Nationwide League Division Two - Friday 12th November, 1999
Cambridge
United: (4-3-3) Marshall, Ashbee, Joseph, McNeil, Wilson; Mustoe,
Wanless, Mackenzie; Kyd (Taylor 83'), Butler, Benjamin.
Luton Town: Abbey, Boyce
(Sodje 46'), Taylor, Spring, Watts, Johnson, Doherty, McLaren (McIndoe
60'), Douglas, Midgley (Locke 60'), George. Referee: T. Heilbron (Newton Aycliffe)
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Cambridge United recorded only their third win of the season tonight in an unlikely victory against high-flying Luton Town, but the search for a clean sheet goes on after Luton scored a late consolation. Roy McFarland had the luxury of naming an unchanged side to face Luton Town tonight but Arjan Van Heusden returned to the squad to sit on the bench as cover for Shaun Marshall, with a specially adapted glove to protect his thumb. Youth team striker Daniel Chillingworth made his first appearance on the bench alongside contemporary Adam Tann. The game kicked off in chilly conditions. The U's started well and enjoyed plenty of possession without really carving out many chances, and controlled the game for much of the first 25 minutes. United had the first real chance after seven minutes when a mistake by Doherty presented the ball to Trevor Benjamin just outside the area, but he snatched his shot wide as Luton's defence closed him down. Two minutes later Benjamin rounded Boyce and his cross found Michael Kyd unmarked ten yards out, but his feeble shot bounced into the goalkeeper's arms. After 12 minutes Matthew Spring sprang forward, burst through Ashbee's challenge but ran into Marc Joseph and the danger evaporated. The Hatters started to battle their way back into the game and it looked as though United might have squandered the chance of the lead when Luton carved out three chances in eight minutes. Firstly Spring's 25th minute corner found Doherty unmarked in the box but his downward header bounced up and over the bar. Then in the 32nd minute Matthew Taylor found Liam George who sprang the offside trap and scampered into the area but his shot was well saved by Marshall as far as Stuart Douglas, who fluffed his shot from the rebound. A minute later Boyce's cross was cleared as far as Spring who fired his shot wide from the edge of the area. It was a scrappy period of the match with plenty of misplaced passes and some comedy moments as the ball was miscontrolled and bounced away from the players, but just as it looked as though the chance might have gone the U's took the lead in the 39th minute. Clive Wilson's inswinging free kick from wide on the right was met by Martin Butler at the near post who scored his 13th goal of the season with a glancing header. The veteran Wilson turned provider again in the 44th minute when his cross was headed back across goal by Michael Kyd and Trevor Benjamin intercepted with a solid header that beat the 'keeper to double the lead. Luton almost struck back two minutes into stoppage time when Taylor curled a vicious free kick round the wall but hit the inside of the post with Marshall beaten. (Half time 2-0) United were attacking their favourite Newmarket Road end after the break and after just 40 seconds Neil Mustoe's corner caused panic in the box before the ball finally fell to Michael Kyd, but the transfer-listed striker could only fire into the side-netting from a tight angle. Luton had sent former Cambridge target Efe Sodje on for Watts at half-time and they mounted a brief fightback after that early let-off, but United's defence built on their encouraging performance at Bristol City last weekend and kept the Hatters at bay. After 62 minutes Cambridge were awarded a free kick just over 20 yards out in Martin Butler territory. The U's top scorer drilled the ball into the wall before it went behind and from the subsequent corner Benjamin's downward header bounced into the 'keeper's hands. Seven minutes later United clinched the only third win of the season with a third goal from a welcome source. Recent signing Neil Mackenzie took possession when Spring lost the ball in midfield and hit a sublime first time raking ball into the path of Michael Kyd who had beaten the offside trap. The transfer-listed striker scampered onto the ball wide on the right, came inside and thumped the ball home for his third of the season. About twenty minutes before the end skipper Paul Wanless had to leave the pitch for stitches after being caught in the face by a flailing arm, at a stage when a few bad tackles were flying in from a frustrated Luton side. Wanny literally sprinted off for treatment ahead of physio Ken Steggles and returned to a huge cheer a few minutes later. There was little goalmouth action to speak of until the very end as United had the game won and Luton looked as though they had lost heart, but they scored right at the death. Abbey's long clearance skidded off Joseph's head and fell to the in-form Liam George who cut inside and thumped the ball in off the underside of the bar. It was scant consolation for Luton who had been well beaten by the Mighty U's but ensured that the search for a clean sheet in the league goes on.
