Cambridge United rose into the play-off places in Sky Bet League Two with a dramatic, last-gasp 2-1 victory over Crewe Alexandra at the Cledara Abbey Stadium…
Following a strong first half performance, the U’s became undone shortly after the break as they conceded for the first time in six matches when Emre Tezgel headed home. Ten minutes from time, they staged a mighty comeback when Mamadou Jobe tucked home from close-range before Ben Knight sparked euphoria with virtually the last kick of the game via the penalty spot to secure back-to-back league wins for the first time this campaign.
Determined to build on the professional victory on the road at Barrow a week earlier, Neil Harris named two changes to his XI as Ben Purrington was restored and the suspended Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu made way for George Hoddle – who was handed his full league debut.
An eye-catching clash looked to be in the offing at CB5, where the U’s continued to enjoy home comforts with some strong results. There was reason for optimism and records to protect, coming in off the back of five successive clean sheets with one loss in five in the fourth tier. As for the Railwaymen, they were similarly floating around the play-off pack thanks to an unbeaten run of four games - but had won just once in six away from home in the league.
Within two minutes, the hosts had imposed themselves and dealt the first scare when a dangerous corner from Glenn McConnell floated towards Michael Morrison in the six-yard box, but his header at the back post was wide of the mark.
Up the other end, Lee Bell’s group chalked the first shot at goal of the afternoon on the 13th minute when Tezgel touched down a long ball with his chest and latched at a strike from a right angle inside the area, but Jake Eastwood showed assurance to get down low and claim.
Nonetheless, it was the men in amber who were asking the real questions and had asserted themselves well throughout the early stages. Flexing their set-piece prowess, a good corner from McConnell was headed over the woodwork by Purrington on 16, before a few minutes later some neat work down the left resulted in Korey Smith testing his luck from over 20 yards with a fierce drill, whistling inches wide of the post.
On the half hour mark, the U’s were agonisingly close to breaking deadlock when play was advanced into the final third, with an inspired James Brophy jinking past several men and supplying a pinpoint cross towards an unmarked Liam Bennett from yards out, whose header was smothered away by an alert Booth.
Whilst they were eager to maintain the foothold, momentum was disrupted on 34 when Morrison was forced off owing to injury. His replacement was Jobe, who just a few minutes later could have capped the perfect cameo when Brophy showed great feet once more inside the box to cross to the unmarked centre-back at the back post, but he headed against the side netting.
Knocking on the door throughout, but ultimately for the fifth league game in a row United went into the break goalless.
The Head Coach named a change for the second half as Elias Kachunga came on for Louis Appere to play the lone striker role, but they would find themselves behind on the 53rd minute when a free-kick from Tommi O’Reilly was met by Tezgel at the far post who nodded past a diving Eastwood.
The opener had really knocked the stuffing out of the hosts, who were yet to dish out a response by rekindling some of the pressure from the first 45.
It took until midway through the second half for the U’s to start getting the ball where it mattered, but Crewe were stubborn in looking to see it out as the encounter became quite stop-start.
With 76 minutes on the clock, and during a frenzy of corners in front of the Newmarket Road End, Brophy’s delivery was met by the head of Purrington from about 15 yards who guided into the hands of Booth.
Capitalising on their share of possession as the Railwaymen looked to sit back, Cambridge gained the equaliser on the 81st minute to breathe life at CB5. Knight’s curling shot took a wicked deflection which clattered the post, with Jobe on hand to turn in the rebound to bring his side level.
With plenty of time left on the clock, substitute Knight was on hand to pour forwards straight from kick-off, but his drilled attempt was stopped by Booth.
In the ascendency and now the likeliest to grab a dramatic winner, Harris’ men had a golden opportunity to win it on the 87th minute when Adam Mayor’s deep, inviting cross was on a plate for Kachunga at the back post, but the forward couldn’t get his angles right as it blazed wide.
During the six additional minutes, Eastwood required a strong paw when Tezgel’s shot was deflected towards goal, but with the CB5 crowd roaring them on they gained their fortune when Brophy’s deep cross into the mixer saw Jobe draw a foul, with referee Martin Woods pointing to the spot.
Up stepped Knight in the dying embers who, as calm as you like, dispatched a fierce penalty into the corner of the net to spark utter jubilation around the ground. It was some way to open his account for the club, with the roof well and truly off as Cambridge roared into the top seven and continued their impressive form on home soil.
It’s a quick turnaround now for the U’s, whose attention has focused towards Vertu Trophy matters on Tuesday night (2nd December) when - for the third time this season - they take on Bristol Rovers at the Memorial Stadium.
Cambridge United: Eastwood, Bennett (Kaikai, 61’), Morrison (Jobe, 34’), Watts, Purrington, Smith, Hoddle, Brophy, McConnell (Knight, 67’), Mayor, Appere (Kachunga, 46’)
Subs Not Used: Hughes, Bradshaw, Gibbons
Goalscorers: Jobe (81’), Knight (90+6’)
Bookings: Smith
Crewe Alexandra: Booth, Billington, Connolly, Golding (Moult, 24’ (March, 81’)), Hutchinson, Finney, Thomas, O’Reilly, Lunt, Agius, Tezgel
Subs Not Used: Waller, Mingi, Rankine, Croker, Armstrong
Goalscorers: Tezgel (53’)
Bookings: Lunt, March
Referee: Martin Woods
Attendance: 5947 (397 away fans)
