Cards fold after Dunk double
Two first-half goals from Harrison Dunk earned Cambridge United a comfortable victory over Woking.
Dunk poked him from close range in the third minute, then added a second with a diving header from Kwesi Appiah’s cross.
Richard Money named an unchanged starting line-up for the fourth successive match, with Michael Spillane returning to the substitutes bench at the expense of Kevin Roberts.
And Money’s men got off to an ideal start, taking the lead after just three minutes. Richard Tait and Kwesi Appiah worked the ball in from the right to Luke Berry, who drove in a low shot which bobbled through to Dunk, who was in space and able to poke the ball beyond Sam Beasant.
Dunk was celebrating again in the 15th minute, when he doubled United’s advantage. Appiah delivered a tempting cross into the six-yard box, and Dunk got in ahead of Newton to power in a diving header.
Woking had the better of it in terms of possession for the rest of the half. The lively Jack Marriott had already fired a powerful shot just over, and he tested Chris Maxwell with a low effort from the edge of the box which the U’s stopper did well to parry to safety. Maxwell also saved well from a Kevin Betsy header, but on the stroke of half-time Adam Cunnington should have made it 3-0 after Dunk’s intelligent cut-back, but he shot over from 12 yards.
The second half was low-key by comparison, but United had chances to add to their lead, most notably when Appiah was denied by a good save from Beasant, and then when Liam Hughes side-footed wide after Appiah had knocked a cross into his path.
But by then the U’s had done enough to take the points and maintain their six-point lead at the top of the table.
May I Claim Man of the Match: Harrison Dunk.
Cambridge United: Maxwell, Tait, Taylor, Miller, Coulson, Hughes, Dunk, Champion, Berry, Cunnington (Sam-Yorke 78), Appiah. Subs not used: Norris, Austin, Arnold, Spillane.
Woking: Beasant, Newton, Nutter (Sole 80), Parkinson (Cestor 45), McNerney, Betsy, Banya, Ricketts (Williams 75), Payne, Rendell, Marriott. Subs not used: Howe, Wright.
Referee: Mr D.England
Attendance: 3,515
FULL TIME: Cambridge United 2-0 Woking
16.43: That could have been 3-0, Appiah guiding a Sam-Yorke cross into the path of Hughes, who sidefoots wide.
16.41: Four minutes left, Michael Spillane is on for Luke Berry.
16.37: Appiah with a good chance to make it 3-0, pouncing on Tait's cross but seeing his shot well-saved by Beasant.
16.34: Sam-Yorke on now for Cunnington, while Sole has replaced Nutter for Woking.
16.30: Couple of substitutions coming up, Ricketts off, Williams on for Woking, DSY poised to come on for the U's.
16.20: YELLOW CARD. Dunk cuts in from the left and is tripped by Ricketts on the edge of the box. Yellow card for Ricketts, but the resulting free kick is curled over the bar by Hughes.
16.19: Woking with a corner, curled in dangerously under the bar. Chris Maxwell gets a punch on the ball, but only gets it away as far as Rendell, who turns and fires over.
16.11: Appiah with a good pass to Cunnington, his angled shot from the right warms the gloves of Beasant, who makes a fairly comfortable save at the near post.
16.07: YELLOW CARD. Cestor hauls down Cunnington by the touchline, that'll be a free kick and a booking for the substitute. Tait's delivery causes mild panic, but after a couple of blocked shots Woking get a free kick for pushing.
16.00: Back underway at the R Costings Abbey Stadium, Mike Cestor is on for Parkinson for Woking.
HALF TIME: CAMBRIDGE UNITED 2-0 WOKING
15.46: Woking have a corner, but Maxwell takes a catch and sends Dunk away down the left on the counter. He hares past two players, but sadly his cut back can't find Appiah. There goes the half-time whistle - entertaining fare in the first period, United lead thanks to Dunk's double.
