Competition: Blue Square Premier
Weather at kick-off: cloudy
Goals:
Crow 43', Holroyd 47', Crow 50' (pen), Holroyd 65', Ives 68', 75', Beesley 89'

Seven goals gave the U's a record-equalling Conference win against Forest Green Rovers, who were reduced to ten men early in the second half with the score at 2-0. Danny Crow, Chris Holroyd and substitute Sam Ives each scored a brace of goals while Mark Beesley came off the bench to net his first goal of the season in the final minute.

Martin Ling picked an unchanged side for the fourth successive game, while Lee Phillips made a welcome return from injury with a place on the bench for the first time this season. However the manager himself missed the game with a stomach bug, leaving director Jez George and player-assistant Paul Carden in charge today.

The U's squad included three former Forest Green players, Wayne Hatswell starting his career there ten years ago while Mark Beesley and Anthony Tonkin count Rovers as their previous clubs.

FGR caretaker player-manager David Brown made two changes to the side that drew 0-0 at Oxford on Monday, with defender Andrew Taylor replacing Mark Preece and midfielder Jonathan Smith in for Jon Challinor, who returned to Cambridge yesterday at the end of a one-month loan.

With United attacking the Newmarket Road end in the first half, Forest Green began with a spell of neat football and possession but the first chance fell to United in the third minute. Danny Crow nicked the ball from Mark Ellis and cut in from the left but fired wide with Chris Holroyd racing through the middle.

A minute later Crow again brought the ball forward, linking well with Holroyd to release Robbie Willmott but his cross was snatched by goalkeeper Terry Burton, and soon afterwards Andy Parkinson delivered a looping cross for Crow in acres of space but by the time the ball dropped a defender was able to close in and clear it behind.

That was a feature of the opening exchanges as the visitors sat quite deep and scurried to deny United's players any time on the ball, and with player-boss Brown playing deep behind striker Sean Rigg the U's midfield often found themselves outnumbered.

Paul Lloyd fired wide from 25 yards for the visitors, and Mr Bull angered both sets of fans in the 18th minute when he missed a handball by Willmott in the build-up to a cross, which Holroyd rose to meet and headed goalwards, but although a defender got the last touch to send it over the bar a goal kick was given.

Forest Green then sent on Ben Pugh in place of injured defender Lee Ayres and the half continued to drift as the action was stop-start and neither side were able to settle on the ball.

There was controversy on the half hour when Parkinson was clattered by two players, leaving him in a heap as Lloyd raced clear to earn a corner, and Mr Bull's lenience could have proved costly for United as Stonehouse met the flagkick and put the ball narrowly off target.

Crow went close again on 32 at a corner, timing his run perfectly to meet Willmott's cross but heading inches over the bar. The U's went closer still four minutes later when Holroyd controlled the ball in an instant and picked out Parkinson in the area, but although the winger's shot beat the keeper it was hacked off the line.

Four minutes before half-time Forest Green had a great opening when Rigg raced into space but Brian Saah stepped in to make an important interception, and two minutes later United were ahead.

Wayne Hatswell had stayed up for a free kick and he robbed a defender after the initial cross was cleared and FGR threatened to break away, looking up and calmly rolling the ball for Danny Crow to turn and smash an angled drive into the top right hand corner for a thoroughly deserved first goal of the season.

With stoppage time approaching Holroyd was clearly pushed over in the area and United's penalty appeals were waved away, but they went in with a deserved half-time lead. Half-time 1-0

Half-time summary by match commentator Mark Johnson:
"As expected, it's been no cake walk for United and they've needed to be patient. It's taken them a while to get going but the relief when Danny Crow's shot hit the net was palpable. More of the same in the second half but if they can regain the tempo they'll be fine."

Second half:
Forest Green kicked off and Stonehouse tried an early shot, driving a powerful shot over the angle of post and bar from 25 yards, but United extended the lead two minutes into the half as Pugh presented the ball to Chris Holroyd and he raced through the middle and held off a defender, then drew the keeper before coolly scored his eighth goal of the season into the bottom corner.

A minute later Holroyd raced clear again but was felled inside the area by a high boot into his chest by goalkeeper Terry Burton, who then threw the ball angrily in the direction of referee Mike Bull. He showed an immediate red card to the keeper but, by the rules of the game, Holroyd had to leave the pitch after receiving attention from the physio and was denied the chance to take the resulting penalty.

Forest Green sacrificed midfielder Paul Lloyd to bring on England Under-18 goalkeeper Tom Pass and although the youngster dived the right way Danny Crow placed a low spot kick under his body and into the net to put United three-up.

