U's unbeaten run halted by visitors
Cambridge United’s unbeaten run unravelled in emphatic fashion at the R Costings Abbey Stadium as Nuneaton Town claimed only their second away win of the season.
The visitors made a bright start, and hit the front in the 14th minute when a mistake from Josh Coulson was seized upon by Andrew Brown, who lashed the ball home from 12 yards.
Liam Hughes hit the post, but United’s attacking play lacked sparkle, and despite some promising signs early in the second half, two goals in three minutes from Nuneaton wrapped up the points.
First James Armson flicked a header over Craig Ross, then poor defending on a corner allowed Brown to slot in his second from close range.
Michael Gash netted United’s consolation in the 89th minute with a looping header, but it was too little, too late.
FULL TIME: CAMBRIDGE UNITED 3-1 NUNEATON TOWN
21.35: Full time, United well beaten, glad that one’s over.
21.32: Four minutes to be added.
21.30: GOAL CAMBRIDGE UNITED 1-3 NUNEATON TOWN. Consolation for United as MICHAEL GASH’S looping header from Jarvis’ long cross finds the net.
21.28: McNamee arriving now for Forsdick for the visitors.
21.22: Change for Nuneaton, here comes Connor Taylor, replacing York, who’s had a fine game for the visitors.
21.20: A shot! Ricky Wellard takes aim from 20 yards but that’s easy for McNamara.
21.16: Liam Hurst on now for United, Jonathon Thorpe heads off
21.06: GOAL CAMBRIDGE UNITED 0-3 NUNEATON TOWN. Any hopes of a comeback well and truly extinguished. United fail to deal with Armson’s left wing corner, the ball runs through to BROWN at the back post, who has time and space to slot home.
21.02: GOAL CAMBRIDGE UNITED 0-2 NUNEATON TOWN. United have gone off the boil after a good start to the half, and Nuneaton punish them in strange fashion. Cartwright’s long cross is flick headed goalwards by JAMES ARMSON, and with Ross flat footed the ball loops over the keeper and into the net. The U’s with a mountain to climb.
20.57: Change for the U’s in midfield, Ricky Wellard on for Tom Shaw.
20.50: Haynes-Brown makes an instant impact, and is brought down on the edge of the box, United free kick left of centre. Gash takes aim and curls it in low, but McNamara makes a good sprawling save and the rebound is put behind for a corner, which the U’s squander.
20.49: YELLOW CARD. Forsdick in the book for a poor tackle on Shaw.
20.47: Back underway at the R Costings Abbey Stadium, and Curtis Haynes-Brown is on for Gibson. Tonight’s attendance is 1,740 (away 42).
HALF TIME: CAMBRIDGE UNITED 0-1 NUNEATON TOWN
20.31: That’s half-time. Fairly uninspiring stuff so far but Nuneaton won’t mind, they lead through Brown’s goal.
20.30: Not been a huge amount of action in either goalmouth in the last few minutes. Lots of free kicks though, the referee is very fussy. One minute to be added.
20.20: United trying to apply some pressure, but passing and movement in the final third is all a bit forced. Here’s Pugh, good cross, Hughes heads down and Gash’s shot deflects behind. Corner United, it’s played out to Shaw, who drives in a cross but the offside flag goes up.
20.12: Tom Shaw sets his sights from 20 yards but shows he’s still perhaps a little rusty after his ban. That’s well over.
20.06: York rolls his man on the edge of the box and fires in a low shot which Ross turns round the post. Good save from the keeper, and the resulting corner is headed away at the near post.
20.04: Unlucky, Liam Hughes times his run well to get clear on goal from a Jarvis lofted pass. As McNamara advances Hughes tries to lift the ball over him, but it deflects off the keepers body and onto the base of the post. Unfortunately there’s no one following up for the U’s and Nuneaton clear.
19.58: GOAL CAMBRIDGE UNITED 0-1 NUNEATON TOWN. Poor defending from United and the visitors lead. The U’s can’t clear a cross from the right, and as the ball comes back in Josh Coulson’s attempted clearance falls straight to ANDREW BROWN, who blasts it past the exposed Ross. Good start from the visitors rewarded with a goal.
19.56: More good work from Pugh, but his cross is just a little bit too high for Hughes, and Nuneaton can head away.
19.53: Billy Gibson is playing wide on the left for United, Pugh on the right. And now Pugh makes space and delivers a low cross to Shaw, who turns well but fires a weak shot at McNamara.
19.47: Poor kick out from Ross almost puts United in trouble, ball reaches York but McAuley slides it into touch for a corner. Ross gets a good punch on that but it falls to Walker who volleys wide.
19.46: The players are out, can’t see many gloves on show. Here we go, United attacking the South Stand.
Cambridge United: Ross, Thorpe, Jennings, Coulson, McAuley, Gibson, Hughes, Shaw, Jarvis, Pugh, Gash. Subs: Hedge, Wellard, Hudson, Hurst, Haynes-Brown.
Nuneaton Town: McNamara, Cartwright, O'Halloran, Dean, Gordon, Armson, Walker, Adams, Forsdick, York, Brown. Subs: Taylor, Perry, Newton, Sleath, McNamee.
19.20: TEAM NEWS. United make three changes to the side that beat Stockport County ten days ago. Jonathon Thorpe, Andy Pugh, and Tom Shaw come in at the expense of Kevin Roberts, Harrison Dunk, and Tom Elliott.
19.15: Good evening and welcome to a chilly R Costings Abbey Stadium for this evening's match between Cambridge United vs Nuneaton Town. The U's are looking to stretch their unbeaten run to 10 games against a side who have only won once on travels this season.