Competition: Blue Square Premier
Weather at kick-off: cold, drizzle
Goals:
United: Willmott 56', Rendell 72', 119'

Cambridge United:
Danny Potter, Dan Gleeson, Phil Bolland, Wayne Hatswell, Anthony Tonkin; Robbie Willmott, Paul Carden (c), Jai Reason, Courtney Pitt (Andy Parkinson 68'); Lee Phillips (Chris Holroyd 111'), Scott Rendell.
Subs not used: Daryl McMahon, Jon Challinor, Danny Crow.

Booked: Carden foul 71', Willmott foul 118', Rendell dissent 119'

Stevenage Borough:
Chris Day, Ronnie Henry, Jon Ashton, Mark Roberts, Scott Laird; Michael Bostwick, Gary Mills, Darren Murphy (Lawrie Wilson 40'), Andy Drury (Junior Mendes 100'); Steve Morison (c), Lee Boylan (Callum Willock 61').
Subs not used: Ashley Bayes, Peter Vincenti.

Booked: Ashton 45' foul, Laird 75' foul, Roberts foul 103'
Red Card: Laird Foul & second yellow card 95'

Cambridge United booked their place in a Wembley Play-off Final for the second year running with a magnificent 3-0 home win to overcome Stevenage Borough.

Having lost 3-1 at the Lamex Stadium on Thursday, the U's had it all to do but second half goals from Robbie Willmott and Scott Rendell took the tie into extra time, and Rendell pounced again in the 119th minute when Paul Carden's shot was blocked to book a place in the final and break Stevenage hearts.

Gary Brabin made three attacking changes to the team that lost 3-1 at Stevenage in the first leg on Thursday evening, recalling Scott Rendell, Robbie Willmott and Courtney Pitt in place of Danny Crow, Jon Challinor and Josh Coulson and reverting to a 4-4-2 line-up.

Stevenage boss Graham Westley made one change, calling up midfielder Gary Mills for winger Junior Mendes, and the game kicked off in damp conditions with United attacking the South Stand.

With United needing to make up a two goal deficit and starting at a high tempo, Stevenage were determined to take the early sting out of the game and both Mills and Bostwick stayed down for treatment after the lightest of contact, but United had the game by the throat and forced all the early pressure.

After forcing two early corners, United threatened again when Willmott tricked his way past one defender and nutmegged another but his low cross was scrambled away. The pressure continued at high tempo and in the tenth minute Willmott crossed to Reason who was pushed over by Murphy inside the area but United's penalty claims were waved away.

More good linkup play saw Reason's looping header drop inches wide of the far post on 15, and the midfielder was involved again three minutes later when he met a Stevenage clearance just outside the area. He touched it to Willmott whose volley was blocked, and as play continued Pitt was shoved in the area but the ball was running away from him and again the referee waved play on.

The play was still one way and on 25 United enjoyed a good break using the full width of the pitch, working the ball from right to left where Tonkin skipped to the edge of the area, his shot was blocked by Ashton but worked wide to Willmott whose cross floated just out of play.

Dan Gleeson caused concern when he was caught on the ankle by a Murphy clearance and hobbled off for attention before limping back into the fray, but before long the Cambridge-born defender was back in the thick of the action.

Stevenage's leading scorer spurned a golden opportunity to score in the 32nd minute. A United corner was punched away and there appeared to be a foul just outside the area, but as several players from both teams paused, expecting a free kick, Morison beat the offside trap and raced through one-on-one with former team-mate Potter but fired wide of the far post with Carden breathing down his neck.

Soon afterwards Darren Murphy had a half-chance when a clearance fell for him but he snatched at the ball and fired over from 20 yards, and on 34 a United corner was cleared to Pitt who looped a cross onto Rendell's head, but the striker was unable to direct the ball past the keeper.

Graham Westley was unhappy with proceedings and made a 40th minute tactical change to send on Lawrie Wilson for the clearly surprised Murphy, and a minute later United went close again when a clearance dropped invitingly for Pitt and he flashed a left-footed volley into the sidenetting.

Mark Roberts headed away a Willmott cross, then as play entered stoppage time the visitors had their best chance when Boylan fed the ball to Henry who stumbled through two challenges into the area but stabbed a low shot into the diving Potter's arms.

The final incident of a breathless half came in the fourth minute of stoppage time when Jon Ashton, who had been warned earlier, brought down Pitt and was finally booked for persistent fouling.

Half-time summary from match commentator Mark Johnson:
"United still have it all to do after battering at the Stevenage door but not breaking it down. They've had the best chances but Morison let them off the hook, missing a one-on-one to leave it a case of 'as you were' at the start of the second half."

Second half:
Attacking the noisy Newmarket Road End, United started with a dangerous corner from Pitt, delivered under the Stevenage bar and headed behind for another corner that Day punched away.

In an electric atmosphere, United's non-stop pressure paid off in the 55th minute when Phillips played the ball out to Robbie Willmott on the right and he cut inside to unleash a drive from the corner of the area that flicked off Laird's head and beyond Day for the teenager's ninth goal of the season.

Westley freshened up his attack by sending on Callum Willock for Boylan in the 61st minute, seconds later Hatswell headed Willmott's corner powerfully past the near post, and at the other end a Stevenage free kick into the area was flicked on by Willock to Roberts who headed wide from close-range.

