Benjamin burst through the middle but his powerful shot was parried straight up into the air by Swan and collected at about the third attempt. Benjamin was involved again four minutes later when a goalmouth melee ended after he stabbed the ball straight at a defender.
In the 64th minute a Clive Wilson cross was headed past his own post by Watson, and a minute later a Mustoe cross was flicked on by a Butler back-header, but Paul Wanless just failed to make contact with his diving header. In the 69th minute Scott Paterson was sacrificed from midfield to bring on John Taylor as an extra forward, and the legend took ten minutes to make his mark and move to within four goals of his U's century.
Mustoe's 79th minute cross was headed out by a defender as far as John Taylor who thumped the ball in off the underside of the bar to record his 11th FA Cup goal for United. The assistant referee confirmed that the ball had crossed the line but Gateshead striker Keith Fletcher remonstrated so forcefully that he was shown an immediate red card.
Trevor Benjamin ghosted into the box in the 83rd minute before firing a shot off target, but despite a flurry of late changes by Gateshead the U's killed the game off quite professionally and the visitors never had a chance to level.
Reporter Mark Johnson's man of the match was Neil Mackenzie: "The only class act on the pitch".
Speaking to Mark Johnson after today's match Roy McFarland said we had played poorly in all departments and added, "We are pleased to be in the second round. It's very rarely we've played poorly and kept a clean sheet. I couldn't see us hurting them. John Taylor has done it for us yet again."
Prophetically he added, "I do feel that coming off that bench he gives us something that perhaps we don't get from anybody else."
In the draw for the second round of the FA Cup Cambridge United were paired with another Unibond Premier League side, this time Bamber Bridge who beat St Albans to reach this stage. The match takes place at the Abbey Stadium on Saturday 20th November.
Full draw: |
Mackenzie had our first chance by making space, then firing in a long range shot after 4 minutes that went just wide. A minute later Gateshead had a good chance, their forward found some space but his shot was headed away by Eustace and the follow up shot blocked. The defence at this time were guilty of waiting for the ball and allowing Gateshead to keep possession.
There were times when we played the ball around nicely, and made half chances but couldn't take them. From a corner after 22 minutes the ball was cleared off the goal line for another corner, 5 minutes later a Benjamin shot was turned aside for another corner which again resulted in a clearance off the line. On 31 minutes their #4 was booked for a late challenge on Mackenzie. From a free kick a few yards outside their penalty area Butler had a shot saved for a corner, a little later Mustoe burst into the penalty area but shot wide. After 42 minutes Mackenzie was booked for a late challenge. In injury time Butler shot straight at the 'keeper.
The second half continued as the first, except that we had pretty well all the possession instead of only 75%. Benjamin had a powerful 25 yards shot saved eventually as the 'keeper juggled to keep the ball from dropping behind him and into the net, a few minutes later a shot came in from all angles but were all somehow blocked, then Mackenzie shot over from around 25 yards. On 16 minutes their #10 got himself booked for dissent, he seemed to be a particularly mouthy individual, always moaning about any decision that didn't go his way. From a good cross a defender almost scored an own goal with a glancing header but luckily for him the ball went out for a corner.
Their #20 was booked for kicking the ball away when he didn't agree with the linesman who gave a corner. After 23 minutes Paterson came off for Taylor. 10 minutes later he proved his worth, from a corner the ball was not cleared very far and he blasted the ball against the bar from where the ball hit the ground and bounced out. The referee looked to the linesman who had already signalled a goal so the celebrations continued after a brief pause. The #10 must have said something not very nice to the linesman because he got himself sent off.
As in the past we made hard work of the last 15 minutes against 10 men, Gateshead made a number of substitutions, but we held firm.
A win, a clean sheet, goalmouth chances, what more could we ask for? Well it would have been nice if we had played some half decent football for a reasonable time instead of spasmodically. We didn't allow a class difference to show in the way we played for most of the match. Gateshead seemed to be wanting a draw, wasting lots of time until they conceded the goal, and getting lots of bodies behind the ball.
Apart from the first 15 minutes or so our defence was not really tested, Marshall had an easy time and I can't remember him having to make a proper save. The 2 forwards made lots of good runs, but the midfield was too slow in supporting, and the final ball not good enough. Mackenzie looked good when making space and has a lot of skill, but always went the same way to get the ball on his right foot despite playing on the left. Mustoe had a reasonable game. Wanless and Paterson want to play in the same place. Paterson has more skill in holding the ball when under pressure, but Wanless more energy for running and tackling.
