MATCH REPORT | ACCRINGTON 2 CAMBRIDGE UTD 0
Cambridge United fell to a disappointing 2-0 defeat at the hands of Accrington Stanley at the Wham Stadium in the final midweek game of the season.
The U’s were forced into two changes with Piero Mingoia missing the trip through injury and Scott Wharton dropping out in the warm up, with Mark Roberts, Liam O’Neil and Harrison Dunk stepping into the starting 11.
Accrington edged the opening stages of the encounter in the driving rain, with Omar Beckles and Shay McCartan both missing the target with opportunities inside the U’s 18 yard box.
However, Sean McConville did find the back of the net on 19 minutes, when the tricky forward was perfectly placed to side foot Shay McCartan’s lay off into the top right.
The U’s rallied quickly and Berry was fractions from giving United an equaliser within a minute of falling behind, only to see his header fizz past the right post with Accrington keeper Aaron Chapman stranded.
Norris was forced into smart stop at the other end midway through the half to deny McConville a second in the game.
Shaun Derry’s dug deep and swung momentum in their favour for the rest of the first half, with Berry at the heart of their best opportunities on goal, striking the post on 32 minutes before nodding another attempt on target only to be denied by Chapman moments before the break.
However, the hosts doubled their lead ten minutes after the break when Shay McCartan hit United on the counter before finishing neatly past Norris.
Shaun Derry introduced Gerry McDonagh, Conor Newton and Barry Corr into the contest as the U’s searched for a way back into the game, which became far more open in the closing 30 minutes.
Brad Halliday came closest of anyone to pulling a goal back for United when he drilled a fierce shot across the face of goal, but it fizzed wide and the game fell away from the U’s.
Accrington: Chapman, Pearson, Hughes, Beckles, Clark, McCartan, McConville, Husin, Kee, Donacien, Rodgers
Cambridge United: Norris, Halliday, Legge, Roberts, Carroll, Taylor (Corr, 57 mins), O’Neil, Maris (Newton, 60 mins), Dunk, Berry, Williamson (McDonagh, 60 mins)
Attendance: 1,333 (188 away)