Competition: Blue Square Premier
Weather at kick-off: overcast, blustery
Goals:
United: Jeffery 31', Beesley 41'
A first goal for Jack Jeffery and a fifth for Mark Beesley ensured three vital points towards a play-off place.
Jimmy Quinn made three changes to the side beaten 2-1 at home to Stafford last weekend, calling up Jack Jeffery, Stephen Reed and the fit-again Danny Brown in place of Lee Boylan (bench), Paul Carden (suspended) and Michael Morrison (bench).
The changes signalled a change of formation to a flat back four with Brown returning at left-back, Dan Gleeson dropping back to right-back, with Ben Farrell and Courtney Pitt as the wide midfielders and Mark Beesley partnering West Ham loanee Jack Jeffery up front.
Salisbury manager Nick Holmes made one change to the side beaten 3-1 at Altrincham last weekend, calling up right-back Jon Bass in place of Tim Bond.
With a blustery breeze at their backs United almost took the lead inside the first minute when Courtney Pitt was brought down and Mark Albrighton met Stephen Reed's free kick on the edge of the box but prodded the ball over the bar.
United had to be alert to the home side's long throws and flick ons, but Courtney Pitt had a teasing cross plucked from the air in the tenth minute and Stephen Reed had a shot blocked two minutes later as the U's settled to their task.
The match been competitive with a number of individual battles and free kicks for both sides, but the balance tipped in United's favour in the 14th minute when Salisbury midfielder Michael Fowler committed a dreadful two-footed challenge on Rob Wolleaston and promptly received a red card for violent conduct from referee David Phillips.
In an increasingly heated atmosphere, Clarke had a cross cleared by Hatswell and Albrighton hacked away a free kick on 21, while Ben Farrell advanced to draw a catch from Ryan Clarke with his cross from the right.
Hatswell was the first man in amber and black to be booked when he eased Feeney over in the 25th minute, and there was a talking point a minute later when Mark Beesley went down holding his face in an off-the-ball incident. The referee consulted his assistant as the striker was led from the pitch but clearly the incident had been missed and no action was taken.
Pitt cut in from the left and had a low 20-yarder blocked, then in the 29th minute United took the lead.
It followed a crunching foul by Matthew Robinson on the lively Jack Jeffery and a free kick 35 yards out on the left taken by Stephen Reed. He went for goal but the ball ricocheted off Beesley and bounced around the area, goalkeeper Ryan Clarke missed the opportunity to smother the danger and Wolleaston's shot was diverted behind for a corner. Reed lifted it in, Danny Brown nodded it back into the area and Jack Jeffery turned on a sixpence to slide the ball under the advancing keeper's legs for a first and well-deserved Cambridge United goal.
United enjoyed a spell of good pressure after the goal and Pitt had a cross cleared and Mark Beesley went close before Salisbury midfielder Wayne Turk was booked on 38 for clattering into Reed from behind.
More United pressure saw Pitt lift a 25-yard drive over the bar and Beesley had a shot blocked by a covering defender with the 'keeper beaten, but on 41 United's lead was doubled when Jeffery crossed from the right to Mark Beesley who stooped to nod the ball down and beyond Clarke.
There was a moment's danger in stoppage time when the home side earned a corner that the U's defence failed to deal with, Feeney crossed the ball in again and Danny Potter did well to turn Cook's header over the bar from four yards, although a goal would not have stood anyway because a free kick was awarded for pushing. Half-time 0-2
Second half:
Both sides emerged unchanged and United almost made a perfect start as Jeffery and Beesley linked to stumble their way through a series of challenges on their way to goal, Beesley sliding the ball to Jeffery whose shot from 12 yards hit the foot of the post and bounced away
With the strong wind now behind the home side United had more defending to do and had to sit slightly deeper. Dan Gleeson was booked in the 52nd minute for a clattering foul on Clarke, and a minute later Feeney lifted a cross into the United area but it was inches too high for Tubbs.
The U's went close again on 56 when Hatswell got his head to Reed's corner but it was blocked behind for another corner, which Clarke nodded away.
