Droylsden manager Dave Pace was generous about Cambridge United in defeat, but scathing about the fact that his part-timers were playing their fourth game in eight days.

Goals in either half by recent signings Ben Farrell - his first for the club - and Mark Beesley ensured that United ended their three-game run of away defeats and left with the points, and the Bloods boss conceded that his weary team were second-best all over the pitch.

"I'm not worried about whether this result sent us down, and I'm also not worried about our performance today," he stated. "What I am worried - no, make that annoyed - about is that the people who organise this league leaves such a pile up of fixtures in the final run in.

"You cannot play four games in a week whether you are part time or full time, and it's shown today that it was a game too far for our lads. You ask the league people why does the league start a week late, have free Saturdays, have to fit in the Setanta Cup games, and then finish the season a week early due to the play-offs having to be fitted in? It's totally unbelievable and needs to be looked into as soon as possible.

"We've been putting in decent performances with good team work and commitment but we weren't able to show that today. Saying that," he added, "if we'd played like that against Exeter on Thursday we would have been battered eight-nil. I'm disappointed but have no excuses other than what I've just mentioned."

Pace also paid credit to Jimmy Quinn and his players for ensuring a high tempo game that would take advantage of Droylsden's busy week - they had to travel to Exeter for Thursday's 1-1 draw after playing at home to Torquay on Tuesday and away to Rushden last Saturday.

"For all we did in the previous games this week, you were better all over the pitch, beating us to nearly every ball from start to finish," he commented. "You were technically better than us, stronger than us, as well as the movement off the ball being excellent.

"But whoever we played today would have beaten us on that performance, and if we hadn't been put through the week we've just had you wouldn't have been able to do that. Jimmy knew that. He'd had us watched over the last week and knew how you were going to set about us from the off. Credit to your lads for following your game plan to a T."

Concluding with his thoughts on United's play-off hopes, Pace was complimentary: "We've recently played all of your play-off rivals and you are a far better side than Torquay, Exeter play more football than you but you are better organised and far stronger all across the pitch, and Stevenage lack cohesion and consistency so weighing up the opposition I think you are the most capable of those clubs and I would tip you to go up."

Interview by David Gray

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