Gary Brabin was pleased with the result and the style of the 4-2 win against a strong Everton side on Saturday, but warned that the important games are yet to come.

"Obviously it's pre-season and first and foremost we've got to prepare ourselves for the first game of the season, but I'm absolutely delighted with the lads in the last three weeks and it's nice to get our first win against a Premiership side - and a top five Premiership side at that.

"They had a strong side out and I thought we played some great football at times and scored some great goals. Everton weren't taking it lightly and they will be disappointed. Everyone might say it's pre-season and it's only a friendly, but I know David Moyes and he won't like getting beat, and I'm likewise.

"It's always nice to win but there are other important things involved in a game like this. I think today you could see little bits of what I'm trying to do; I like to attack, I like to try and play football, and at the same time we need to do the other stuff as well.

"I was pleased because there are things we've worked on in the last couple of weeks and I could see them coming off today, so I got a lot of personal satisfaction from things that were going on out there.

"I'm concentrating on the first game of the season and I just hope people don't get carried away with this," Brabin cautioned. "It was a great game and a great occasion but we've just got to keep working towards what's most important, and that's when the league starts in three weeks' time.

"I know what they're capable of, I work with them every day, and I just want them to switch this off now. We haven't achieved anything and we've got no points from today. There were loads of positives and I don't want to sound negative but I want to bring us back down to earth and realise that we're getting back to training on Monday morning and they're in for a hard double session and I won't be taking it easy with them."

Striker Lee McEvilly limped off after just ten minutes and Brabin explained that he was withdrawn as a precaution after feeling his hamstring: "He's trained really hard this pre-season. I think he's made a conscious effort to get himself fitter, which is something that's been ongoing for him in his career and stopped him going further.

"He's really knuckled down and he's probably eaten too many salads and I think he felt a little bit fatigued on Friday, but he didn't say anything because he obviously wanted to play today and hopefully it's not too bad because as soon as he felt it I dragged him off."

Brabin admitted that to record his first win as Cambridge United manager against the team he supported as a boy was special and confided: "I'm going back to Liverpool tonight for the night (Saturday) so I can't wait to go home and gloat!"

[Match report and more photos]

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