Cambridge United: Van Heusden (Marshall 46'), Chenery, Duncan (Joseph 81'), Eustace, Wilson; Ashbee, Wanless, Russell; Kyd (Taylor 80'), Butler, Benjamin.
Stoke City: Ward, Small, Mohan, Short, Thorne, Oldfield, Lightbourne (Robinson 65'), Connor, O'Connor, Keen, Jacobson.
Referee: Lee Cable (Woking) |
Defensive errors handed victory to Stoke City after United had got back on level terms and looked ready to go on and win the game in the sun at the Abbey this afternoon.
There were two changes to the team that drew at Wigan on Monday but, despite indications that John Taylor would return to the starting line-up, it was Michael Kyd who was recalled to the attack, with midfielder Jamie Cassidy dropping to the bench. Scott Eustace replaced Marc Joseph in the centre of defence.
The game kicked off under clear sunny skies but it was soon clear it was not going to be a free-flowing and entertaining game. Chances were few and far between in the early stages, despite two poor defensive displays, and United's first came in the 11th minute when Ben Chenery lifted the ball over the full-back to Ian Ashbee, the midfielder found Trevor Benjamin whose shot on the turn went tamely over.
In the 18th minute Oldfield's effort from 25 yards went hopelessly wide, but a minute later Peter Thorne's ball into the area was watched by United's defence, rebounded off Van Heusden against a Stoke player and rolled across the area where Paul Connor was gifted a goal from very close range. In the 27th minute Ashbee crossed to Benjamin at the far post whose overhead acrobatics cleared the ball to Michael Kyd 20 yards out, but his rasping drive went over the bar. Then nine minutes later goalscorer Connor found Thorne in the area, but Andy Duncan stepped across him to clear the danger.
In a late flurry Martin Butler robbed Mohan on the left touchline and crossed towards Kyd on the edge of the six yard box, but the chance was intercepted and put away for a corner. Two minutes later Butler and Kyd combined again and Kyd put a cross just behind Benjamin who had mistimed his run to the edge of the box, and in the dying moments of the half, after some hopeless defending by Stoke at a corner, the ball was hoisted back into the srea and ended at the feet of Eustace who hit a tame shot at the 'keeper as he lost his footing and fell.
In summary the first half was a scrappy affair between two sides performing below par, with both defences all at sea. (Half-time 0-1)
There was a shock change at half-time, with Shaun Marshall replacing Arjan Van Heusden in goal, presumably because of an injury. United emerged like a different team and were on the attack from the re-start, scoring seconds later. Kyd's low cross-shot into the box was met by Scott Eustace, blocked by the goalkeeper and bounced back into the crowded box before apparently going in off Kyle Lightbourne's legs for an own goal.
When Paul Wanless was upended just outside the box in the 49th minute, Alex Russell's free kick hit the wall and he fired the rebound over the bar. Stoke struggled to get possession as United's purple patch continued, and five minutes later Michael Kyd fired a ball across the box, unfortunately between three United players. A minute later Paul Wanless delicately chipped the ball into the path of Kyd who scampered forward but placed his shot wide. In the 61st minute Russell was allowed the room to get forward to within 20 yards of the goal, when he powered a shot off the woodwork with the goalkeeper beaten.
Kyle Lightbourne, who had given Ben Chenery a torrid time in the heat, was taken off in the 65th minute for Phil Robinson and another United chance went begging in the 76th minute when Russell's cross was flicked on by Butler and Benjamin also got a flick onto the ball before it landed comfortably for the 'keeper. But as we have seen before, failure to make those chances count cost United dear in the closing minutes of the game. John Taylor had barely entered the fray (in place of Kyd) in the 80th minute when Stoke took the lead again. A neatly worked free-kick on the edge of the box allowed David Oldfield to steal past the defence before beating Marshall in the 81st minute.
Marc Joseph was immediately sent on to replace Andy Duncan, but the cue for the home crowd to begin leaving came five minutes later when a long ball forward bounced between Wilson and Eustace, and they ignored Thorne as he nipped in to bring the ball down before turning inside and easily beating Marshall. Trevor Benjamin epitomised United's frustration when he followed in late on Ward, the Stoke goalkeeper, and caused a mass confrontation between the two sides, earning his third yellow card of the season. Then Martin Butler summed up the afternoon when he found himself clear eight yards out but spooned his shot over the bar.
Reporter Mark Johnson struggled to choose a man of the match, but eventually opted for Michael Kyd: "He looked lively and dangerous but couldn't finish, and created a lot of chances although no one could take advantage."