Hopefully this will be the confidence booster before the rather more important game next Tuesday against Scunthorpe.
Terry Wilby. |
Be grateful for small mercies
If we can't win this one, we really want our backsides kicking. Cambridge United play Gateshead, a side that according to their League position, are on a par with the likes of King's Lynn, Cambridge City, and Billericay. The Unibond Premier League team are on a bit of a run but the part timers should realistically prove no problem. Roy McFarland surprisingly opts for the less attacking 4-4-2 formation with Paul Wanless returning in midfield and Ian Ashbee dropping to right-back. Up front United have Trevor Benjamin and Martin Butler and if this was not the FA cup, you would think they ought to score a million. In goal Shaun Marshall replaces Van Heusden who is still struggling with a leg injury. Last night Rushden and Diamonds rolled Scunthorpe over 2-0, and it could have been more. Based on Cambridge United's past Cup performances against non-League sides, this is a game to be nervous about. Gateshead are a side with plenty of players with League experience and their striker Paul Thompson can score goals. They will be fired up today and Cambridge must be prepared to battle.
Cambridge kick-off towards the allotments end and there are no sign of nerves from the team in all red defending the goal with what appears to be about 200 fans behind it who have made the long trip from the North-East. After 4 minutes Neil Mackenzie thumps in a shot but it curls wide but Gateshead win the first corner after five minutes with a cross by Alderson. When the corner comes over Shaun Marshall has to tip round for another. In the resultant pressure the shot hits a defender. Gateshead look more relaxed than Cambridge, and striker Keith Fletcher is enjoying himself. He smiles a complaint to the linesman when flagged offside then pats Clive Wilson on the head as they come out even challenging for a 50-50 ball.
Cambridge are not taking control of the game and Ian Ashbee is disappointed with himself for a poor cross. Gateshead work a half chance but their bleached blonde skinhead Steve Bowey is well off target. A Cambridge half chance falls to Martin Butler but he fails to control. Mackenzie is trying hard to spark a Cambridge side who seem badly out of sorts but his cross after some excellent work is met by a poor header from Trevor Benjamin who is miles off target from just eight yards. Martin Butler is tackled out of it on the edge to the area but when Cambridge win a free kick as Alderson tries to remove Clive Wilson's shirt, it is easily cleared. Fletcher's smile has gone as he furiously berates Alderson for an awful shot as Fletcher takes up a good position waiting for a pass.
If Cup ties are supposed to be exciting, nobody has given these sides the script. Martin Butler finds space but Mackenzie runs into trouble instead of passing. It takes Cambridge Utd 23 minutes to win a corner and when this is swung over the powerful header from Scott Eustace is clearly blocked on the line by the hand of the defender. The referee misses it. It looks as if this is going to be a long afternoon. Gateshead are struggling at the set pieces and on 28 minutes an excellent opening sees Martin Butler pass to Benjamin whose shot is well saved by keeper Swan at the expense of a corner. You get the distinct impression that Cambridge must surely score from one of these as Scott Eustace has another header cleared off the line. Dion Raitt is booked for a bad late challenge on Mackenzie. It is not malicious, but he is just very slow. When Kitchen climbs all over Martin Butler, United win a free kick six yards outside the area. Butler's fierce shot is parried for a corner by Swan.
A few minutes later the first ball is sent into the allotments by a defender as Mackenzie tries to set up Trevor Benjamin, the corner frustratingly coming to nothing. 5 minutes before the break a good Cambridge build up gets Neil Mustoe in but his shot is off target and a return effort from Scott Paterson is also blocked. A cross from Trevor Benjamin is too high for the front runners and as we play an extra two minutes in what has been a pretty grim up first-half, Martin Butler shoots straight at goalkeeper. This has been an awful half. As I go for my cup of tea, one of member of the Vice President Club is saying to another "Do you realise you have been charged £8.50 to watch the first half, and you'd paid another £8.50 to watch the second?" "I want £6 back already" is the reply.
The second half starts with Adrian Swan kicking into touch to chants of "Dodgy keeper", more in hope than expectation. The drizzle adds to the grey and dreary afternoon, with Ian Ashbee giving the ball away after Cambridge have patiently jockeyed for an opening. 6 minutes after the break Martin Butler sets up Trevor Benjamin, his fierce shot parried by Swan up in the air and when it comes down he juggles it again before he finally grabbing it. Gateshead are really slowing it down at every set-piece to the crowd's frustration. Oh, for someone to stamp their authority on this game! Gateshead defend desperately as Paul Wanless, who seems to be one of the few players on the park with any appetite for this game, climbs to head into the danger area. Mackenzie is there but he shoots well over.
