ANOTHER away day, another odd goal defeat to add to the little lacerations draining away Cambridge United's second division life-blood.

Watching Roy McFarland's men on their travels is like witnessing the legendary old Chinese tortue -- death by a thousand cuts. They have not taken a really bad beating during the campaign, are usually in with a chance until the final whistle, yet are the only League club in the country still without an away win.

The latest defeat, nailing them more firmly to the foot of the table, was typical of the 10 by a one-goal margin away from the Abbey. Anyone challenged to a "blind" assessment, as they do with wine bottles without labels, would have been hard put to name the promotion challengers and the relegation favourites for 90 per cent of the untidy, run-of-the-mill encounter.

Indeed United probably played better football in spells than a Stoke City side strongly influenced by the direct approach of their Scandinavian contingent. Stoke looked happiest counter-attacking, hitting long balls to chase, or attempting to exert pressure by the long throws of Graham Kavanagh. And it was hardly suprising the only goal of the game came on the half hour from a set-piece, again exposing United's vulnerability at corner kicks.

Just as in United's previous away match, at Reading, the setting was much more impressive than the entertainment, although the huge Brittania Stadium looks better when you drive past it on the A50 than it feels to be inside. Built on a hill, it has big gaps between the towering stands creating canyons for the biting wind to blast through, cooling a £1.05 cup of Bovril by the time you get back to your seat.

And in a bid to generate some atmosphere, with whole sections unpopulated, they pump up the volume, introducing the players with a megawatts onslaught of the 2001 theme, Fanfare for the Common (and deafened) Man, which makes the Emerson, Lake and Palmer version sound like a lullaby.

Trevor Benjamin went close however to justifying the "Rollerball" build-up with a sixth- minute charge down the middle which would have produced one of United's great goals if the finish had been there. The giant striker looked set to celebrate his 21st birthday, a few days earlier, in breathtaking style as he surged through the middle of the Stoke side like Jonah Lomu scything through a rugby defence.

Players seemed to be bouncing off him as he ran through four challenges into the box, where unfortunately the shot was not quite powerful enough, and too close to goalkeeper Gavin Ward.

United had more of the play in the first half, and shared it in the second, Paul Wanless and Ian Ashbee seeing off red-haired terrier Michael Hansson in central midfield. But the perpetual problem which has prevented them getting a toe-hold after promotion was highlighted by the fact that it was an hour and nine minutes before Ward was troubled again, when he had to hold a 20-yard free kick from Benjamin that flashed through the wall.

In the absence of the injured Alex Russell and Neil Mustoe United were able to create few clear chances. The playmaker responsibility was thrust on to Neil Mackenzie, but weighed heavily on his return to his former club. And in trying too hard he lost his way, and the ball, much too often. It was one of his wayward passes which allowed Paul Connor to break away on a run which left Wanless and Scott Eustace on the ground in the 27th minute.

A poor finish, and good positioining by Marshall saving United for a few minutes until the set- piece goal.

There was not much more goalmouth action in the second half. McFarland tried everything, sending on his player-coaches John Taylor and David Preece, plus Michael Kyd. But the nearest thing to another goal came at the other end, where Marshall added to his list of fine saves when he pushed a Ben Petty header, from a corner, onto a post in the 77th minute.

An injury-time equaliser like last week's against Wigan would have been deserved, but Ashbee's curling shot was saved by the diving keeper.

Unfortunately allowing the monster sound system to add misery to injury for freezing United fans as Ken Dodd screamed Stoke's celebration song, his ghastly kitsch classic: "Happiness.. is a field of grain turning its face to the warm sunshine."

Paul Connor eased the tension at the Britannia Stadium this afternoon by nosing City in front on the half-hour. Stoke were making heavy weather of overpowering an industrious Cambridge side that should have snatched the lead themselves early on.

Gudjon Thordarson's men were displaying all the tentative signs of a side which had taken just one point from 12 - and were in dire need of Connor's breakthrough. Kavanagh's corner was met by Lightbourne's downward header and, though the 'keeper did well to save, he couldn't hold the effort and CONNOR was on hand to prod in from two yards for his sixth of the season.

His strike came in the midst of Stoke's most profitable spell of the afternoon as they finally threatened to put their bottom-of-the-table visitors in their rightful place. Connor himself might have opened the scoring two minutes earlier than he did by seizing the ball from deep and sidestepping two defenders before seeing his shot touched round the post by Marshall.

The resulting corner was met by Jacobsen's diving header which skewed beyond the far post. A couple of minutes later Kavanagh's left-wing corner was helped on to Gunnarsson stationed on the edge of the area and the Icelander controlled before volleying goalwards where Marshall did well to tip the swerving ball over the bar for the corner which led to Connor's opener. His strike and the crowd's relieved response visibly increased the home side's delicate confidence and that was demonstrated in the 35th minute when Kavanagh attempted to lob the 'keeper from over 35 yards.

Kavanagh's delivery was promising to bear further fruit and Lightbourne came close with a header via another cross from the Irish international. Stoke, though, had taken a long time to even approach top gear and should have been behind when some shoddy defending left Ward exposed after just six minutes. Benjamin accepted Clarke's wayward pass and then gave Stoke kittens by running at their backline and finding himself one-on-one with Ward who was down smartly to save to his left.

Cambridge were seeing enough of the ball to regularly disconcert if not threaten City's defence and Benjamin always remained a latent menace.

Half-time: Stoke 1, Cambridge 0.

The game's second goal would clearly be critical to the final outcome and Clarke went in search of the killer second by cutting in from the right in the opening seconds before seeing a right foot effort sail harmlessly over. But Cambridge were looking far from overawed by the task before them and Mackenzie, desperate for a goal against his old club, scuffed his shot 15 yards out after Guinan had challenged for Chenery's right-wing cross.

Clarke's nimble footwork released Kavanagh who in turn freed O'Connor, but the Irishman dallied long enough to be dispossessed. The danger hadn't passed, however, and when the ball wended its way to Lightbourne on the right-hand corner of the box, he let fly with a thunderbolt that rocketed just a yard or so wide of the 'keeper's right-hand post.

Mackenzie felt the full force of O'Connor's tackling on a couple of occasions as the contest was fought out in midfield for a lengthy spell. The visitors, without a League win away all season, were certainly not giving up the ghost and looked aggrieved when Benjamin was penalised for wrestling Ward to the ground as they pressed forward once more.

City were offering very little in attack and the crowd's growing anxiety was apparent when Hansson centred feebly beyond Marshall's goal. Clarke conjured up a much better cross which Marshall could only palm half clear, but there was no Stoke shirt on hand to capitalise and threaten the second goal to extinguish Cambridge's enduring spirit and growing belief.

Kavanagh was then left with his head in his hands after controlling but walloping over from distance when there was time to link with Connor as Cambridge were caught short on the break. But at least Stoke were beginning to impose themselves and Gunnarsson's intelligent chip into the danger zone only just eluded Lightbourne's forehead in front of goal. Mackenzie saw a shot blocked 20 yards from goal before leaving the field to generous applause after being replaced by Preece.

Connor, in a re-run of his first-half run on goal, suddenly broke clear from the half-way line and was within sight of goal when he fired over from outside the area when he might have slipped the ball square to Lightbourne. It might have been a costly miss, but Benjamin's piledriver thumped safely into Ward's chest after a free-kick had been rolled short to the United striker 25 yards out.

Lightbourne repeated the dose at the other end with a rasping drive which Marshall half-saved before flicking the ball clear as Kippe homed in to mop up. Petty was first to the subsequent corner with a fine header which Marshall did brilliantly to save low to his left at the near post.