We rose one place in the table after this confidence-boosting win, up to 21st and with a FA Cup second round tie against Unibond League side Bamber Bridge to look forward to next Saturday.
RESULTS AND ATTENDANCES ON 12/11/99
Brentford 4-3 Scunthorpe United 4,657
Cambridge United 3-1 Luton Town 6,211
Cardiff City 2-1 Chesterfield 4,863
Gillingham 4-1 AFC Bournemouth 6,336
Millwall 0-0 Wrexham 6,711
Preston North End 2-0 Notts County 14,226
Wigan Athletic 2-1 Wycombe Wanderers 5,523
BOTTOM OF DIVISION TWO
20 Reading 15 4 3 8 21 28 -7 15
21 Cambridge United 17 3 5 9 26 31 -5 14
22 Blackpool 16 2 6 8 17 30 -13 12
23 Chesterfield 16 2 5 9 11 19 -8 11
24 Colchester United 15 2 5 8 17 34 -17 11
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Joseph got himself booked for a late trip on one of their players. On 24 minutes from their first corner a Luton player headed downwards unchallenged from about 6 yards, the ball bounced just in front of the goal line and up over the bar! Just after half an hour what looked a clear offside was not flagged which gave a Luton player a run on goal but Marshall parried the ball and it was cleared. The linesman got a lot of stick from the Habbin, then cheers when he next flagged for offside when it didn't look justified!
After 39 minutes we got a free kick midway between their penalty area and the touchline on our right after Butler had been fouled. After a bit of dithering, Wilson came across and put in a curling cross which was glanced into the net at the far post by Butler at the near post. It was the merest of touches, and the ball could possibly have gone in without the touch. A minute later their #40 (I think) was booked for a late tackle on McNeil, not the first time either.
2 minutes from the end of normal time Wilson crossed long from the left, Kyd headed the ball back for the inrushing Benjamin to power an unstoppable header into the net to put us 2-0 up. In the 47th minute Luton got a free kick a few yards outside our penalty area, the shot beat the wall and Marshall but hit the inside of the far post, bounced back across the goal and was eventually cleared, and we preserved our half time lead which we just about deserved.
In the first seconds of the second half we gained a corner from defensive hesitancy, from which Kyd almost scored at the near post. Their #30, Neil Midgley got a stern talking to after a late tackle on McNeil, but no booking. Every time he went near the ball he seemed more intent on getting the player, and soon after was taken off as part of a double substitution by Luton. Another free kick to us in a position similar to where they hit the post from resulted in the shot being deflected by the wall for a corner, from which a header was straight at their 'keeper. Luton made the occasional foray into our penalty area, from one cut back cross they shot wide. After 24 minutes Mackenzie spotted Kyd on the other side of the pitch in loads of space and put over a lovely cross which Kyd controlled, took forward a few paces then drilled a super shot into the far corner of the goal to put us 3 -0 up.
We were playing really well, and decided to give Luton a chance by taking off Wanless for 5 minutes I think to have a head injury seen to, but they couldn't make a decent chance. Taylor came on for Kyd for the last 7 minutes. In the last minute we lost a clean sheet as Luton scored a consolation goal.
Luton looked quite a good footballing side, and against those types of teams we seem to do well compared to the battling teams such as Gillingham. Tonight we passed the ball around nicely, made space, played the easy ball to keep possession, and made Luton look a very average side. The forwards all did well, holding the ball to allow support, and looking to run into space and they were found with good passes. Kyd also seemed back to his better form, managing to beat defenders and keep the ball, and his goal must have given him a lot of confidence.
In midfield Mackenzie put his left foot to good use as well as his right, Mustoe and Wanless controlled the middle of the park. At the back the McNeil/Joseph partnership looked solid, and both full backs stopped most crosses, and when they didn't Marshall came and claimed safely.
Their keeper was Nathan Abbey (good name!), and he wore shiny gloves which made him look like an extra in a Michael Jackson video! All in all a great evening out, and 3 deserved points.