Mark also supplied an update after the game about Arjan Van Heusden who was not injured but taken ill at half-time. Roy McFarland was unhappy to learn that the Dutchman had felt unwell before the game but not told anyone, as the substitution at half-time took away one of the outfield options.
On our goal, Stoke manager Gary Megson thought it was an own goal but McFarland's view was that the ball had gone in off the chest of Scott Eustace, who will be claiming his first goal for United.
You decide - view the goal here.
RESULTS AND ATTENDANCES ON 04/09/99
Bristol City 5-2 Blackpool 8,439
Cambridge United 1-3 Stoke City 4,007
Gillingham 2-1 Oldham Athletic 5,884
Luton Town 1-1 Bury 4,633
Oxford United 0-0 Wycombe Wanderers 6,306
Preston North End 0-2 Chesterfield 8,506
Scunthorpe United 0-2 Bristol Rovers 4,496
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As with recent games the first half was a mix of between average and not very good by United. We seemed slow to react (perhaps due to the early kick off?), and Stoke had the better of the early exchanges but didn't threaten our goal. Wanless gave away the first corner after 13 minutes, his attempt to head back to Van Heusden from well outside our penalty area was far too inaccurate.
A minute later a cross from Benjamin could only be palmed away by their 'keeper, but we had no one following in. Their #7, Short was booked for a late tackle on Benjamin from behind, right in front of our dugout, which got Roy on his feet. We conceded the first goal in unfortunate circumstances. Eustace failed to deal with a long cross which allowed their player to shoot from about the corner of our 6 yard box. The advancing Van Heusden blocked the shot, but it rebounded against the forward, past Van Heusden towards the goal where another forward toe poked the ball over the line past a couple of covering defenders. The ball went into the net almost in slow motion.
Stoke made a few chances, mainly down to some very dodgy offside decisions not being given, and Van Heusden had to make a couple of average saves. Benjamin got the ball back into the goal for Kyd to shoot over on 26 minutes, soon after a shot from Wanless was held fairly easily. Butler did well to gain possession from a defender near the touchline, cut inside and laid the ball to Kyd whose shot was blocked for a corner. Chenery crossed long for Benjamin who had seen the 'keeper start to come for the ball then stop, but his looping header was wide. Kyd and Butler combined well but the low cross was cleared. In the last minute Eustace had a chance as possession was recovered after a corner, but his shot was weak and saved easily. 0-1 at half time.
Marshall came on for Van Heusden at the start of the second half, I've no idea why though. We started the second half much better, Kyd having a shooting chance from around 15 yards but his shot was parallel to the goal instead of at the goal! A minute later Kyd had a similar chance, and exactly the same poor shot went across the goal but this time Benjamin was in the right place and shot. The 'keeper blocked the shot but the rebound hit a defender and went in the goal for our equaliser, so it was not dis-similar to their goal.
We were doing all the attacking, A Russell free kick went into the wall and the rebound put just over, then the same player had a good run through the middle, chose to shoot with players free either side, his swerving low shot hit the base of the post with the 'keeper well beaten. Kyd put in a low cross that just evaded Butler and Benjamin, and another Kyd shooting chance went wide.
We had a period of pin-ball in their penalty area with lots of half chances being blocked with no-one able to apply the killer touch.
On 34 minutes Stoke got a free kick about 30 yards out, before it could be taken Taylor came on for Kyd. The free kick was floated to one side of our penalty area, headed back into the middle for their unmarked forward to beat Marshall with ease. Our defence were not in slow motion, but dead stop! Joseph came on for Duncan at this point.
A few minutes later the game went beyond us, a long ball fell between Eustace (I think) and Wilson for the forward who turned inside and shot just inside the post for 1-3. Benjamin got booked near the end as he ran into the side of the 'keeper. He held his hands up immediately, but the 'keeper and his team-mates wanted to have a go at Benjamin, and there was a few moments to sort out the pushing and shoving. In the final seconds the ball fell to Butler in their area but he blasted the ball high which typified our game on the day.
In general a disappointing score line, we deserved at least a point. Stoke didn't really trouble us, but as against Notts County last week we failed to take the chances we made. On player performances I thought Chenery and Eustace had poor games. Chenery in particular seemed to be caught out of position a lot when possession was lost, and didn't seem too interested in getting back into the correct position. Perhaps he has an injury, in which case I would not have played him. Kyd needs some shooting practice, for a striker not to hit the target with shots from inside the penalty area is not good enough.
