Tuesday 15th July 2008 - City 1-1 U's: Everybody needs good neighbours
Folkestone was the place to be in 1908 if you wanted to witness history in the making: not only was it the venue for the world's first beauty contest, but it also saw the installation of the first outdoor telephone kiosk in Great Britain. Halcyon days.
Elsewhere, the Olympics came to this country after Italy's withdrawal following the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, Bournville chocolate was introduced, the Ford Model T was unveiled, Bruce Forsyth was fitted for his first hairpiece, the Tunguska Event occurred in Siberia (a meteor explosion equivalent to 1,000 Hiroshima bombs), and Norway produced its first fiction film, Fiskerlivets Farer: Et Drama Pa Havet. But hey, you knew that already...
The formation of Cambridge Town FC did not make quite such an impact as the Siberia meteor, even in Norway, but the centenary thereof was a cause for celebration on Tuesday night, and the club's 96-year-old neighbours were more than happy to join in; after all, both clubs are thankful to have survived the slings and arrows of outrageous landlords, and our direct rivalry has long since been consigned to the history books. Both sets of supporters have a common target at which to direct their vitriol now. Apparently.
It was a balmy and humid summer's night as The Shed began to fill with the faithful of both sides for their traditional pre-season taster. The clubs are two divisions apart after City's demotion from Conference South for not having a capacity and number of turnstiles that only the rulebooks say they need, and it could have been three but for that goal-line clearance at Wembley (sigh).
The turf on the City Ground pitch was thick and lush - I understand the club goat is on his annual fortnight's holiday in the Maldives - and both sides had good-sized squads warming up, each with a smattering of new signings and trialists.
United's starting line-up showed only three changes from that which took the field at King's Lynn. Skipper for the day Wayne Hatswell partnered Matt Halliday in the centre of defence in place of Gavin Hoyte, while in midfield Ben Farrell and Courtney Pitt replaced Mark Convery and Stephen Reed.
The City eleven bore a very familiar look, including five former U's in Stephen Smith, Michael Gash, Josh Simpson, Ash Fuller and Dave Theobald, with ex-United trialist Neil Midgley on the bench. They also sported two new signings, huge keeper Richard Wilmot and defender Neil Sharp, with ex-Histon striker Drew Roberts partnering Gash up front.
It was slightly strange to hear a decent amount of chanting at a pre-season friendly, but it certainly helped to enliven the atmosphere and both sides started enthusiastically, playing pleasing pass-and-move football. Simpson was particularly prominent in the middle against a club which is reputedly interested in re-signing him, partnered by a man with something to prove in Smith, while for United, Mark Beesley was the fulcrum of their attacking moves.
The lively Andy Parkinson set up Beesley for a shot on 7, but he was slow to pull the trigger and it was scrambled away. A couple of minutes later some splendid inter-passing saw Beesley return the favour, but Parkinson's effort was blocked away by Nick Mountford at the expense of a corner. Again, an earlier shot might have paid better dividends.
United looked the more likely to score in a hard-fought battle, none more so than on the quarter hour when Pitt swung a right-wing corner to the far post where Hatswell's powerful downward header was cleared off the line, the rebound dropping to Halliday but he could not get any power into his goalward nod and Wilmot collected comfortably.
It was City, however, who broke the deadlock on 18. Roberts and Hatswell tussled for a high ball just outside the box, and while Roberts flicked it on and Hatswell stood complaining about a perceived foul, it ran perfectly for the unmarked Gash to latch onto and blast decisively past the helpless Potter from eighteen yards. Cracking finish, shoddy defending: 1-0.
The U's should have levelled the scores a few minutes later when more excellent interplay between Beesley and Parkinson set up the latter for a cut-in and shot, but his powerful punt was well blocked by Wilmot. Play continued to switch from end to end in competitive and entertaining fashion, Gash blazing over on the half-hour, and three minutes later the visitors had achieved parity in untidy fashion.
A quick free-kick by Beesley was helped on to Parkinson and his powerful shot from the penalty spot was tipped around the post by the diving Wilmot. Pitt curled the corner in, Wilmot fumbled under pressure from Lee McEvilly, Hatswell headed for goal and Beesley helped it in from almost under the bar. 1-1.