This was the second game my 15 year old daughter has come to (the first was Gateshead), do I detect a pattern here? I've persuaded her to come to the Bamber Bridge game, to try the seats in the Main stand.
There have been various comments on the songs at United and perhaps they should be updated, so instead of "You're shit and you know you are" perhaps "You're pants, and you know you are" would encourage younger supporters to sing. Know any other song that could be updated?
Terry
Wilby |
"At last the luck changes"
After the spirited draw at Bristol City last week, Roy McFarland names an unchanged side. Arjan Van Heusden has recovered sufficiently to be on the bench, complete with a special glove made to protect his thumb if he is called into action. Scott Eustace is still unavailable, but even if he were, he would be hard pushed to replace Martin McNeil who took his unexpected chance last week with a display which tightened the defence up no end. Among the Luton substitutes is Efi Sodje, the no-nonsense centre back who Roy McFarland says he could not afford to sign even when he was a "free" agent.
Brian Swain - the Luton News counterpart of Randall Butt - tells me before the game that Sodje can't get into this side. Luton are managed by Lenny Lawrence, a manager well respected in the game, who has a task similar to that of Roy McFarland - running a side with the outside money men holding the key to the padlock on the purse. His young and enthusiastic team have been put together for next to nothing. The club's money worries are well known as they try to bounce straight back into Division One. Seventh in the table, they have had the troubles away from home. With five defeats in their last seven games, and short of goals, they have signed Neil Midgley on loan from Ipswich. The 21 year old from Fulbourn was a prolific goal scorer in the Cambridge Colts League and for the Cambridge and District school boys. Roy McFarland says that he had a look at him but couldn't see him displacing Martin Butler or Trevor Benjamin. The scouts are still running the rule over the Cambridge United strikers and sitting in the main stand are Gerry Francis the QPR manager who has Ian Dowie beside him.
Luton kick off towards the Newmarket Road end on a crisp night with over 6200 in the crowd. The Tannoy announcer has been pleading with the Luton fans to move away from the entrance at the allotments end but is having little success. About 2,000 have made the trip, many more than Luton have told Cambridge to expect. Hundreds of Luton fans are still trying to get in the ground as the game kicks off. Luton make the running in a low key opening but they are not causing the Cambridge defence many problems. The first chance comes after 7 minutes as Trevor Benjamin bustles his way through but his snapshot is miles off target. Shaun Marshall is soon in the action, making a brave dive at a forward's feet. Benjamin breaks down the left and drives over a low cross which Martin Butler lets run to Michael Kyd. It is a great chance and Kyd, perhaps not realising the acres of space he has and with the goal at his mercy, puts a weak shot straight at the keeper, the appropriately named Nathan Abbey.
Cambridge almost get caught on the break as Kyd makes a mistake on the halfway line but Neil Mustoe has raced back to clear. Luton look in trouble from crosses, and when Benjamin hits it deep, Abbey claws it out for Kyd to head back into the danger area but the ball is hustled round for a corner. From this Paul Wanless powers a header over the top but is penalised for pushing. After a quarter of an hour referee Trevor Heilbron, who has made the long trek from County Durham, books Marc Joseph who has sent Liam George flying as the Luton player races onto a through pass. Joseph is having another inconsistent game, and Cambridge are very lucky as he completely mis-kicks a low diagonal ball which goes straight through for a surprised Shaun Marshall to collect down by the post.
Benjamin is unlucky as the ball just will not fall for him in the penalty area then, looking more fired up tonight, he comprehensively beats his marker only to cross over the bar. At the back Martin McNeil continues to impress, showing his pace on several occasions. On 24 minutes Cambridge have that piece of luck that seems to have been denied them so often of late. A Luton corner is met by the powerful centre-back Gary Doherty but his downward header from five yards rears up to bounce over the Cambridge bar. Marc Joseph is again careless in the centre circle and almost lets Luton in. Roy McFarland is furious. He's out of the dug out shouting "Jerry! Jerry!" and angrily gesticulating towards the Luton end of the field. On 28 minutes Kyd and Mustoe break from a Luton corner. They are two-on-two as Mustoe makes a tremendous run into space. Kyd has only to give it to him to get him clear on goal, but instead he runs straight into the two defenders as we groan in frustration.