Russell had a good game, as did Ashbee and Butler. Stoke were quite physical, but in sly ways. Little nudges in the back which were just enough to put a player off balance went unpunished. We didn't help by being weak in the challenge, particularly in the first half.
From a football point of view we have little to fear from the other teams in this division, it's our own fault if we can't take the chances we make, and we have to be stronger and play for the full 90 minutes.
Terry Wilby
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Well.... I haven't been quite so upset at seeing the U's lose for a long time. (Well, since the Brentford match anyway).
We were the better side by such a margin that it just leaves me gutted. I can't believe that that mediocre muppet of a manager Gary Megson has put a million-pound team out on the Abbey Pitch to play so utterly averagely and has still been able to take 3 points home. And THEN he says "I think we just shaded it" !!!!!
If only our centre-backs weren't playing like a pair of spotty, uncertain 15-year olds at the moment we would surely have got something from this match, and with better finishing it should have been a comfortable win.
Duncan was to blame for the 2nd goal in as far as he gave the free-kick away unneccessarily. He let their forward get the wrong side of him in challenging for a ball forward and resorted to very clearly fouling him.
In terms of attacking our football was superb in the second half, Russell was on fire. Although our goal had a fortuitous side it came after 2 thrilling back-heels and was the absolute least we deserved. I'm not one to dish out praise lightly but this was a brilliant performance in so many ways - even if I am left wondering if we just don't quite have the sharpness at both ends for this division.
Observations:
Lee Cable is a crap referee but didn't do too badly. When he booked their guy for the scything tackle on Benjamin though, I couldn't help recalling that unless my memory deceives me he sent Benjamin off for a very, very similar tackle in the exact same spot on the field last season.
I'm glad Roy took Duncan off. He (Duncan) needs a kick up the arse and I hope getting substituted makes him realise he can't swan about trying to look like a classy defender instead of getting on with working hard at BEING a classy defender.
Marks out of 10:
Van Heusden: 6 Another bad day at the kicking office
Chenery: 6 Didn't do much wrong and won a few brave headers
Wilson: 7 Got into a few good crossing positions but the
delivery wasn't quite good enough
Duncan: 5 An uncertain, weak performance, culminating in
giving away the free-kick for Stoke's killer goal
Eustace: 6 Not that much better than Duncan
Ashbee: 7 Committed as ever
Wanless: 8 Ditto
Russell: 9 Was looking to do tricksy things with the ball
from the word go, and in the second half it started
to come to fruition. A brilliant display.
Butler: 7 Will be kicking himself for failing to connect with
a couple of chances, but a decent show all-round
Benjamin: 8 Trev on form, strong in the air, penetrating on
the ground
Kyd: 7 Some brilliant moments, needed a break around goal.
I am left thinking that we should do okay if we can play anything like that regularly. HOWEVER I also keep reflecting that Stoke made the most of their opportunities - we could have done with a piece of finishing as calm and clinical as Thorne's for the 3rd goal - and that we might be left shaking our heads after dominating matches quite often this season. We need 3 points very very badly - why does the visit of bloody Brentford fill me with dread ?
Luke Black
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This late summer high noon 'show down' turned out to be little more than a drunken nightclub squabble, with United taking the role of the frenzied alcoholic fool to perfection. We took a while to get going, danced around a bit, made some noise and even, at times, entertained those who had gathered around to see the 'scene'. Our flailing arms failed to land any of the punches our big mouths had suggested we were going to, and our feeble-minded defence was powerless to prevent the knock out blows from being delivered. Once the dust had settled and the 'battle' was over we were left in a dejected, demoralised and lugubrious mess... swimming around in a metaphoric pool of vomit.
The standard of defending today was enough to turn anyone's stomach, as was the finishing by the woefully out-of-sorts United attackers. The possession, chances and attractive football maintained by United during a pulsating 30-minute spell in the second half counted for nothing as we threw it all away with just 9 minutes to go. The United team have no right to consider themselves unlucky or unfortunate anymore, we only have ourselves to blame for this latest setback.
Paul Connor had capitalised on amateur defending by Scott Eustace after just 19 minutes to give Stoke the lead, and for the rest of the first half the visitors appeared in control of the encounter, testing the shaky United defence with lofted balls through the middle. Despite the poor first half United managed to lift themselves admirably for the second period. They drew level shortly after the restart as a combination of Michael Kyd, Scott Eustace and, most importantly, Stoke City defender Kyle Lightbourne forced the ball over the goal line. United had the game by the scruff of the neck at this point. The goal injected a positive degree of confidence and belief into the passing, which it appeared would bring the winning goals. Stoke, without an away point all season, were begging to be put out of their misery.
