Saturday 27 April 2019, League 2, Abbey Stadium, 3pm.

Crowd – 4083 with 109 from the Shrimps.

Halstead Sutton Lavelle c Old Conlan Mingoia McKay Fleming Cranston Oliver Collins subs used Kenyon for McKay 75, Bennett for Oliver 75.

Utd – Mitov Davies Darling John Dunk Amoo Deegan Lewis Coulson Brown Hepburn-Murphy subs used Jones for Hepburn-Murphy 45, Knowles for Dunk 80, Ibehre for Lewis 80.

Ref Nicholas Kinseley, was the joker at Swindon who gave us nothing, was terrible for both sides today.

Weather – extremely windy, pitch rock hard but grassed well.

The Shrimps kicked off with the predominant swirly wind nominally at their backs and didn’t take long to make it count. A corner delivered by Cranston was nodded back across goal by Sutton for the unmarked Collins to turn and volley home from 6 yards on 9 minutes. Some nice passing in midfield by us was wasted when though balls were slightly overhit, the ball ending up all too easily with Mitov in the home goal. However his kicks were lucky to reach the centre circle as the wind made sure it played its part. Cambridge gradually crept into the game and the dangerous Coulson on loan from ‘Boro slammed a chance against the bar and over after good work by Brown. Just before half time, Brown himself wriggled free and was making his way across the box as Old challenged him, he went down and a pen was awarded. It looked a decent decision to me.

Brown himself stepped up and off a short run up blasted it low to Halsteads left, however Mark was equal to it a dived full-length to tip it away for corner. Great save again by the custodian after his spot kick save at Pork Vale. That was Browns first ever miss for Cambridge from the spot, so exactly the same as Tom Pope at Vale!! So we went in a goal to the good at half time.

We expected an onslaught from Cambridge as they had the wind advantage and so it proved. Three changes with half an hour left and crosses dropping like bombs in the box tested the back four but Sutton, Old, Conlan and Captain Lavelle stood firm and held back the tide. We did ride our luck as one cross evaded a crowd of players in the box but we looked a little leggy. Jim introduced Bennett, Kenyon and Kev and we looked a threat immediately. Bennett should have squared it to an unmarked Flemo but instead shot well wide, Kev chased lost causes as the increasingly frustrated Utd back four pushed up, and yet again Aaron Collins quick thinking released a level Cranston who calmly drew the keeper and put us 2-0 up in the near corner with just three minutes remaining.

There was still time for Knowles to flight a curling free kick past Halstead in injury time to fan the home fans flames, but we held out easily to claim a well earned three points in tricky and testing conditions

So just that little matter of Newport County, Podge et al, to see off the season, it would be a shame to run it for them, but points are points ands we are currently looking good.

Freez