The linesman under the Habbin then tries to hand Luton an undeserved lead when just after the half hour Liam George, looking well offside, is allowed to run through but Shaun Marshall stands up to make a fine save. The lino gets plenty of stick, and when he does give an offside a couple of minutes later, he is greeted with huge sarcastic cheers. Both centre backs are closely marking Butler. When one leaves him the other quickly is all over the Cambridge striker. Luton defend in depth with Neil Mustoe having a shot charged down, but Paul Wanless, looking fit and eager tonight, heads off target.
The Cambridge breakthrough comes in the 39th minute. Martin Butler gets his shirt pulled in front of the Luton seats in the Habbin. The Luton fans are not impressed when the free kick is given but they even more so when Clive Wilson goes across to knock to the near post. Martin Butler times his run to perfection to flick the header across the keeper and into the far corner. It is a goal that has come from the most likely source - the cross that the defenders have always looked in trouble from and a striker always looking likely to score. A minute later Julian Watts collects a yellow card for kicking away Neil Mackenzie's legs and as the stylish United midfielder gets treatment, the Newmarket Road break into "Walking in a Butler Wonderland".
Two minutes from half time Wilson is involved again. This time he crosses from the left and when Kyd nods it back into the six yard box, Trevor Benjamin dives in to make it 2-0. Cambridge are now full of themselves, bristling with confidence against the Luton side who look beaten. A rugby scrum on the edge of the Luton area with Trevor Benjamin at the bottom of it is broken up by the ref who gives the free kick against Benjamin. In football, as in life, being good is not enough. You have to be lucky as well. In the second minute of added time Matthew Taylor steps up to crash a ferocious free kick against the inside junction of post and bar. The ball could rebound anywhere, especially into the net, but instead it flies out towards the main stand touch line. It seems that the luck for Cambridge United has changed at last and they go in at half time with a comfortable two goal lead.
Sodje, complete with his trade mark bandana, comes on at the start of the second half in a re-arranged defence. The big centre-back Doherty is now at right-back, presumably to combat the Trevor Benjamin threat. Straight from the kick-off he gives away a corner which is desperately defended, the ball finally fired into the side netting as Mustoe and Kyd have efforts scrambled away. McLaren catches Neil Mackenzie very late but somehow the ref has missed it. That was a booking. A long punt dropping into the Luton box sees keeper Abbey coming out to head clear instead of catching it. "Dodgy keeper! Dodgy keeper!"
Tonight Ian Ashbee is excellent at the back and gets in a great defensive header. Neil Mustoe then sets Kyd away on the right but Sodje shuts him down, then tackles out Mustoe as Butler gets him running at the defence. You can see why McFarland wanted him. Michael Kyd is back to help the defence but runs into trouble in his own half as he tries to dribble his way past two midfielders instead of opting for a pass. This time both David Preece and Roy McFarland are out of the dug out making it quite clear from the gestures that he has to stop peeing in his own half. Neil Midgley has got nothing out of the Cambridge defence. He gets lectured for a foul on Ian Ashbee but to the disgust of the crowd he is not booked. When George hooks a shot high over the Cambridge bar, Lawrence decides to ring the changes. Midgley and McLaren are replaced by McIndoe and Locke.
Just after the hour Butler is climbed all over two yards outside the penalty area. His shot deflects off the wall for a corner which Benjamin heads straight into the keeper's hands. A half chance opens up from McIndoe but he slices it woefully wide. McNeil, who for my money looks as good as any defender we have seen this season, is again very impressive as a ball flies off Marc Joseph's boot at full stretch. With 68 minutes gone a magnificent 50 yards crossfield pass from Mackenzie finds Michael Kyd in oceans of space. This time he gets it right, cutting in from the right to smash a shot hard and low past the keeper. 3-0. "It's just like watching Brazil" sing the Newmarket Road end and as Marshall tips away another cross, Luton fans make for the exit with 20 minutes left.