It was not to be, as promising attacks and scoring opportunities rapidly turned to disappointment and frustration. Alex Russell watched Gavin Ward neatly save his angled drive on 51 minutes. Moments later it was Ward who was left watching, and thanking, the post which deflected another attempt from the former Liverpool-man wide of the target. Russell was clicking into top gear as he threatened to shatter the already fractured City defence. His accurate crosses were presenting Martin Butler and Trevor Benjamin with opportunities to add to their price tags... but neither seemed particularly interested. Michael Kyd was getting in good positions, but only managed to produce shots that could flatteringly be described as wayward.
Enter John 'King of the Abbey' Taylor…he has turned one point into three on countless occasions over the years, he was going to do it... think again. His first task was not to guide a team to victory, but to lift a team who had just conceded a typically sloppy goal and were staring defeat in the face. Scott Eustace used an aggressive body check on a City player to concede a needless free kick 40 yards from goal, ten minutes from the end. The ball was chipped in to the United box and after two flick on's was headed past Shaun Marshall by the unmarked David Oldfield.
Things went from bad to worse just minutes later as Stoke sealed the victory. Scott Eustace once again failed to deal with the bouncing ball through the middle and Thorne nipped in and was allowed the time and space to pick his spot. The game as a contest was over.
What happened in the last 10 minutes was described as a travesty of justice by some. I suppose when you put it into the context of the game they might have been right... Stoke City didn't deserve to win, they were a poor side. It is becoming an all too familiar story though, a story which can no longer be explained away as a lack of luck. We are giving away sloppy, amateur and mind-numbingly foolish goals nearly every time we take to the field. This has got to stop sooner rather than later. Discipline and concentration must be instilled into the whole team as at present the lack of it is costing us points every week.
Until we become consistently more ruthless in attack and considerably less generous in defence we will, as sure as water is wet, struggle to win more football matches than we lose. The Abbey Stadium acted as the latest platform for a team to show Cambridge United how to win at this level. These lessons are appearing with alarming regularity and have yet to be assimilated into the United data banks.
Creating opportunities with neat, incisive passing is something this team appear capable of doing every time they take to the field. Turning enough of these chances into goals, victories and thus league points is sadly another matter. We must learn to master this skill if we are to avoid a quick return to the league constructed by The Devil himself. The defence conceded it's 14th, 15th and 16th goals of the season. Last season it took United until October before they reached this point and this included four matches against now Premier League opposition. This season we appear content to impress for spells, rather than for matches. We are, at times, looking as though we feel we are above trying.
We were the better side today... a better side who made the bigger and more expensive mistakes. Had we taken more of the chances we created these mistakes would simply have been blemishes on a victory. We produced the only creation, imagination or ambition when taking the ball forward. We could, should and perhaps on another day would have torn Stoke City limb from limb and won the game. I just hope and pray this 'another day' of which so many talk comes about before defensive blunders have left our season damaged beyond repair.
Arjan Van Heusden - 65% (6) Ben Chenery - 66% (7) Ian Ashbee - 73% (7) Andy Duncan - 61% (6) Scott Eustace - 57% (5) Clive Wilson - 65% (6) Paul Wanless - 57% (6) Michael Kyd - 63% (6) Martin Butler - 67% (7) Trevor Benjamin - 70% (7) Alex Russell - 76% (8) * mom Subs used: John Taylor - 63% (6) Shaun Marshall - 63% (7)
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Cambridge were sunk by poor defensive work with two late Stoke goals in the space of five minutes shattering the home side's earlier efforts.
Paul Connor fired Stoke in front in the 19th minute after a Peter Thorne shot was pushed out by keeper Arjan van Heusden, but Cambridge pushed Stoke back before half-time and equalised after pressurising Stoke at the start of the second half.
A Scott Eustace shot bounced straight off the keeper straight into Kyle Lightbourne's path and he ran the ball into his own net.
Cambridge controlled much of the second half, Alex Russell hitting a post in the 61st minute. But in the 81st minute a Kevin Keen free kick was headed on for David Oldfield to side-foot the ball in at the far post.
And five minutes later two defenders stood and watched as Peter Thorne controlled a long ball, took on the Cambridge defence and scored an easy goal to give Stoke a fortunate victory.