Danny Potter was called into rare action on the hour when Bass spotted him off his line and tried his luck from fully 45 yards, but the backpedalling U's keeper tipped the ball over as it was about to dip under the bar, then confidently claimed the corner at the near post.
Nick Holmes made his first change in the 67th minute as defender Scott Bartlett made way for striker Marvin Brown, who scored the 87th minute equaliser at the Abbey earlier in the season, and moments later Beesley's backheel ran for Pitt but he got his angles wrong and drove the ball wide of the near post from 18 yards.
Aaron Cook headed wide at a Salisbury corner in the 70th minute and then there was a further 'sending off. The fourth official had had problems with outspoken comments from Salisbury bench throughout the match and the referee was called to the technical area in the 71st minute to banish assistant manager Barry Blankley to the stand.
Michael Morrison replaced Ben Farrell in the 73rd minute, slotting in at right-back as Dan Gleeson moved forward to the right of midfield, and Morrison was booked within a minute for timewasting as he opted to re-tie his bootlaces rather than immediately take a throw-in.
Mark Beesley was denied another goal in the 76th minute when he turned on the right of the area and his shot was curling under the bar until Clarke got a hand to it and tipped it over for a corner, and both managers made changes soon afterwards.
Nick Eastham replaced Feeney for Salisbury while Lee Boylan came on for Jack Jeffery, who thoroughly deserved the applause from the away fans, and with ten minutes remaining Courtney Pitt went down in some discomfort and was replaced by Robbie Willmott.
The United defence had stood firm against anything the home side had thrown at them, with Wayne Hatswell particularly dominant in the air, but they were breached in the 85th minute when Eastham worked the ball inside to Matt Tubbs whose shot was clawed behind by Potter, and Tubbs directed an overhead kick wide at the corner.
Potter had to punch another header away three minutes later, and as United counterattacked Robbie Willmott made a great run and beat two Salisbury men before crossing towards three United players in the area who were crowded out by the defence, and Gleeson's follow-up cross was almost blocked.
United finished on the attack as Beesley threatened to break away but was denied by the offside flag and another Willmott cross was blocked just before the final whistle marked Cambridge United's third consecutive away win.
Salisbury City:
Ryan Clarke, Jon Bass, Aaron Cook (c), Matthew Robinson, Scott Bartlett (Marvin Brown 67'); Rob Sinclair, Wayne Turk, Michael Fowler, Darrell Clarke; Matt Tubbs, Liam Feeney (Nicholas Eastham 77').
Subs not used: James Bittner, Tim Bond, Jamie Barron.
Sent off: Phillips violent conduct 14'
Booked: Turk foul 38'
Cambridge United:
Danny Potter, Dan Gleeson, Mark Albrighton, Wayne Hatswell, Danny Brown (c); Ben Farrell (Michael Morrison 73'), Rob Wolleaston, Stephen Reed, Courtney Pitt (Robbie Willmott 82'); Mark Beesley, Jack Jeffery (Lee Boylan 78').
Subs not used: Mark Peters, Magno Vieira.
Booked: Hatswell foul 25', Gleeson foul 52', Morrison timewasting 74'
Referee: Mr David Phillips
Att: 1,710 (away 604)
Mark Johnson's Match Summary:
"United put one foot in the play-offs with a thoroughly professional win at wind-swept Salisbury. The home side were always up against it after Michael Fowler was sent off for a horrible two-footed challenge on Rob Wolleaston after just 14 minutes, and United made them pay. Jack Jeffery and Mark Beesley both scored well-taken goals before the break to give United a cushion before they turned to play into the teeth of a strong wind, but they were never troubled after the interval. Although the game had spite the U's rose above it and now know that just one more win will book their place in the post-season action."
Mark's Man of the Match:
"Danny Brown - a welcome return for the captain who showed a quiet authority at left-back. Honourable mentions for Wayne Hatswell and Mark Albrighton who were commanding in the heart of the defence, while Messrs Beesley, Jeffery and Pitt in particular ran their socks off up front."
Ref: Mr Phillips - came under enormous pressure from the Salisbury bench but withstood it well and got most things right, including the red card. 7/10."
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