The hosts responded with some possession of their own, but the best they could manager was a Fuller shot some way wide. And on 44 United found the net again when a good run from Parkinson culminated in a low cross to the near post where Beesley sneaked in to prod home. 2-1? Er, no, said the linesman's flag. Parkinson had crossed from close to the byline so it must have been a borderline decision to say the least. Dagnabbit.
Those nice people from CFU presented those nice people at City with a gift at half-time to commemorate the hosts' centenary; group hug all round. Don't forget ours in 2012, eh?!
There were no half-time changes for United, Our Gary doing what he said he would beforehand and giving what looked like being the majority of United's opening League line-up a good hour or so's action, while City made three alterations, including the introduction of a new front two in Midgley and trialist/ex-City striker Roy Essandoh (as well as ex-Wycombe, ex-Bishop's Stortford, ex-Gravesend, ex-Grays, ex-Billericay, ex-Barnet, ex-East Fife, ex-Motherwell, ex-Northern Ireland, etc, etc, etc). Third sub was another trialist, former Spur John Kyriacou instead of Mountford.
The contest resumed at a good pace and Danny Potter was forced into his first serious action on 53, Fuller's lob-volley tipped over the top superbly by the man in red. Two minutes later Fuller found the head of Essandoh with a cross, but he nodded wide of the far post with Potter stationary. He had it covered, of course...
United made three changes just after the hour. Off came Parkinson, Halliday and Tonkin, and on came Josh Coulson, Stephen Reed (at left-back) and diminutive Dutch winger-trialist, Filino Jardin. The latter made an immediate impression with some speedy, scampering runs and decent crosses.
The substitutions continued on 68. Farrell and Beesley were withdrawn in favour of Mark Convery and Ramon Calliste, who looks uncannily like his cousin Jermaine Easter from a distance - anyone would think they were related - while for City, the impressive Simpson was withdrawn in favour of new signing Danny Spendlove, and Mark E'Beyer and Chris Bourne replaced Fuller and Scott Neilson. Three minutes later the last changes saw Robbie Willmott and Pat Bexfield on for Gleeson and McEvilly, just after the latter had had a near-post header blocked following an excellent Jardin cross.
The subs seems to energise United more than City, with Jardin, Calliste and Willmott a mobile and enthusiastic attacking force, and the hosts seemed to take longer to adjust despite having four of their back five still on the pitch. Calliste looked alert and figured well in the build-ups with some nice layoffs and through balls, but like his cousin in his United days, his finishing was the least convincing aspect to his game.
His most impressive moment, on 78, saw him pick up possession wide on the left then gallop determinedly for goal, holding off a couple of opponents on the way, but he delayed his shot just too long and slipped as he shot under challenge, poking it wide of the far post.
Next minute Calliste set up Jardin with a neat diagonal ball, the little Hollander cut in and let fly, Wilmot blocked impressively and Robbie Willmott's follow-up shot was blocked heroically by Lee Chaffey.
The last few minutes were all United, but their youthful strike force could not quite find a way through. Willmott had a decent header from Pitt's cross palmed away on 85, Convery curling his follow-up just over. And a minute from the end came their best chance, Pitt's pinpoint cross from the left finding Hatswell unmarked five yards out at the far post, but that man Wilmot saved again.
Honour was satisfied. City look to have a good chance of bouncing back, although whether Gash and Simpson remain looks increasingly doubtful, while for United, Beesley confirmed what a key man he will be this season, Parkinson is starting to settle well, and the trialists did more than enough to warrant a longer stay. Everton on Saturday will be a different challenge altogether, but hey, that's what the last 96 years have been all about, isn't it?
Statto Corner
It would be possible to fill a book with the history of City versus United over the years. The clubs first clashed when Abbey United thrashed Cambridge Town Reserves in a Cambs League Division One game in September 1925. The tables were turned when United finally got to play Town's more illustrious first team eight years later, as the Lilywhites crushed their junior neighbours 9-1 in the first qualifying round of the FA Amateur Cup.
