A spirited second half performance from a youthful United side saw the U's gain a deserved draw at Milton Road. A brace from young striker Liam Hughes was followed by a last minute equaliser from the energetic Luke Berry. United had gone two goals down in the space of as many minutes following a shocking error from experienced 'keeper Simon Brown for the first and a well-taken Hammond header for the second.
Rangy striker Liam Hughes immediately pulled back the defecit before completing his brace in the second half with an exquisitely placed finish. This paved the way for a scrappy last gasp Luke Berry goal after a scramble in the Lilywhites' penalty area. Honours even in an even game.
Man of the Match: Unquestionably, Liam Hughes. The young striker played a part in every good thing United did going forward, and imposed himself well on the City centre halves. He took an instinctive first goal with a high, looping header before taking a sublime finish with a show of composure beyond his years.
21:33 - FULL TIME CAMBRIDGE CITY 3-3 CAMBRIDGE UNITED.
21: 28 - GOAL Cambridge City 3-3 CAMBRIDGE UNITED. United corner taken from the far side which is only half cleared by City. As the ball is fired back in it is eventually turned past the desperate left hand of the City 'keeper by Luke Berry. All square with two minutes to go.
21:27 - United win a free kick on the far side 25 yards out after a clumsy challenge by the replacement right back. The ball is whipped across by Eades and met powerfully by the auxiliary centre half Liam Hughes. For a second, I thought he had his hattrick, but Barrett makes a smart save. City scramble the ball away for a corner. The corner is taken by Eades but he fails to beat the first man and City clear their lines.
21:26 - A few minutes to go, can United level the score and give us a fourth consecutive pre-season score draw at Milton Road?
21:23 - Well, call it first-day nerves (this is my first live text) Liam Hughes was, in fact, not removed, but simply moved in at centre half. With no names on any of the players' shirts, I'm going to use that as my excuse. It turns out that the incoming sub James Bushton replaced centre back Alex Bevan.
21:21 - Luke Berry fires in a speculative effort from 25 yards, which goes narrowly over Barrett's bar.
21:18 - Mercifully for me, I think City have made all of their substitutions. Oh no, they haven't. Trialist Craig Hammond is replaced by the mysteriously-named Evran up-front.
21:15 - Free kick awarded to United 40 yards out on this near side, taken, at first, too quickly for the referee. Coakley delivers the ball which is headed just over the bar at the far post by left midfielder Luke Allen. City make two changes, with Nicel and Elenge making way for the Declan Rogers on the left wing and a new right back in the form of Tom McCrowan.
21:13 - I have now identified that incoming City substiution as the centre half Richard Ashie. He replaced Chaffey.
21:09 - Martin Ling is obviously trying to keep his players grounded. No sooner has Hughes scored that beautiful goal is he hauled off to be replaced by James Bushton.
21:08 - GOAL Cambridge City 3-2 CAMBRIDGE UNITED. Pinball at the back before the ball falls to Liam Hughes, 30 yards out. He dinks a bouncing ball delightfully into the far corner over the head of 'keeper Zac Barrett. That was a truly wonderful piece of composure from the striker, who has been very impressive this evening.
21:06 - City win a free kick centrally, thirty yards out. The ball ricochets its way through the wall off the left boot of Ashley Fuller, and eventually squirms away for a corner. City make changes, with Fuller and Chaffey being replaced by Abbs and an unknown other player.
21:05 - United win a free kick for what seemed a fairly innocuous aerial 50/50. Ball is whipped in from thirty yards out on the left and flicked on by Hughes. And controversy rings around the Milton Road stands as the debate for goal line technology will surely be re-ignited. Did that ball cross the line? The officials say no, much to the relief of 'keeper Zac Barrett.
21:03 - City win a free kick just outside the box on the dead ball line, and take their free kick quickly. Jonathan Thorpe has no choice but to head behind for a corner. The corner, taken from the left hand side, is headed clear by Blaine Hudson. It has to be a very high ball to get over the young U's centre half.
21:02 - A break down in communication between Bevan and Naisbitt nearly gifts City sub O'Brien with his first touch and a goal. Hudson's calm back-header to Naisbitt is pehaps a little short, Naisbitt makes a loud claim for the ball and only just makes it as Bevan does his best to shield the ball.