On 56 minutes Shaun Marshall is at last called into action. The first piece of work he has to do of any importance is when a cross is swung in. He drops it, but fortunately manages to grab it again. An Ian Ashbee cross is over Martin Butler's head and missed by Mackenzie then Benjamin, who is having a very poor game and making little impact, is easily beaten by Tony Hall, a slap head slimmed down version of Alexis Sayle. Seconds later Benjamin and Butler gets 2 on 2 but Benjamin sends his pass straight to the keeper instead of to Butler.
On the hour the Cambridge subs are warming up to chants of "Shaggy" and "Kyddo", as importantly Keith Fletcher is booked for dissent. Cambridge almost find a way through via the unlikely source of Clive Wilson whose cross is nearly headed into his own net by full back Lynch. Neil Mustoe takes the corner and again wastes it. Mustoe is another having a poor game, constantly giving the ball away when trying to find the front runners. Cambridge at last go close when Butler flicks on a cross and the diving Paul Wanless is inches away from a final touch as he throws himself at it. At the next corner Lynch collects a yellow card for time wasting and 10 Gateshead players are back to help clear the corner.
Still there is little sense of urgency or invention from Cambridge. With 20 minutes left Hall concedes an unnecessary corner as Butler closes him down and before it can be taken Scott Paterson is replaced by John Taylor. When Marc Joseph comes up in support, the centre back promptly crosses over the top of the Newmarket Road end stand and into the Corona car park. Still Cambridge look to press but still they look woefully unconvincing and break down at every opportunity. Gateshead, who have the goalless draw they have come for, have players dropping down for treatment at every opportunity, and with 15 minutes to go another hits the deck when Cambridge are awarded a corner. John Taylor runs into trouble to more groans which get even louder when a Cambridge throw-in from half way inside the Gateshead half is worked all your way back to Marshall without a touch from a Gateshead player.
78 minutes and Cambridge win another corner. Yet another against a player needs treatment. When he finally gets up the corner comes over for John Taylor to crash it in off the underside of bar. It is a Geoff Hurst 1966 World Cup goal with all the United players putting their hands up in joyful acknowledgment of the goal as the ball is cleared. The referee looks to the linesman and points to the centre circle to an enormous cheer of great relief, Taylor disappearing under an avalanche of amber shirts. The ball has returned to the centre circle as goalkeeper Adrian Swan kicks the air in the frustration. Another frustrated player is Fletcher who complains to the lino before the game can be restarted. Fussy referee Peter Walton runs over and dramatically waves a totally unnecessary red card at the hapless Fletcher. Fletcher is mortified, asking the linesman what he has done. The incident has taken place right beneath me, and is plainly one of frustration rather than malicious dissent. Any sensible referee would have just come across and told him to get on with the game without dramatically sending him to the dressing room.
1-0 to Cambridge, 11 minutes to go and the non-League part timers are down to 10 men yet Cambridge play negative keep-ball to jeers from the crowd and shouts of "There are still 10 minutes to go". Trevor Benjamin at last gets into the penalty area but the shot is far too high. Gateshead, looking at last to make some impact at the Cambridge end, win a corner after 83 minutes as Eustace puts a cross round. When this comes over Marshall produces an ugly flap. The next time he gets the ball there are more jeers as he starts wasting time. Here we are with six minutes to go and Cambridge United leading 1-0 against poor non-League opposition down to 10 men, and they are wasting time to hang on to the lead. It wouldn't be so bad if Gateshead were causing problems, but they have not had a single shot on target in the game.
A Clive Wilson cross meant for John Taylor lands on the roof of the net, and there is a brief flurry of excitement as John Taylor then robs the defender who is plainly tired, but as Trevor Benjamin shoots against the post the whistle has already gone for offside. The board is held up for 3 extra minutes to be played. Marshall comes and importantly collects a cross cleanly. The final whistle goes to bring nothing but relief to Cambridge United fans.
"Cambridge had run out of ideas" claims Gateshead manager Matt Pearson. He is wrong. They have played this game as if they had none to start with.
Roy McFarland talks to Radio Cambridgeshire and tells the listeners "We played badly and got our first clean sheet". He does not mince his words. "We were awful. Very, very poor."