The Newmarket Road end is now in full voice with "We can see you sneaking out" and "Roy McFarland's Amber Army" - something we have not heard for long time. They end by telling us that the U's are marching on. Paul Wanless, literally all blood and guts at the heart of the side, goes down holding his face and angrily mimes to the referee that he has been elbowed. Steggles runs on and from the stand you can see Wanless in the centre circle pouring blood for the cause. He races off to be repaired. With a quarter of an hour left Luton put the pressure on 10 men United. Butler has dropped into midfield and after a seven minutes absence Paul Wanless runs back on the field to cheers and a chorus of "Paul is the King of the Abbey."
Luton now desperately look for a consolation but Ian Ashbee clears another corner when Shaun Marshall is unable to make a clean catch. McNeil cuts out Douglas and with seven minutes left John Taylor replaces Kyd who leaves to warm applause with Roy McFarland making a public show of his appreciation of the efforts of the man he transfer listed. Trevor Benjamin, still fired up, gets to the by-line and cuts the ball back towards Martin Butler, the keeper diving across to punch the ball away. Not only has Benjamin had his best game for ages but also tonight there have been some impressive performances for Cambridge, all in the same match for a change.
For me in a series of good displays, none have been better than McNeil. Cambridge are full of it. They arrogantly knock it about but as the three minute board is held up, Liam George gets space in the box to drive the ball into the top corner. The on pitch inquest breaks out and it seems to revolve around Marc Joseph once more. Incredibly now the Cambridge fans are whistling to suggest to the ref that time is up. When you are at the bottom with a defence that has previously leaked like a sieve, you even get worried that they might give up a three goal lead in injury time. Luton have a final corner before the whistle go is and Paul Wanless is named man of the match.
As we leave the stand one sad Luton fan is saying to another "We just didn't play at all". Certainly they have not looked like a side pushing for promotion. "When that shot came back off the bar just before half time, I knew it was going to be our night" says Roy McFarland. "We have taken time to get to grips with Second Division football, but we showed we can succeed in it tonight and in recent other games. We got quality crosses in and it was good to see all three strikers on the score sheet."
All the Cambridge players accept the contribution of Lady Luck tonight. Mustoe, another good game under his belt, says "Luton would have been lifted if that shot had gone in off the post. It went for us and that's what we've needed because we'd been playing well for some time now."
He also has a special word of praise for Paul Wanless. "The skipper was back to his best, playing with a lot of power and that was a major influence" he says. Wanless himself, who is a man you would want in the trenches beside you, says that he was hardly bothered by the injury. "Six stitches for three points isn't a bad swap," he says. That comment just sums this guy up. That's more stitches than you get for most operations of these days. If Cambridge United survive in this division then it will be because people like him show the commitment that was shown tonight. Perhaps McFarland is right. Perhaps the tide has turned at last as United take full advantage when Lady Lucky smiles on them.
Cambridge United must have something about Friday evenings. Their last League victory came on Friday October 15th when Colchester were seen off, and they had to wait until the next Friday match to claim full points again.
Cambridge started brightly against a disappointing Luton side but for all their early domination only created one clear cut chance. Transfer-listed striker Michael Kyd found the ball at his feet ten yards out but his feeble 9th-minute shot bounced tamely in to the arms of Luton keeper Nathan Abbey.
Cambridge appeared to squander their early advantage as Luton fought their way back in to match. The visitors almost went ahead in the 32nd minute as Liam George sprung the offside trap but his fierce shot was well saved by Shaun Marshall.
Just as it looked as though Luton were gaining the upper hand Cambridge struck. Clive Wilson's 39th minute in-swinging free-kick was deftly glanced home by highly-rated striker Martin Butler.
Just five minutes later Cambridge doubled their advantage with defender Wilson again turning provider. His cross was nodded back across goal by Michael Kyd and Trevor Benjamin was on hand to head home.
Luton almost hit back immediately when Matthew Taylor's viciously curling free-kick beat the Cambridge wall but not the post on the stroke of half-time.
Cambridge almost made it three just 40 seconds after the restart when Neil Mustoe's corner caused panic in the Luton defence. The ball finally fell to Kyd who could only hit the side-netting from a tight angle.
The escape stung Luton into the latest effort but they found a Cambridge defence looking unusually solid.
