It all started so well for Cambridge United on Saturday, after two loan additions in the week things were looking positive and this weekend they hosted Mansfield Town, and the U’s hadn’t tasted defeat for eight league games now. Last week Blackpool came out with a plan to stifle Cambridge and prevent chances and Derry was wise to not letting this happen again as the U’s flew out of the gate.
It took only eight minutes for the U’s to get their chance, Mingoia broke down the right side and put a peach of a ball towards the back post which was met by George Maris who headed low and underneath a jumping ‘keeper for his first league goal. This was the first goal Mansfield had conceded in over 360 minutes of playing time, all signs were positive for Cambridge. Jake Carroll, the new signing at left back was providing to be a player of high quality (who would later go on to be awarded man of the match) and at right back Cambridge had handed a debut to Leon Davies who came in for the injured Greg Taylor and possibly staked a claim for a bigger role this season with some positive forward play early on combining with Mingoia to get that ball in for the goal.
The game was physical, with some complaints of Mansfield making a meal of some challenges and playing up to the ref, but perhaps lacking a bit of quality. Just before the break Mansfield played a diagonal ball into the box, new signing Coulthirst (on loan from Peterborough) rose to a header and captain Leon Legge stuck out a leg, perhaps unnecessarily, and deflected the ball past a helpless Will Norris in net.
We came out for the second half and whilst we started on level pegging, Cambridge seemed to lack a bit of quality all round today. Mansfield managed to get a foot on the game and perhaps bullied Cambridge a bit physically. They started to take control of the possession and it was feeling less and less like Cambridge were the home team. Just before the hour mark a set piece proved a thorn in the U’s side once again, a corner came in and a deep run from Pearce and a strong header back across goal put Mansfield 2-1 up. The U’s defence seemed fairly static from the corner and now was a big test for this side.
Derry decided to roll the dice and bought on loan striker Gerry McDonagh for goalscorer Maris. This left the U’s playing a 4-4-2 with Mingoia and Berry out wide and it never seemed to really click, for all the attacking intent of the change the U’s couldn’t craft out any big chances, and Uche was being blunted by the opposition’s physical centre backs. With 15 minutes remaining Mansfield put the game to bed, Coulthirst got his debut goal. A shot from outside the box was parried by Norris but Coulthirst was on hand to prod it home.
Full time and the U’s run had come to a shocking halt, a 3-1 defeat to Mansfield will bring the U’s back down to Earth after so long unbeaten, and with an away trip to Luton next week bouncing back will not be an easy task, however we have seen Cambridge overcome bigger odds this season and Derry has certainly found a way to get them playing. Mansfield under Evans have been a fairly ominous side, and their league position probably made this game a bit misleading on paper. Derry is saying he is done in the transfer market, so it looks like he’ll be working with what he’s got, in this reporter’s opinion, plan A is there and is solid, the U’s run before Saturday proved that, we just need that plan B now which teams require to challenge at the top.
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Published by Matthew Robinson