20:59 - Concerted spell of pressure for the home side, as they play the ball around well moving foward, but the end result is a goal kick. City make their first change, removing Kolodynski and introducing Dalton O'Brien who goes straight in as a striker.
20:56 - The referee waves away an ambitious penalty shout for City. Bevan simply out-muscles his man, showing good strength. Nothing doing for me.
20:55 - Eades latches onto Hughes' flicked header and delivers a simply delicious right footed cross, which City right back Nicel manages only to turn behind nervously for a U's corner. Corner is taken quickly and is easily cleared by the Lilywhites. There's a good tempo to this.
20:52 - Half chance for United as Luke Allen makes good progress down the left. He plays the ball across to Hughes, but the young striker can't get a shot away, electing instead to cross. His ball finds only space and City clear their lines through left back James Krause.
20:47 - The second half is underway here. United have made three changes that I can see, with Naisbitt replacing Brown in goal, Adam Marriot has made way for Luke Allen who is now on the left wing with Patrick pushed up front, and Sam Ives has left the field for Ryan Ingrey in a straight swap. Blaine Hudson has assumed the captaincy for the second half.
20:43 - Big news from half time - not only are City's senior side 3-1 to the good, but their group of young fans have beaten Cambridge United's young fans 6-5 in a penalty shootout. It was so tense I could barely watch.
20:33 - Well, well, well. That was quite a lively half. The young U's have played well, and can perhaps think themselves hard done by to be on the end of a 3-1 scoreline at half time. Martin Ling had stated he would play both of our senior 'keepers for one half this match, but I wonder if that Brown error will have any impact on that decision? All credit must go to Cambridge City, too. They have looked a hard-working and combative outfit. Their striker Craig Hammond in only on trial at Milton Road, but after his first half performance I can see Gary Roberts eagerly pushing a contract in front of him in the changing room at half time.
20:31 - HALF TIME CAMBRIDGE CITY 3-1 CAMBRIDGE UNITED
20:29 - GOAL CAMBRIDGE CITY 3-1 Cambridge United. Bevan is deemed to have fouled his man on the edge of the box, just to the left hand side of goal, 25 yards out. It is taken by Tony Burke, and driven low past the wall and into the bottom corner. That simply wouldn't happen if the wall is properly positioned, and there's a bit of an inquest going on between Brown and his wall.
20:27 - Another bemusing decision, this time from our near side assistant referee. The ball is swung in by the lively Ashley Fuller and Brown is only able to get half a hand to the ball. It falls to the edge of the box, but the second ball from the Lilywhites is disappointing, and goes comfortably out of play for a goal kick.
20:25 - Chance for City. A long ball forward is fortuitously controlled by Kolodynski, as the ball bobbles around off Coakley's legs, but he manages to get half a yard to shoot just wide of Brown's right-hand post.
20:24 - Ball centred from the right by Jack Eades which Liam Hughes meets with a glancing header. The ball flashes across the face of the goal and only narrowly avoids Barrett's right post.
20:21 - It's all action here. Firstly United shave the top of the crossbar as Jordan Patrick gets his head on a near post corner, and suddenly City's Craig Hammond gets clear of the United back four, but opts to half volley the ball from 20 yards out. Brown makes a smart save away to his right and Coakley picks up the pieces to clear his lines.
20:20 - Corner kick won out on the far side after good work frm Jack Eades on the left. The corner is taken short, and the U's fail to work it into the box as City win the ball back.
20:19 - Another free kick by Coakley in an identical position to the prevous one. This time it's a City head on the ball, but the defender can only divert the ball into the path of U's centre back Alex Bevan. It's a tough chance for Bevan, who sticks a hopeful leg out at the ball, but he was alone and only six yards out with the goal at his mercy.
20:16 GOAL - Cambridge City 2-1 CAMBRIDGE UNITED. A 30-yard free kick for United whipped into the box by the left foot of Darryl Coakley. The tall striker Liam Hughes gets in front of his man to flick a high, looping header over the helpless Barrett. That's come off Hughes' head at about 15 yards out, but it was more of a speculative effort than anything. No complaints here though, the young U's back in the game.
20:13 - GOAL - CAMBRIDGE CITY 2-0 Cambridge United. Oh dear. A long booming cross-field ball from the right back Nicel leads to a whipped cross from the left wing. Hammond splits the two centre backs and fires a header low to Simon Brown's left. Nothing the 'keeper could have done about that one. There's a mountain to climb for the young U's now.