15.44: Golden chance for United to add a third there, Appiah moving the ball on to Dunk, who gets to the byline and pulls back for Cunnington, who fires disappointingly over from 12 yards. One minute to be added.
15.40: United indebted to Maxwell again there, as Marriott receives a flick on the left, cuts infield and delivers a powerful low shot that the keeper pushes away. United just about clear the danger as Rendell looks to pounce on the rebound six yards out.
15.36: Woking having the better of it at the moment, some good movement from Betsy and Banya on the flanks causing the U's defence a few problems. But now United can break with Hughes, who heads the ball forward and chases down the right. But with Appiah in the middle unmarked he goes for goal and sees his shot comfortably saved by Beasant.
15.29: The visitors with a corner after Payne's shot deflects off the head of Miller and away behind. Ricketts takes but that's easily headed clear.
15.27: Woking with a free kick now after Champion's foul on Betsy. 40 yards out or so, Nutter curls it dangerously into the back post, Betsy steals in and gets a shot on goal but Maxwell makes a great save to stop the initial shot then pounce on the rebound. Good goalkeeping from the U's number one.
15.19: Appiah gets a talking to for the ref after challenging Beasant as he raced out to meet a through-ball. Not sure Kwesi did anything wrong there.
15.14: GOAL CAMBRIDGE UNITED 2-0 WOKING: Lovely stuff, United double their lead after a breathless period of play. Appiah with the perfect cross from the right flank and HARRISON DUNK dives in ahead of Newton to head home his second.
15.12: End-to-end stuff again, as Marriott smashes a powerful shot just over after Miller's weak headed clearance. Cunnington has previously got a header on target from Hughes' cross but Beasant saved. And now Berry breaks into the box to meet a Tait free kick but his volley loops over Beasant and over the
15.11: All happening here; first a corner from Tait is flicked on by Coulson but Miller can't get a shot in. Then Dunk's cross into the six yard box is just about cleared by the stretched defence.
15.09: Rendell heads over from Newton's cross, then at the other end Appiah muscles his way through onto a long ball, but can only prod a shot at Beasant.
15.04: Good direct run into the box from Marriott wins Woking a corner off the shins of Taylor. However Betsy's delivery is too deep and Rendell can't profit.
15.02: GOAL CAMBRIDGE UNITED 1-0 WOKING. Ideal start from United, the ball worked in by Tait and Appiah to Berry, who shoots. His shot deflects off three players and runs through to HARRISON DUNK, who has time and space to prod the ball past Beasant. The U's lead.
14.59: Woking to kick off, attacking the NRE. Here we go.
14.55: Here come the teams, United in their traditional Amber and Black, Woking in a white and red concoction.
14.45: Last season United claimed a 1-0 win in this fixture, Tom Shaw grabbing the only goal in the dying seconds of a match which I suspect didn't live long in anyone's memory. In fact it was so nondescript that I couldn't recall anything about it until I looked it up just now.
Cambridge United: Maxwell, Tait, Taylor, Miller, Coulson, Hughes, Dunk, Champion, Berry, Cunnington, Appiah. Subs: Norris, Austin, Spillane, Sam-Yorke, Arnold.
Woking: Beasant, Newton, Nutter, Parkinson, McNerney, Betsy, Banya, Payne, Parkinson, Rendell, Marriott. Subs: Howe, Williams, Sole, Cestor, Wright.
14.26: TEAM NEWS. United name and unchanged starting XI for the fourth successive match. The only change from the last league game, Saturday's 2-2 draw at Barnet, is among the substitutes, where Michael Spillane returns at the expense of Kevin Roberts.
The Woking line-up features former United hero Scott Rendell, who is on loan from Luton Town and joins another loanee, Ipswich youngster Jack Marriott, up front.
14.14: Good afternoon everyone and welcome to the R Costings Abbey Stadium for today's clash between Cambridge United and Woking. With a run of cup games potentially on the horizon, the U's will be wanting three points from this afternoon's clash to cement their place at the top of the table. Standing in their way will be Garry Hill's Woking side.
