Date: Tuesday 24th November, 2009
Competition: Blue Square Premier
Weather at kick-off: overcast, windy
Goals:
United: Carden 60', Saah 64'
Rushden: Tomlin 13', Louis 27'
A proverbial game of two halves saw United roar back in the second period to take a point that their first half showing barely merited.
With Anthony Tonkin and Robbie Willmott suspended, Martin Ling brought Darryl Coakley and Courtney Pitt into the starting line up to form a new left sided combination. He also made two other changes, with Danny Crow returning to the starting line up following his late double strike at Luton, and Dan Gleeson resuming his usual right back spot after injury.
Rory McAuley and Lee Phillips dropped to the bench, where there was also a place for young striker Adam Marriott following his hat-trick for CRC last weekend.
Ling's opposite number Justin Edinburgh also rang the changes, bringing in Aaron O'Connor, Lee Tomlin, and Jefferson Louis for Cliff Akurang, Craig Farrell, and Matt Pattison respectively.
Following pre-match huddles from both teams, the action got underway with United attacking the South Stand, and the first attack saw Holroyd latch on to a through ball from Parkinson and work the ball back to Coakley. His cross flicked off the head of Crow into the path of Parkinson, who couldn't quite get his shot away and the ball was cleared.
Rushden's first break saw Tomlin link up with O'Connor down the left, who was blocked by Reason at the expense of a corner. Tomlin's curling delivery eluded everyone and floated out on the far side. But the visitors continued to press, looking all the time for the early ball forward to O'Connor and his muscular partner Louis. A nice passing move in the eighth minute, again involving O'Connor and Tomlin on the left, saw them release the overlapping Kurt Robinson, but Danny Potter was out quickly to block his shot.
United gained brief respite when determined play from Holroyd saw him win a free kick on half way after being pulled back by Stuart, but Reason's delivery was a poor one and the ball floated straight out of play for a goal kick.
And Rushden capitalised on their good start in the 13th minute, when Lee Tomlin won a free kick after being tripped by Parkinson on the left. With the ball placed a good 35 yards from goal, and everyone expecting a cross, the winger whipped the ball into the near post, deceiving Potter and finding the net.
The swirling wind probably didn't help the United keeper, and moments later an attempted clearance from Gleeson almost caused more trouble when it caught in the breeze and ended up behind the United right back, but Louis was adjudged to have fouled Hatswell as he jumped to win it on the edge of the box.
Indecision in the Rushden defence then almost led to an 18th minute equaliser, when Abbey and Corcoran left the ball to each other allowing Pitt to slip in and feed Holroyd, who sent his shot back across the stranded keeper and just wide of the far post with the goal gaping.
Pitt was involved again in the 22nd minute when the ball bounced across the box and found the winger, who controlled and struck a half volley which Abbey had to parry to safety. However, it was another winger, Tomlin, who continued to cause mischief, charging down the left where he was cynically blocked off by Brian Saah. In a similar position from where he scored the goal, Tomlin again tried to curl it into the near post but lifted it over the bar.
United spurned a glorious chance to equalise in the 25th minute when a superb pass from Pitt put Parkinson clear on goal, but he lifted his shot into the South Stand when a square pass would have left the unmarked Holroyd with a tap in. Paul Terry became the first player yellow carded, picking up a caution for dissent after United had won a free kick on half way. But it was soon 2-0 as United were undone down the flanks again.
This time it was Byrne who found space on the right in the 27th minute, latching onto a pass from Terry and squaring for the unmarked Jefferson Louis to roll in a debut goal and give the visitors a deserved two-goal advantage. Jai Reason's frustration boiled over moments later, when he lunged in on Robinson and picked up a caution, his fifth of the season.
Too often United's forward passes were hopeful ones in the vague direction of Holroyd and Crow, which were easily gobbled up by towering defenders Curtis Osano and Jamie Stuart. Crow drew a foul from Corcoran on the U's left when he was pulled to the ground in the 37th minute, but Parkinson's delivery summed up his and his teams night so far, as it drifted aimlessly over the heads of the players in the box and away to the far side where it was eventually cleared.
Pitt and Coakley worked an opening down the left in the 40th minute, but the young left back's low cross was cleared away with Holroyd and Crow lurking.
The flow of the match wasn't helped by referee Barrett's constant blasts on the whistle, but he had no choice but to award Rushden a free kick in the 43rd minute when they broke away and Carden hauled down Byrne as he advanced 30 yards from goal. The United skipper picked up his fifth booking of the season, and the resulting free kick was driven low but wide by Tomlin.
In the last minute of the half Potter was nearly embarrassed by Byrne, who latched onto a scuffed clearance from the United stopper and launched a first time shot towards the empty net which drifted just wide of the far post.
