Roy McFarland was pleased overall with the performance at Stoke but has underlined the need to strengthen the squad now that Alex Russell is ruled out for several weeks after his thigh operation.

"Generally, I thought we played very well at Stoke. I was proud of the team. We were down near the bare bones due to injury, but I couldn't have asked much more of them," he told the Cambridge Evening News. "But we need that little bit extra to win games like that and I'm hoping to sign the Danish boy (trialist John Hansen). I don't think there will be any problem with his club, it's a matter of coming to an agreement with him.

"We were a match for them, they got one goal from a set-piece, and we didn't get the breaks. We maybe could have used our possession a bit better that's all. Paul Wanless and Ian Ashbee ran the game, and Trevor Benjamin was tremendous at times. He ran Stoke ragged in the first half, and it was a pity towards the end he wasn't quite aware enough of a great little reverse pass from David Preece.

"We had to dig deep in the squad, but the lads who came in, Ben Chenery and Tom Youngs, did well. Now the games are coming thick and fast and they get more important as it goes on."

United travel to Notts County tomorrow night and then Blackpool are the visitors on Saturday for a vital relegation clash.