"In every department?" asks Trevor Peer for Radio Cambridgeshire. "In every department" confirms McFarland. "We owe our supporters after today." The manager says that the crowd sucked the ball in when Taylor's shot hit the bar. "I did not look at the ref. I looked straight at the linesman and his flag went up straight away," he says.
McFarland says that Gateshead have been a credit to themselves, their fans, and the club. "I made a change today to 4-4-2 and it didn't work," he says. "We just did not get in and support."
Today Cambridge United have scraped home in a miserable performance against a poor non-league side. Their reward is a home tie against Bamber Bridge in Round Two. If you looked at every club left in this competition, and asked to pick your fixture, you would take this one. They are plainly the weakest side left in the FA Cup, and are several places below Gateshead in the same League.
On Tuesday night Cambridge United play Scunthorpe at the Abbey. After their humiliation at Rushden last night, United could be facing a Scunthorpe backlash. If they are as devoid of ideas as they have been today, there is little chance of them moving out of the bottom three of Division Two. All you can say about this dreadful game is that Cambridge United have at last kept a clean sheet. That's hardly a recommendation - Gateshead were so poor that there are a few Sunday League sides you might fancy to shut them out. Let's just put this behind us, be grateful for the victory and forget about it as soon as possible.
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Cambridge United 1 Gateshead 0
Unibond League Gateshead came within 11 minutes of earning a famous draw against Second Division Cambridge United at The Abbey Stadium. But after giving their more illustrious hosts a devilish job to break them down, the team from the town best known for the 'Angel of the North' statue beside the A1 were undone a controversial goal from veteran Cambridge striker, John Taylor.
Taylor struck just ten minutes after coming on as substitute for a Cambridge side fast running out of ideas. Neil Mustoe's 79th minute corner was only cleared to the Cambridge coach's right foot, and he rattled his shot home from close range, off the underside of the bar.
It took the beady eye of an Assistant Referee to confirm that the ball had actually crossed the line. The decision accepted in good part by the visiting team, with the exception of Gateshead's Scottish-born, Grenadan international striker, Keith Fletcher, who was red-carded for questioning the Assistant Referee's eyesight.
Gateshead dominated the early exchanges in this match of surprisingly few chances, but saw shots from Richie Alderson and Paul Thompson blocked in the 6th and 7th minutes by United defenders Scott Eustace and Marc Joseph.
Cambridge finally started to exercise control midway through the first half. They were sparked into action after being denied a clear penalty when a Eustace header was palmed off the line by former Bristol Rovers midfielder, Steve Bowey. Quite how referee Peter Walton, who had an otherwise solid game, missed the presence of Gateshead's bleached-blond player was unclear.
Cambridge never lost their control of the possession after that incident.
Their first clean sheet of the season was never in doubt as the second half saw increasing one- way traffic towards the Gateshead goal. However, the visitors defended solidly, never allowing Cambridge's highly-rated strike partnership of Martin Butler and Trevor Benjamin a clear sight of goal.
But just as Gateshead looked destined to earn a replay, Taylor's sharp finish settled the issue and the ten-man visitors were able to offer little threat in the remaining minutes.
After the match, Gateshead boss Mattie Pearson thought his side had earned a second chance: "Part of the plan was to score early and then defend, and we had our chances, we just didn't get that goal! With 20 minutes to go, I couldn't see them hurting us. It's a testimony to the lads that they're disappointed in the dressing room. It would have been nice to get them back to Gateshead - it would have been very, very difficult to beat them up there, but it would have been nice to have been in the draw."
A relieved Cambridge boss, Roy McFarland commented: "I'm pleased to get through. It's not many times, since I've been here, that we've played poorly and won the game, and there's not many times when we have played poorly and kept a clean sheet - and we did play poorly today."
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It took Cambridge United until 11 minutes from time to break the stout resistance of Unibond League side Gateshead. And then they needed the help of their 35-year-old player-coach John Taylor, sent on as a late substitute as Gateshead looked like forcing a replay.
Despite all the possession in the second half, Cambridge were kept at bay by a hard-working defence until they got the breakthrough at a 79th minute corner kick. The Gateshead defence could only head the ball out of the goalmouth, straight to Taylor who hammered it back under the crossbar.
There was a scare for Cambridge early in the match when defender Ian Ashbee had to head off his goal-line when Richie Alderson rammed a shot in. It took Cambridge until midway through the first half to gain control of the match, but they were unlucky in the 23rd minute when the referee failed to spot Gateshead Steve Bowey block a Scott Eustace header on the goal-line with his hands.