Cambridge confirmed only their third League victory of the season with a well-crafted goal on 69 minutes. Matthew Spring lost possesion in midfeild to Cambridge's most creative player Neil MacKenzie. His raking pass picked out Kyd who scampered clear of the offside trap before thumping an unstoppable drive past the keeper.
Luton launched a late rally, but it was too little too late with their only reward coming in the 90th minute when Abbey's long clearance fell to Liam George who finished with a shot off the underside of the bar.
The goal was scant consolation for Luton and only served to ensure that Cambridge extended their run to 19 games without a clean sheet.
TWO crucial first-half moments in a dashing derby display convinced Cambridge United they can now climb away quickly from relegation danger.
And it had nothing to do with the double strike in five minutes just before the interval which stunned the high-flying Hatters.
Sailors and farmers have nothing on footballers when it comes to superstition. So it was no surprise when just about every United man who commented on the vital 3-1 victory was more encouraged by "the breaks", rather than the well-worked and expertly-taken goals or the up-beat overall display.
"I think we played better against Scunthorpe when we lost 3-1," said skipper Paul Wanless, back to fitness and form. "We battered them in that game, but we had no luck. This time we got the breaks. Luton missed a chance before we scored and hit the post just before half time."
Neil Mustoe, who toiled tirelessly alongside Wanless in midfield, agreed. "Luton would have been lifted if that shot had gone in off the post," he said. "It went for us, and that's what we've needed because we've been playing well for a while now."
Manager Roy McFarland, seemingly a big believer in the "lucky tie" factor in football, chipped in with: "I knew it was our night when that shot bounced out off the post."
And Ian Ashbee, part of a back-line which reduced the Hatters to a small handful of opportunities, said: "We had the breaks for a change. You have to have a bit of luck." But he added significantly: "We got stuck into them from the start. We knew they haven't been doing very well away from home and they didn't fancy it much."
United, in their best Abbey display since the height of last season's promotion campaign, had the guile to go with the grit needed in a noisy derby in which Luton were backed by more than 2,000 fans. And apart from one early howler -- a break for Luton -- when Michael Kyd tapped a ninth minute chance into the goalkeeper's hands, they had the skill and courage in the box to finish some superb moves.
It was a sign of Kyd's recent return to form that he put the miss out of his mind and played a full part in a three-man strike force which backed McFarland's assertion that Fulbourn's Neil Midgley -- on loan to Luton from Ipswich -- would not be able to force his way into United's attack.
Kyd helped set up Trevor Benjamin's 44th minute goal, five minutes after Butler's 13th of the season, then made sure of what was only United's second win in 16 League games with a flashing drive midway through the second half.
It was a scrappy, scruffy encounter, typical of derby games, for much of the first half, although United had established themselves as the most dangerous attackers, and sounder defence before the flurry of action leading up to the interval. Teenage centre-back Martin McNeil followed up his confident performance at Bristol City, and formed such a strong partnership with Marc Joseph that they ensured a miserable homecoming for Midgley.
The striker saw little of the ball, was unable to make any in-roads when he did get it, was warned by the referee for an unwise foul on Ashbee (predictably repaid minutes later), and then substituted 15 minutes into the second half.
United had much more power and penetration, particularly down the left flank where Clive Wilson, Neil Mackenzie and the bustling Benjamin often had the Hatters at full stretch. It was Emmerson Boyce, who missed the chance to put Luton in front when his downward header from six yards from a 24th minute corner kick hit the ground and bounced over the crossbar. And Matthew Taylor was the unlucky man who saw his curling 20-yard free kick bounce back off the far post seconds before half time.
"We needed a good start to keep Luton down after the interval," said Wanless, "and we got it when we won a corner straight from the kick off."
Three substitutions by Hatters' boss Lenny Lawrence within a quarter of an hour of the restart did nothing to break United's hold on the game. Kyd and Benjamin went close to extending the lead before Kyd's 69th minute killer goal.
It would have been the perfect night but for a lapse in concentration in the last minute, which enabled Liam George to grab the breakway goal that robbed United of their first League clean sheet of the campaign.
The fans filed out full of hope, which could be fulfilled as long as their team do not develop a superstition about winning only on Friday nights -- having also beaten Colchester -- because there are no more such fixtures this season.
Report © Cambridge Newspapers
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