Forest Green looked ragged now and Mark Ellis risked a sending-off on 53 when he was the last man and hauled Holroyd back ten yards inside the FGR half but escaped with a yellow card, and six minutes later he was on hand to make a good headed clearance at a Willmott corner.

United were well in control and Chris Holroyd made it 4-0 on 65 after good work by Paul Carden who won the ball and released the striker from the halfway line to outpace a defender and draw the keeper before sliding home his ninth goal of the season from 18 yards.

Player-manager David Brown withdrew himself from the fray a minute later to send on forward Conal Platt, and moments later Anthony Tonkin hared down the left and crossed towards Crow in the area but the striker took an extra touch and was closed down.

Jez George made United's first change on 67 to send on first year pro Sam Ives for Jai Reason, and the 18-year-old added to the celebratory feeling in the Abbey by scoring within seconds.

Tonkin released Crow to shoot from the edge of the area and Pass made a good stop but could only parry the ball to Ives, who showed great composure to hit the ball first time for his first senior goal.

Sean Rigg showed his frustration when he was flagged offside with 20 minutes remaining, kicking the ball away and receiving a yellow card for dissent, and it got even worse for the visitors five minutes later when Sam Ives joined the strikers by scoring his second goal.

Brian Saah picked him out with a raking pass from inside the United half and the teenager showed good control as he sprinted clear and closed on goal, and although Pass came out to meet him and got a hand to the ball he couldn't prevent it from looping into the net to make it 6-0.

That was the cue to withdraw both strikers, perhaps with an eye on the next game in three days' time, and Lee Phillips came on for his first appearance of the season in place of Holroyd while Mark Beesley replaced Crow, both strikers leaving the pitch to a fantastic ovation.

Anthony Tonkin tried for his first U's goal a minute later but Pass was equal to the 25-yard drive, and on 81 Beesley slid a good through ball to Phillips but the comeback man was offside by half a yard. Phillips played his part as United patiently retained possession in the closing minutes with intelligent football, although the fans were calling for a seventh goal and they got their way in the 89th minute.

Anthony Tonkin made a strong overlapping run down the wing, his cross ricocheted off a defender to Mark Beesley on the left of the area, and the striker drove a low angled shot past the helpless Pass to notch his long-awaited first goal of the season against his former club.

Rovers' Stonehouse fired a 25-yarder past Danny Potter's far post in stoppage time and the final chance of the game fell to Andy Parkinson who drew a save from Pass with a strike from the edge of the area, before the final whistle marked a record-equalling victory.

Cambridge United:
Danny Potter, Dan Gleeson, Brian Saah, Wayne Hatswell, Anthony Tonkin; Robbie Willmott, Paul Carden (c), Jai Reason (Sam Ives 68'), Andy Parkinson; Chris Holroyd (Lee Phillips 75'), Danny Crow (Mark Beesley 75').
Subs not used: Josh Coulson, Courtney Pitt.

Forest Green Rovers:
Terry Burton, Andrew Taylor, Lee Ayres (c, Ben Pugh 20'), Mark Ellis, Curtis McDonald; Paul Stonehouse, Steve Adams, Jonathan Smith, Paul Lloyd (Tom Pass 49'); David Brown (Conal Platt 66'), Sean Rigg.
Subs not used: Ross Stern, Stephen Davis.

Sent off: Burton (serious foul play 48')
Booked: Ellis foul 53', Rigg dissent 71'

Referee: Mr Mike Bull

Attendance: 2,646 (away 39)

Post-match summary by commentator Mark Johnson:
"Martin Ling may have been absent through illness but he will surely be feeling better after his side's second half demolition of ten-man Forest Green. There was no sign of the goal-fest to come for 43 minutes with the visitors looking every bit as hard to beat as they had been billed, but there was no stopping the U's once Danny Crow had made the breakthrough just before half-time. Chris Holroyd doubled the lead two minutes after the restart and it was one-way traffic once the Forest Green keeper was sent off after conceding a penalty. Messrs Holroyd and Crow duly added their second goals, Sam Ives came off the bench and netted twice, and Mark Beesley added the seventh to put the lid on a perfect afternoon. The win equals United's record win in the Conference (v Weymouth) and it could have been more."

Mark's Man of the Match:
"Danny Crow - scored the goals his recent all-round team play has deserved and showed why he was brought to the club. Honourable mention to Cambridge United Football Club; this was a fine all-round team performance."

Ref: Mr Bull - after some contentious decisions in the first half, fortunately he was able to have a quieter second half but the scoreline was not due to him - he was anything but a home referee. 4/10."

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