Report © Soccernet
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AS they ponder how they managed to allow a point to be ripped away by two goals against the run of play in the last 10 minutes, Cambridge United should not worry too much about changing-room divisions disrupting their team spirit. Saturday's setback against Stoke, deflating the confidence built in two draws with top teams, left no scope for singling out a scapegoat. Everybody was to blame. In a strange match, which United dominated during a 45 minutes spell from 10 minutes before the break until 10 from the end, there were crucial blunders throughout the side. Not only in each department, but involving every individual. Not of a magnitude to make the 3-1 defeat an entirely fair result, but enough to cross what every team boss, reaching for the crutch of a cliche, curses at some time -- that thin line between success and failure. After the frustration of seeing breakaways in the 81st and 86th minutes inflict the first home defeat of the season Roy McFarland went further than most managers who might merely condemn a wasteful attack, spasmodic midfield and shaky defence. He named names. He said: "Michael Kyd worked hard, but came out with nothing; Martin Butler didn't finish like a top scorer when he had a good chance of putting us 2-1 up; Trevor Benjamin over-ran a pass in front of goal. "Alex Russell's quality at set-pieces wasn't as good as usual; Paul Wanless didn't track his man before Stoke's second goal; Clive Wilson didn't cover Scott Eustace well enough when they scored their third. Arjan Van Heusden played in the first half when he probably should have cried off with illness, and that affected how we used our substitutes after the break." A catalogue of justified criticism which should also include Ben Chenery, who struggled to contain striker Kyle Lightbourne; Eustace, far too easily beaten for the third goal; Andy Duncan caught flat-footed when the first went in; and Ian Ashbee, not quite up to his usual disruptive job when the Stoke midfield ran most of the first half. That only leaves the manager, and it was a mystery why, after stating he would start with John Taylor up front, he chose Michael Kyd instead, then left 'Shaggy the super-sub' on the substitutes' bench until the 80th minute while the front three were firing blanks. Taylor made important interventions when sent on earlier against Notts County and Wigan, creating and scoring a goal, but what little time he had in this match was rendered irrelevant almost immediately when Stoke struck seconds after his arrival. It all sounds much worse than it looked, however, since the various errors and shortcomings were not taking place at the same time. As Ashbee observed: "We just needed another goal in that spell after we equalised, and they would have gone. But we didn't take our chances and then we were caught out later on pushing up for the winner." A sluggish start by United in the baking midday heat enabled Stoke to grab a 19th minute lead and run the game as their midfield kept the ball, occasionally sending the mobile Lightbourne through on dangerous runs. It took United until the 40th minute to threaten the Stoke goal, but when Butler hit a good low cross into the box, Kyd was tackled as he thought about shooting. Hesitancy in the penalty area afflicted all three of United's strikers, who time after time evaded the responsibility of going for goal and opted for a soft pass which let defenders off the hook. Despite all the pressure United applied in front of the Corona Kop after the break, the 47th minute equaliser came from a Eustace shot which rebounded from the keeper into the path of the luckless Lightbourne who ran the ball over his own line. And the nearest thing to what might well have been a decisive second goal was Russell's 61st minute 20-yarder which slammed against a post. Nevertheless a third consecutive 1-1 draw seemed certain as the game began to drift in the 80 degrees heat. But then it took a foul to stop a Stoke break, producing a well-worked free kick United's defence admired at some distance. No choice after that other than to pile forward, but there were still two defenders in front of Peter Thorne when he chased an 86th minute long ball. McFarland disclosed that, when he was Derby manager, he failed in an £800,000 bid to sign Thorne. But he probably got closer to snaring him than Eustace and Wilson as the striker expertly brought the ball down, waltzed around them and slid a shot past the helpless Marshall. "We'd probably have won a game like that 2-1 last season," said Ashbee "you get punished harder for mistakes at this level." Not a happy thought. |
It was a frustrating afternoon when United were faced with a defence that looked more uncertain than our own but failed to take advantage, whilst allowing the visitors to score from three easy chances. The crowd of 4,007 included 644 Stoke fans who were no doubt delighted by the result.
No starting place for Marc Joseph, despite his good performance at Wigan.
A combination of poor finishing and diabolically substandard defending enabled Cambridge United to dish up the points for Stoke City to ravenously devour like some gourmet delicacy.
Man of the match: Alex Russell recovered from a poor first half to lead the brief second half onslaught. His distribution from the dead-ball was below par, but his vision on the ball was the catalyst for most of United's attacks. I fear for the future of this team if, for one reason or anther, he is unable to play.