Eastbourne manager Garry Wilson was downhearted after seeing his side take the lead in Saturday's match at the Trade Recruitment Stadium but eventually lose 2-1.

"In the first half we never really got to grips with their system, although we went in at half-time at nil-nil and I had to look at the positives of that," he said. "I thought our two centre halves did really well in dealing with the pressure and made sure we kept the ball out of the net.

"In the second half Cambridge changed their formation slightly and that helped us. We started to look after the ball a little bit better and work our way up the pitch. I was pleased we got the penalty but I wasn't sure whether the Cambridge lad (Wayne Hatswell) deserved to stay on the pitch.

"In the first half he should have been booked and booked for the penalty, then he wouldn't have warranted the talking to for his third foul. It's frustrating to see that."

United pegged the visitors back with a goal on his home debut for Lee Phillips and a penalty by substitute Chris Holroyd and Wilson admitted he was 'disappointed' with both goals.

"For the first we're not sure whether it was a corner in the first place, then from the corner Danny Brown hasn't picked up his man and mis-headed it and it leaves the guy with a free header in the box. If you've defended the way you have in the first half to keep the ball out of the net and then give a free header away, it's a bit cruel.

"We could have done better, then there was a little catalogue of errors for the second goal; we were caught high up the pitch, Ben's been isolated and Pitt has got the ball in. It's not a great cross but the keeper has been indecisive and they've got a header at the back post and although Matt is coming in behind their lad he was pushed in the back, which has thrown him into the Cambridge lad (Holroyd) and the ref has only seen that contact and given the penalty."

Wilson continued, "But after that I was pleased that we kept going and peppered the goal a little bit and made their keeper work a bit. There was enough quality going into their box and if we could have got on to the end of one of them we could've just nicked something out of the game."

He concluded by saying he was pleased with the way his team performed in front of a good Bank Holiday crowd of 3,391: "We've been to Wrexham and other places with big crowds and caved in, so I'm pleased we didn't do that today.

"We frustrated the Cambridge fans as we kept the ball more and more, and before they scored you could see a bit of nervousness creeping in, but they are a good side and it shows that we have come a long way to even reach the levels we are reaching at the moment.

"We are a young and improving club and we take many positives out of this. But if you are honest on the balance of play, in the first half they should have put one of their chances away and we were lucky to get to half-time goalless so the end result could be seen as fair."

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