Date: Wednesday 8th July, 2009
Competition: Pre-season friendly
Weather: Overcast
Goals:
Dean Lodge (pen) 28', McAuley 30', Robbins (pen) 32', Amory 34', Marriott 43', 46', 63', 81' Ives 90'.

United continued their pre-season campaign with this friendly at Cherry Hinton to mark their centenary, and a mixture of first teamers, youngsters and trialists ran out comfortable winners against the Kershaw League side.

Starting line-ups:

Cherry Hinton starting line-up:
Alec Banthorpe, Chris Chilvers, Leon Jones, Tom Tarrant, Simon Gillies, Peter Shanks, Benny Jolley, Gary Martin, Simon Crow, Steve Geoghan, Russell Kondardt.

Cambridge United:
Ross Cherry (Laurie Walker 46'), Dan Gleeson (Jordan Patrick 64'), Josh Coulson, Rory McAuley, Courtney Pitt (Danny Crow 64'); Dean Lodge, Ben Farrell, Sam Ives, Tyrone Amory (Darryl Coakley 46'); Grant Robbins, Adam Marriott.

With 18-year-old goalkeeper Ross Cherry the only new trialist, it was a mixed side of first teamers, youngsters and trialists that took to the Recreation Ground pitch.

Former Lincoln City keeper Cherry joined last night's trialists Tyrone Amory (19, ex-Derby County and Atherstone winger) and young Somersham striker Grant Robbins, with former MK Dons and Millwall keeper Laurie Walker among the substitutes after playing 90 minutes at Ely last night.

Four goals in six minutes turned a frustrating evening into the expected walk in the park for United, even if the opening goal came through a soft penalty. United saw plenty of possession in the first half hour but couldn't make the breakthrough on a clover-strewn pitch surrounded by a rope barrier, struggling to get to grips with the uneven surface as the final ball let them down.

There were a number of shots on goal and half-chances but the U's didn't look like making the breakthrough and Cherry Hinton had a couple of chances of their own. The best came when Geoghan stole in unmarked at the far post from a free kick on the left in the 18th minute but was unable to get enough power into his shot to beat Cherry, who made a good save.

The breakthrough finally came in the 28th minute when Dan Gleeson found Dean Lodge, who tumbled on the edge of the penalty. It was not the most convincing penalty shout and not the most convincing penalty either, but Lodge hit it hard enough to roll it inside the keeper's right-hand post.

It was a soft penalty but it opened the floodgates and two minutes later Rory McAuley powered a soaring header home unmarked from a right wing corner, and two became three on 32 when a clear push by Cherry Hinton's Crow into Lodge's back resulted in another penalty and this time Grant Robbins stepped up to fire through the keeper.

Tyrone Amory made it 4-0 two minutes later when he got on the end of Marriott's pass and slotted it beyond the advancing keeper with aplomb. Cherry Hinton almost pulled one back on 37 when Jolley nearly profited as the bobbly surface caught Coulson and Cherry in a quandary on the edge of the area, but Cherry did enough to prevent the shot.

There was still time for a fifth goal before the interval, Robbins floating the ball onto Adam Marriott's foot and he cleverly steered it past the keeper.

Half-time 0-5

Laurie Walker replaced Cherry for the second half while Coakley came on for Amory, taking up his accustomed left-back role and releasing Courtney Pitt to move forward into a left wing role.

The second half started as the first finished, and just 50 seconds had ticked by when Marriott made it 6-0, controlling Pitt's cross in the area and thumping the ball home from 16 yards. The teenager was at it again in the 63rd minute with a well-timed run and tap in, this time from Lodge's cross.

By this stage it was almost all one-way traffic and Gary Brabin sent on his final two substitutes a minute later, with Jordan Patrick and Danny Crow replacing Gleeson and Pitt.

Marriott almost had another on 65 when his shot on the turn was tipped against the upright, but notched his fourth goal of a lively first appearance of the season when he literally walked the ball in nine minutes from time, advancing to round the keeper and then slot the ball between two defenders who were desperately tracking back.

Marriott could have scored more on a night when the gulf in class between the teams was all too obvious, and fellow first year pro Sam Ives completed the scoring in the final minute with a classy finish, taking his time after Danny Crow had held the ball up well, then rattling the ball home from 20 yards.

Full-time: 0-9

Referee: Stuart Pawley

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