United had to wait until May 1952 to gain their first victory over City's first XI when they won 2-0 at the City Ground to win the Cambs Invitation Cup with two Russell Crane goals in front of a crowd of 9,814. Seventeen months later the largest attendance ever at a Cambridge derby, 11,908, saw the U's repeat the trick with a 3-1 away win in the second qualifying round of the FA Cup. It was not until the 1958-59 season that the two clubs first competed in the same league with the inauguration of the Southern League.
It is a curious fact, though, that apart from during the War years, City and United did not meet in a friendly until 31st July 1993; during the previous few decades they had met in so many different competitions, cups, shields and testimonials, that it must have just seemed unnecessary. In that 1993 encounter, Steve Butler notched for the U's in a 1-1 draw before a crowd of 891. Interest had rather waned since the halcyon days of the Fifties and Sixties...
Filino Jardin became the sixth Dutch-born player to appear in a United shirt, but you will only remember two of them: Michael Cheetham, right winger in the legendary Beck team of the early Nineties, and Arjan 'Ise' Van Heusden, imposing goalkeeper of the late Nineties. The other three were unsuccessful trialists: Mario Spur (1999), David Kasterlein (2000) and the unforgettable-named Steve van den Broek Humphrey (2001). Where are they now? The Netherlands, probably.
Trialist Trivia
Only two players whose surnames begin with the letter Z have appeared in the black and amber. One, winger and former Arsenal trainee Soner Zumrutel, managed one Auto Windscreens Shield appearance in a 4-1 home defeat by Brighton in September 1995, before disappearing into non-League obscurity. The other did not make it past the trialist stage.
Flory Zinga was an Angolan-born defender who came through the youth system at Southend, a team-mate of Michael Kightly and, occasionally, Shrimpers player-manager Rob Newman. When they released him at the age of eighteen, he turned up at the Abbey and played in five friendlies in the pre-season of 2003-04 as substitute, but was not deemed to be of a standard to challenge Messrs Tann, Murray, Gleeson, Angus et al and was sent on his way.
That seems to have been the end of his professional footballing career. He did make one appearance for Mercury Waltham Sunday League side Edmonton Rovers in the London Intermediate Cup on the recommendation of a work colleague who played for them, but when he was asked for his £5 match fee and £25 annual sub, he thought they would be paying him! He has not turned out for Rovers since, and the subject is never mentioned at work...
Player Ratings
Potter 7. One brilliant save, otherwise looked comfortable.
Gleeson 6. Coped pretty well with Fuller down the right.
Halliday 6. Needs to beef up a bit - he's got legs like pipe cleaners - but seems worth a longer look.
Hatswell 6. Didn't cover himself with glory for City's goal, otherwise cool and calm and a threat from set pieces too.
Tonkin 6. Quieter than at King's Lynn, never less than competent.
Parkinson 7. Lively presence on the right who looks like building a good rapport with Beesley and co.
Carden 6. Always reliable, although some way from his best.
Farrell 6. Busy and involved without pulling up any trees.
Pitt 6. Needs to improve his ratio of accurate to overhit crosses, which was something like 1:3 last night.
McEvilly 6. He's getting there... gradually.
Beesley 8. Everything good about United's attack revolved around him.
Bexfield 6. Quietly competent, although perhaps need to do more to get himself a contract.
Coulson 6. No ghastly errors this time.
Reed 6. Slotted in unobtrusively at left-back.
Jardin 7. The nippy little winger looked explosive on the break. More, please.
Convery 6. Adequate in place of Farrell.
Willmott 7. Lively and confident and caused City all sorts of problems.
Calliste 7. 100% better than at King's Lynn, particularly good in the build-up, although hasn't proved himself as a goalscorer yet.
Match Summary
United moved up from first to second gear in an entertaining Centenary encounter with our old rivals. Plenty of time to get up to overdrive.
Man of the Match
Mark Beesley. Bees has hit the ground running this season and looks like being a pivotal player this time around. Sheer quality.
Ref Watch
Francis 6. A trifle on the whistle-happy side, but not too irritating.
Soundtrack of the Day
The Music 'Strength In Numbers'
Andrew Bennett
Andrew's previous match reports
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