MATCH REPORT | CAMBRIDGE UNITED 4 COVENTRY CITY 0
Cambridge United booked their place in the Third Round draw of the Emirates FA Cup with a solid 4 -0 win over Sky Bet League One side Coventry City at the Cambs Glass Stadium.
A first half hat-trick from Luke Berry put the U’s comfortably ahead in the tie, before the midfielder added a fourth five minutes from time to ensure United overcame the Sky Blues.
An unchanged U’s side took the lead in the sixth minute for the second game in a row, when George Maris whipped in an excellent delivery to his former Barnsley team mate Berry who flicked past Lee Burge in the Sky Blues goal.
As the U’s continued to cause Coventry early problems, Uche Ikpeazu had the opportunity to double the score line when the striker latched on to a loose back pass from Cian Harries, rounded the keeper but was unable to finish from an acute angle.
Shaun Derry’s men were relentless though and when Berry was hauled to the ground by a Coventry defender inside the 18 yard box, he showed great composure to slot into the bottom left corner on the 29th minute.
He found the same spot ten minutes later when Piero Mingoia played the midfielder through one-on-one to complete his first ever hat-trick in professional football.
When the side’s returned from the break, United restored their dominance with Maris and Ikpeazu both going close to extending the advantage further.
Marvin Sordell tested Will Norris with a curling shot on 66 minutes which the U’s keeper palmed into the path of substitute Kyel Reid who wrapped the rebound well wide in what proved to be Coventry’s only chance of note.
However, the stage remained Berry’s when he tapped in his fourth of the afternoon moments after receiving the Vindis man of the match award on 85 minute to conclude a sublime display.
The 24-year old departed the field to rapturous applause from the Amber Army with match ball in hand, and the U’s look forward to the much anticipated third round draw.
Cambridge United: Norris, Halliday, Legge, Roberts, Taylor, Mingoia, Dunne, Clark, Berry, Maris (Williamson, 77 min), Ikpeazu
Coventry City: Burge, Willis, Turnball, Harries (McCann, 45 min), Page, Bigirimana, Maycock (Reid, 45 mins), Gadzhev, Lameires (Jones, 75 mins), Sordell, McBean
Attendance: 4,283 (745)
Vindis Man of the Match: Luke Berry