Pitt looked the most likely player to make something happen for United, and in the 45th minute he burst into the box and saw a powerful shot blocked away for a corner. Parkinson's flag kick was met by Crow, who headed over the bar under pressure from Stuart. After two minutes of injury time, Mr Barrett called time on a thoroughly unsatisfactory half from a United perspective, with the visitors two goals in front and looking comfortable.
Half time: Cambridge United: 0 Rushden: 2
A good start was needed to the second half but United almost fell further behind when Robinson surged down the left and put in a cross which Potter clutched off the toe of O'Conner. But the U's were soon on the offensive, and Carden was tripped on the edge of the box for a free kick in the 49th minute, which Pitt curled over the wall but into the arms of Abbey.
A late challenge from Gleeson saw him earn a yellow card, with the United full back unimpressed by the theatrical fall from Tomlin. The free kick came to nothing, and United were back on the offensive soon afterwards, with Crow whipping over a cross that was volleyed behind for a corner by Robinson, but Parkinson's low delivery was easily cleared. Another corner came a minute later when Saah's long range shot was deflected wide. Pitt's delivery was better, finding Crow, whose header was blocked, and Rushden broke away through the fleet-footed O'Connor, who had a shot blocked behind for a Rushden corner which was eventually cleared.
Soon afterwards Martin Ling made the first change of the night, bringing on Lee Phillips for Parkinson. United switched to a 4-3-3 formation, and it paid dividends in the 60th minute when skipper Paul Carden gave his side a lifeline, winning a crunching tackle in midfield, and striding forward to strike a 30 yard effort over Abbey and into the top corner.
Galvanised by the goal, United continued to press, and got an unlikely equaliser in the 64th minute. Crow was tripped on the right, winning a free kick. Pitt's wicked cross arced into the area where Brian Saah climbed to ram the ball in from close range and level the scores with his first goal for the club.
With the visitors reeling, Crow's persistance won a corner on the right and Pitt's cross was just too high for Hatswell arriving at the back post. Rushden substituted goalscorer Louis in the 67th minute, with Cliff Akurang coming on in his place, and as the rain began to fall Pitt almost got another shot away but couldn't get the ball out from under his feet and the chance was gone.
The 71st minute saw Mr Barrett issue a yellow card to Stuart for dissent, as Rushden began to find their feet once more, with the busy Tomlin at the heart of all their best work. At the other end a nice flick from Crow released Phillips in the 76th minute, but his first time effort was well wide. Rushden's second change came a minute later, with Downer replacing Corcoran.
United had settled back into a 4-4-2 now, with Holroyd wide on the right, and they still looked the more likely scorers. Tomlin threw the ball away to pick up a senseless yellow card in the 81st minute, and Danny Potter had to be out quickly to clear when O'Connor scampered through in the 83rd.
Ironic applause from the Rushden fans followed Mr Barrett's decision to award them a free kick in the 84th minute, and they nearly profited when Akurang met Tomlin's cross but saw his effort blocked behind. The corner was cleared, but Rushden kept up the pressure until Robinson fouled Reason in the corner and was cautioned, giving United a free kick and a chance to clear their lines.
Rushden's final change saw O'Connor replaced by Craig Farrell, as the referee's constant blasts of the whistle continued to bemuse both sets of players and fans. With two minutes left United won a free kick on half way, but Reason's cross was cleared and Pitt's follow up shot was blocked. Rushden cleared but a long pass from Carden caused trouble as Phillips burst clear and Osano thundered the ball into touch.
Four minutes of injury time were signalled by the fourth official, but despite a late Rushden free kick which caused mild panic in the U's box, there were no further chances and a pulsating second period came to an end with the scores level. United's second half comeback was once again impressive, but their poor first half performance left them with a mountain to climb and will be a concern for Martin Ling ahead of Saturday's FA Cup tie against York City.
Man of the Match: Courtney Pitt - A thorn in Rushden's side throughout, he provided a fantastic assist for Saah's equalising goal.
Cambridge United:
Danny Potter, Dan Gleeson, Darryl Coakley, Brian Saah, Wayne Hatswell, Andy Parkinson (Lee Phillips 57), Paul Carden, Jai Reason, Chris Holroyd, Danny Crow, Courtney Pitt.
Subs not used: Laurie Walker, Rory McAuley, Sam Ives, Adam Marriott.
Bookings: Reason 28 (foul), Carden 41 (foul), Gleeson 51 (foul).
Rushden and Diamonds: Nathan Abbey, Curtis Osano, Kurt Robinson, Michael Corcoran (Simon Downer 77), Jamie Stuart, Max Porter, Paul Terry, Lee Tomlin, Mark Byrne, Jefferson Louis (Cliff Akurang 67), Aaron O'Connor (Craig Farrell 87).
Subs not used: Dale Roberts, Neil Cousins.
Bookings: Terry 25 (dissent), Stuart 72 (dissent), Tomlin 81 (dissent), Robinson 86 (foul)
Referee: Mr W Barratt
Attendance: 2,612 (253 away)
Matthew Gooding