Martin Butler was close to a goal just before half-time, but goalkeeper Adrian Swan made a brilliant reflex save.
Report © Soccernet
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RANDALL BUTT reports as Cambridge United scrape through to the second round of the FA Cup THE FA Cup is all about heroes and tradition, which fortunately for a Cambridge United team getting nowhere against non-Leaguers, was represented by one man who rarely lets them down. As a much closer match than expected entered what United boss Roy McFarland admitted was "a sweaty" final quarter, Gateshead manager Matt Pearson was justified in believing his Unibond League battlers were going to inflict the embarrassment of a replay on the second division men. Said Pearson: "I thought we were going to get the draw we deserved because Cambridge had run out of ideas. "They were just trying to run through us, and my lads were standing up to that." But, as the tension on the terraces and in the home team started producing increasingly panicky play, McFarland had one idea left, the eternal SOS -- "Send on Shaggy." At first, though, it looked like even the old warhorse might be suffering from the same jitters sending the less experienced charging headstrong and unthinking into trouble. Soon after going on as a 69th minute substitute he ran straight into a defender when Ian Ashbee was free outside him with a clear run to the byeline. "I got sucked into the mood of the game," said the 35-year-old player-coach. "We weren't playing our football and thinking enough about passing the ball. "But the Cup has always been good to me. I was telling the lads before the start that I've never failed to score against a non-League side, and again I was in the right place at the right time." That was on the edge of the box when a Gateshead centre-back headed the ball out from a corner. Taylor blasted it back under the crossbar before doing a Roger Hunt and turning to celebrate his 11th FA Cup goal as the ball bounced back out and everyone else looked towards the linesman. "I always think your first instincts are right," said Taylor. "I wheeled away as the ball went in and I'm sure it bounced out off the underside of the net and the keeper." Gateshead's Keith Fletcher was sent off for arguing otherwise with the linesman, whose word was taken by referee Peter Walton. And although United had the upper hand in general play after the opening 20 minutes, it was indicative of a dodgy season so far that they should scrape past a side from Cambridge City's level by a single disputed goal. Taylor's shot in the 79th minute was the only one of any real menace after a Trevor Benjamin power drive forced a desperate block and grab from goalkeeper Adrian Swan in the 51st. Like a fitter, better boxer drawn into a slugging match with a spirited, but limited, opponent United fell into the trap of trying to bludgeon their way to victory instead of exploiting the gap in skill. There was a spell midway through the first half when Neil Mackenzie linked with Trevor Benjamin, and Ashbee pushed up from full-back on the other flank to stretch and expose the part-timers' defence. But after being denied the breakthrough they needed at that point, by good goalkeeping and poor refereeing, United disintegrated into a side of three separate units hoping some individual effort would make up for tired teamwork. It has to be said, though, they would probably have won much more easily if referee Walton had not apparently been struck by some sort of momentary blindness -- the only sensible explanation for him missing a blatant handball on the goal-line. Scott Eustace launched himself into a power header at a 23rd minute corner and Steve Bowey stuck out an arm to block it. Eustace managed a near action replay six minutes later only to see the ball slam against the keeper's legs. Then two incidents a few minutes either side of half time meant the rest of the match would be a struggle, instead of a stroll. Swan made a reflex save when Martin Butler finished off the best move of the match, involving Mackenzie, Neil Mustoe and Ashbee, and followed that by stopping Benjamin's blaster. Gateshead, starting the game with the confidence of a side with only one defeat in 17 matches, almost shocked United when Richie Alderson forced Ashbee to head clear, with Shaun Marshall -- in for the injured Arjan Van Heusden -- looking beaten. They never looked like scoring after their initial burst of enthusiasm, but they fully deserved the applause of the United fans, plus the genuine praise from a mightily relieved Taylor and McFarland, at the end.
Report © Cambridge Newspapers Ltd |
Taylor's decisive goal comes just two days after McFarland revealed that the big striker was thinking about hanging up his boots. "I think John is ready to hang his boots up. I won't let him," he told Will Jones for U's Net on Thursday. "I still think he can contribute to the end of the season."
A continuation of the 4-4-2 formation that served us reasonably well at Gillingham, and probably to ensure enough bodies in midfield in order not to be out run by the enthusiasm of a non-league team.
Mark Johnson was asked to write a report for the Daily Telegraph (he suspects for use in the event of an upset) and he's given me permission to use it on U's Net.