20:10 - GOAL - CAMBRIDGE CITY 1-0 Cambridge United. Howler for Simon Brown, there's no way of dressing that one up. Kennedy hits a powerful 30-yard strike straight at Brown. It should be a regulation stop, but Brown fumbles the ball into the back of the net. He doesn't even have a Jabulani to blame.
20:08 - Almost for United. A long throw over the top evades everyone but the on-rushing Jordan Patrick, but his angle is narrow and his shot is blocked away into open play.
20:07 - All gone a bit quiet here. Jordan Patrick has moved across to the left wing in this 4-4-2 system.
20:03 - Nervous moment for the experienced stopper Brown, as he scuffs his kick straight into the path of the City striker Hammond. Hammond's shot is blocked, but the ball falls to Tony Burke and he fails to connect properly.
20:00 - Cambridge City win the first corner of the match on the far side. Good work from Ashley Fuller on the right as he works the ball inside to Tony Burke. Burke cuts inside onto his left and hits a strike which deflects away for a corner. Corner is headed clear by the rangy Blaine Hudson.
19:57 - First opportunity of note for either side, and it comes for United. Jordan Patrick finds himself on the left wing momentarily and gets down to the by-line in classic winger-fashion. He pulls the ball back to Liam Hughes, but the young striker can't get the ball clear of his feet to strike. The ball balloons in the air and is eventually collected easily by City 'keeper Zac Barrett.
19:55 - I've just clocked a referee's assessor eagerly taking notes away to my left, which might explain why referee Stuart Pawley is quite keen to stamp his mark on this game.
19:53 - Clumsy challenge on this near side by Blaine Hudson gifts City a free kick on the near touchline. Former U Ash Fuller swings it harmlessly into Simon Brown's gloves.
19:52 - Liam Hughes battles well to win United a free kick just outside the Lilywhites' box on the left. The kick is taken by Jack Eades, but comes to nothing as City clear their lines.
19:51 - Technologically, things seem to be going a bit slowly tonight - I can only apologise for that. Aside from that, our last three pre-season meetings have ended in score draws, what price on one this evening?
19:49 - A bit of a standoff here so far, both sides trading possession. Just as I type, Luke Berry forays forward unchallenged but hits a tame strike into Barrett's hands.
19:47 - The game is underway with United shooting from right to left as I look from the main stand. It's a high tempo start to the match from a youthful U's side.
19:43 - The two teams are out, United in the CRC-take on our amber "sash" home kit. The Lilywhites are wearing their traditional white with black shorts on a mild evening at Milton Road. There's always a nice, friendly feel to this fixture.
19:38 - Cambridge City: Zac Barrett, Liam Nicel, James Krause, Dave Theobald (c), Lee Chaffey, Milton Elenge, Tony Burke, John Kennedy, Dave Kolodynski, Craig Hammond, Ashley Fuller. SUBS: Joey Abbs, Dalton O'Brien, Richard Ashie, Declan Rogers, Tom McCrowan, Evran.
Cambridge United: Simon Brown, Jonathan Thorpe, Darryl Coakley, Alex Bevan, Blaine Hudson, Sam Ives (c), Jack Eades, Luke Berry, Liam Hughes, Adam Marriot, Jordan Patrick. SUBS: Danny Naisbitt, James Bushton, Joe Bennett, Ryan Ingrey, Luke Allen, Chris Tonks.
19:32 - TEAM NEWS: As anticipated, Martin Ling is sending a youthful Cambridge United side out to face City. Sam Ives picks up the captaincy role as Simon Brown starts in goal for United. Brown is expected to make way for Naisbitt at half time, along with a host of other changes. Still no sign of Daryl Clare for United, and Dave Partridge also misses out having been ill with a stomach bug. City, too, are low on numbers, without the influential Adie Cambridge and also missing Robbie Nightingale.
19:00 - Welcome to Milton Road for this season's annual friendly between Cambridge City and United. Team news to follow, but United are fielding a CRC side with Sam Ives taking the Captain's armband for the start of the evening.
Reporting by Matthew Caspell
Cambridge United: YOUR CITY - YOUR CLUB
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