Cambridge United fell to a heavy defeat to promotion-contending Huddersfield on Friday night as the visitors took back the points to West Yorkshire with a 4-0 win…
A nightmare first half did the damage for the U’s, as three goals were conceded before the break. Despite pushing to make a game of it in the second, Huddersfield kept United at bay before adding a fourth.
Garry Monk named one change to the team that drew to Wrexham last Saturday, as Danny Andrew returned to the team in place of the suspended Korey Smith.
Roared on by packed-out Cledara Abbey crowd, United started to the game on the front-foot and eager to get off to another good start – something they have been doing regularly in recent games.
First real chance of the game came 10 minutes in, as Ben Wiles advanced down the left hand-side of the box before forcing Reyes to claw the ball away when faced with the shot.
It was to be a warning sign, as the resulting corner was won by a Huddersfield man and sprung Reyes back into action, but this time his attempted save went right into the path of Kasumu who couldn’t miss from just a few yards out.
The U’s responded well and began to apply a sustained period of pressure on the Huddersfield back-line. The best chance came to Jordan Cousins on 22 minutes, after N’Lundulu teed him up from just outside the edge of the box.
The visitors soon made it 2-0 though - Spencer being afforded too much time in the box to nod the ball in from an in-swinging cross.
Before long it was three, coming from another rebound. Hogg initially heading off the crossbar before Wiles followed up to bundle home and make it an almighty task for United to get anything from the game.
Kaikai came on for Bennett at half-time and within 30 seconds of the restart, the deficit should have been reduced. N’lundulu being let loose down the left before playing it across for Lavery, who couldn’t keep his effort on target.
Just before the hour mark, an almost identical chance came to the U’s again - this time Kachunga being set-up by N’Lundulu, but like Lavery, he couldn’t hit the target as his shot flew over the bar.
Josh Stokes was soon introduced to the action and almost immediately, he was faced with a chance at goal as he ran onto Morrison’s knockdown, but failed to make clean contact and his strike was headed away by a Town defender.
With just under 20 minutes remaining, any hopes of an unlikely comeback were extinguished as Marshall added a fourth - sweeping it in with another second-chance effort, this time Reyes making the initial save from Koroma’s effort.
Barton and Njoku joined the action late in the contest, but the ship had already sailed as the remainder of the game passed with little more of note.
Next up for Garry Monk’s men is the away trip to Charlton on Boxing Day.