Cambridge United's scholars recorded another FA Youth Cup win on Thursday evening with an 8-3 win against Norfolk side Wroxham.

Gordon McMillan reports:
Cambridge United edged past Wroxham in another high scoring FA Youth Cup tie, but the scoreline failed to tell the full story as United made hard work of the game at times and had to come from two goals down to claim victory.

Wroxham kicked off and immediately went on the offensive, although the first shot of the game was straight at Phil Smith who saved comfortably. United tried to impose themselves and won several successive free kicks after fouls on Jordan Patrick, Piers Wixon and Sam Cutler each closer to the Wroxham goal than the last, although the final free kick was wasted. On 6 minutes Jordan Patrick had United's first shot on target, although again it was straight at the keeper.

However United started to come under some pressure and on 9 minutes Wroxham forced a corner after good work down the left. The corner wasn't cleared and after a scramble the referees assistant adjudged that despite a goal line clearance from Daryl Coakley the ball had crossed the line to make it 1-0 to Wroxham.

Wroxham were now buoyed by the goal and gave United's defence a torrid time, within 2 minutes of taking the lead Wroxham played a through ball down the middle, which, despite looking offside enabled a forward to get a shot away, but luckily for the United defence was at Smith. If United thought they had got away with the chance, the next minute was to prove them horribly wrong. An almost identical ball, without the offside and this time Gainsford tucked the ball past an exposed Smith who had no chance. 2-0 to Wroxham and United looked in real trouble.

After a fairly even few minutes United clawed themselves back on 17 minutes when Robbie Willmott gave the right back all sorts of trouble, before laying the ball off for Piers Wixon to find the back of the net. Now it was United's turn to up the tempo and a minute later Willmott shot just wide. The next action was mainly United's way with all the goalmouth chances belonging to the U's. Wixon just failing to get on the end of a through ball, then a goal mouth scramble that United couldn't capitalise on and on 26 minutes a superb inswinging cross from the left that two inrushing forwards just couldn't connect with.

A couple of minutes later Willmott, who was having plenty of joy against the Wroxham defence, drew a great save from the keeper for a corner. The corner was only cleared as far as Zac Costello, but his shot flew over the bar.

Wroxham made a substitution on 41 minutes with the captain Atkins being replaced by Watts after he had suffered an injury a few minutes earlier. The last few minutes saw attacks at both ends, although neither keeper needed to make a save as each shot was blasted over. Half Time 1-2

It was a fired-up United that came out for the second half and they were level within 2 minutes of the re-start as Wroxham conceded a penalty, which Robbie Willmott buried into the right hand corner of the net, leaving the keeper going the wrong way.

United were now clearly in the mood to carry on as they had begun the half, and four minutes after equalising they were ahead when the ball was played out to Craig Bussens wide on the right who cut inside into the penalty area, before blasting the ball through the keepers legs. 2 minutes later and it was 4-2 as a shot from Willmott was saved by the keeper, only for the loose ball to ricochet off Wixon's knee and in.

After such a high tempo few minutes the game settled into a more evenly contested midfield battle until the 59th minute when Wroxham pulled a goal back to make it 4-3. Phil Smith couldn't hold a shot and Brett was on hand to put the rebound away. Despite the goal United looked in no mood to concede an equaliser and on 63 minutes Adam Marriott beat 2 defenders, cut in from the left and made it 5-3 to United.

United made their first change on 74 minutes as Piers Wixon was replaced by Calvin Dinsley. Soon afterwards Wroxham's Hunt was booked for a late challenge. From the free kick good possession by United enabled Adam Marriott to claim his second with a powerful half volley from inside the area. The chance of the goal of the game was wasted on 81 minutes when Marriott's delightful lob over the defence was superbly brought down by Willmott, but he blazed over the crossbar.

Still United dominated the play and although the contest was effectively over the team didn't relax their grip and Sam Cutler nonchalantly poked home to make it 7-3 from 6 yards after the ball had pinged around the area.

With the game won United replaced Sam Cutler and Robbie Willmott with Sam Ives and John Yambasu.
United conceded a penalty in the 89 minute, which Phil Smith saved superbly, after Hunt had hit it low and to Smith's left. There was still time for more action as the 90th minute saw a superb run from his own half by John Yambasu culminate with a cool finish, after he had cut into the area, leaving the keeper with no chance.

There was one more chance before the final whistle, Bussens making another powerful run from his own half, his low, hard ball across the 6 yard box being deflected out for a corner, before the referee blew for time.

Cambridge United line up:
1 Phil Smith
2 Rory McAuley
3 Daryl Coakley
4 Lewis Carr (c)
5 Zac Costello
6 Sam Cutler
7 Craig Bussens
8 Adam Marriott
9 Piers Wixon
10 Robbie Willmott
11 Jordan Patrick

Subs:
12 Sam Ives
GK Sam Beagle
14 Calvin Dinsley
15 Josh Hill
16 John Yambasu

Scorers: Wixon 2, Willmott (pen), Marriott 2, Bussens, Cutler, Yambasu.

Cambridge United will play Diss Town's youth team in the 2nd Qualifying Round match, to be played at the Abbey Stadium on Thursday 11th October, kick-off time to be confirmed.

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