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 Droylsden with the points on Saturday, and afterwards they reflected on a very welcome win.

Ben Farrell joined the club from Bedford Town in January and after a few weeks on the treatment table with an ankle injury he was delighted to mark his comeback appearance with his first goal for Cambridge United.

"It was a great result - after the last few results we owed that to the fans and the Gaffer as well as ourselves," enthused the 21-year-old.

"We went out at a high tempo, which is what the Gaffer wanted with them having played so many games of late, and we didn't really let them settle. The pace we went out at also was down to our frustration over the last few results."

Admitting he was surprised to go straight into the starting line-up, Ben added, "By the tenth minute I was blowing a bit! Saying that, we have done a lot more fitness work this week in training which helped sharpen everyone up and then we had the psychologist in as well who has helped.

"It has made us think and got us back focused on what we can do to get the results we need, both today and at the end of the season.

"With Droylsden having as much to play for as us, it was important not to underestimate them. They'd done well against some of the teams around us so we expected a really tough game and to have to grind out a result. I don't think they really got to grips with us throughout the match though, and that's credit again to how we approached the game."

Ben scored in the ninth minute when Courtney Pitt's corner was worked on to him, and he described the goal thus: "We were given an awful lot of space in front of goal especially from dead balls. I normally have no space in the box but as well as the goal I could easily have had two more.

"I was delighted to get the goal - I had so much space to turn and shoot it was almost a gift but it helped settle us down and laid the platform for the win, which is more important than who gets the goals as long as we get them.

"We've now got Rushden away on Tuesday and it would be good to see another magnificent turnout there and hopefully we can make it like another home game and bring another three points back to the Abbey."

Fellow goalscorer Mark Beesley, who scored his second goal since joining at the end of January, was also delighted to find the net again and similarly focused on helping the club get the results needed before the end of the season.

"It's been a while since my last goal so I'm really pleased to get on the score sheet today," said the 26-year-old.

"The ball broke to me from Rob Wolleaston going in with their player and it opened up for me to hit it, and it flew in. I think from that point on we didn't look like anything else but winners.

"Droylsden looked like a side that had been through a demanding build-up to this game. We had them watched over the last week and the Gaffer had us get at them from the word go, and I don't think they could live with us today.

"I'm happy to be on the score sheet again but every game we play between now and the rest of the season is all about the three points. We are focused in what we need to do to get this club where it should be."

Interview by David Gray

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