The visitors were dangerous on the break and gave warning again after Pitt had a shot blocked from the edge of area, Drury's long ball from defence released Willock but Hatswell got back well to block the danger.

Most of the play was in the Stevenage half though, in front of the massed ranks of the sold-out NRE, and on 67 Rendell worked his way to the edge of the area but although his cross was blocked by a Stevenage elbow his penalty claims were again waved away.

Gary Brabin sent on the fresh legs of Andy Parkinson for Pitt in the 68th minute, but almost immediately the visitors threatened when Morison went on a strong run down the left, but he was tracked all the way by Reason and ran it out of play, then play was pulled back for Carden to be booked for a foul earlier on the move.

The air of nervous expectation inside the ground exploded in the 72nd minute when a foul by Henry on Rendell resulted in a free kick just inside the U's half, which was delivered deep by Reason to Hatswell, and United's 'player of the year' rose at the far post to head the ball across goal to Scott Rendell who touched it in from close range to level the aggregate score.

Another booking followed two minutes later when Scott Laird was punished for a foul on Willmott, and on 84 Ashton hauled Phillips down and was called over with his skipper Morison for another 'final' warning before an enthralling half headed for a breathless climax.

Drury drove a shot wide with five minutes remaining, then Potter made a smart save from Wilson, and in stoppage time United somehow denied Stevenage a late winner when Mills lifted the ball into the area and Potter was caught out as the ball pinballed around the area. Morison's shot was blocked on the line by Tonkin and hacked away by Hatswell, and Potter made a pointblank save from Ashton following the corner.

In the dying seconds United fans rose to their feet as the jet-heeled Willmott chased down Roberts and won the ball on the edge of the area but was forced wide and eventually lost possession, and normal time ended to make way for 30 extra minutes.

90 minutes: 2-0 (3-3 on aggregate)

United resumed attacking the same Newmarket Road end, and after an edgy opening five minutes Stevenage were reduced to ten men for the third successive match when Laird and Reason challenged for the ball and Laird followed through with his studs into Reason's shin to collect a second yellow card and the first red card of referee Paul Tierney's career.

With Stevenage adjusting to the sending-off, Phillips alertly charged down a poor back pass and was inches away from rounding Day, then on 98 Paul Carden met a pass on the edge of the area and stung Day's hands with a rasping drive.

Westley sent on the fresh attacking legs of Junior Mendes in place of Drury in the 100th minute, and two minutes later Stevenage coach Dino Maamria prevented United from taking a quick free kick by kicking it away down the touchline and was sent from the technical area. Mr Tierney's busy afternoon continued a minute later when Mark Roberts hauled down the lively Parkinson and was rightly booked.

Robbie Willmott was still tormenting the visitors' defence and forced a clearance from Ashton in the final action of the first period of extra time.

Now attacking the South Stand, United threatened again in the 110th minute when Parkinson cut inside and had a shot blocked, then Rendell ducked to meet a cross at the far post but it was easy for Day.

With United parked in the Stevenage half, another great opportunity to settle the match came when Willmott crossed to Rendell at the far post but the striker's header back across goal flew wide of the far post with Phillips following in.

Phillips then made way for Chris Holroyd, the first corner of extra time fell for Reason on the edge of area but he volleyed onto the roof of the net, Day pushed a shot behind under pressure from Rendell, and on 116 Parkinson crossed for Carden whose powerful drive was blocked by an under pressure defence.

The atmosphere was crackling as Willmott was booked for tangling with Henry, then with a minute remaining and penalties looming Reason and Carden linked with a one-two into the box, Carden's shot was parried by Day and Scott Rendell pounced from a yard out to tuck the ball past the helpless keeper.

The ecstatic striker ripped his shirt off to celebrate and collected a yellow card for his troubles, and there was still time for a late, deep Stevenage corner towards Morison at the far post before the final whistle signalled massive celebrations and the inevitable pitch invasion by United supporters.

Referee: Mr Paul Tierney

Attendance: 6,507 (away 1,173)

Match Summary from Mark Johnson:
"A Scott Rendell goal in the final minute of extra time completed a memorable fight back and sent the U's back down Wembley Way. Going into the game 3-1 down from the first leg, some may have written off the U's, but they went at Stevenage from the first minute. They had to be patient though, knocking at the visitors' door but they were unable to find a way through until Robbie Willmott's deflected shot went in ten minutes after the restart. The visitors were always dangerous, particularly with the Conference top scorer Steve Morison in the side, but United's effort was typified by the way Jai Reason chased 50 yards to close down a Morison break. Moments later Rendell made it 2-0 to force another 30 minutes, which United continued to dominate, and with penalties looming large Carden's shot was parried and Rendell tucked home to send the U's into dreamland."

Mark's Man of the Match:
"Dan Gleeson - a Cambridge lad who did his home town proud with an inspirational performance. But there are a lot of candidates including Messrs Reason, Rendell, Phillips, Potter and Bolland but it's difficult to pick out individuals on a day when the U's were truly 'United in Endeavour'."

Ref: Mr Tierney - it was a high pressure game for the referee too, with Stevenage timewasting from the first minute, and he id well. He made have made some contentious decisions but most referees do, and he allowed a thrilling contest to develop. 8 /10."

AT090504 web@cambridge-united.co.uk