Wednesday 5th April 2000 : Match reactions

Although Roy McFarland apologised in a radio interview for Cambridge United's second half performance yesterday, he was most concerned about having to withdraw two key men from the action. Captain Paul Wanless and defender Scott Eustace both suffered injuries and will undergo treatment ahead of Saturday's next important match against Bristol Rovers.

"Scott has stud marks all across the top of his knee, and we had to bring him off in the second half when the leg started stiffening," explained McFarland in Cambridge Evening News. "Paul Wanless also got a deadleg, and our physio Ken Steggles will be doing some hard work to get them fit for Saturday's match against Bristol Rovers. Both of them are very important players for us."

Eustace was injured going for a 50-50 ball in a first half challenge with Bury's Paul Reid, and although from a distance it looked as though both men could receive their marching orders, after consultation with his assistant Mr Laws showed Reid an immediate red card for his knee-high challenge on Eustace.

Bury player-manager Andy Preece was angry about Reid's dismissal, telling the CEN, "Eustace went in two-footed which I thought was against the rules. Maybe they've changed them lately and I haven't noticed."

However Wanless responded, "I was about 15 yards from the incident and saw it clearly. Reid went over the top and caught Scott. I go into tackles all the time - it's part of the game - but what happened in this one was a disgrace. The player had to go off. Scott could have been badly injured."

Eustace himself commented, "What really annoyed and upset me was that I used to be in the same side as Paul Reid, and he went in high like that. It could have been a lot worse."

United physio Ken Steggles confirmed this morning that the other Bury player to be sent off, Lutel James, severed tendons in his hand when putting his fist through a window in the away dressing room, while Dean Crowe, stretchered off in the second half, badly damaged his knee ligaments.