Cambridge v Scunthorpe United

Tuesday, December 7, 2004

Football League Two

Cambridge :
Price, Goodhind (sent off 72), Duncan, Mbome, Somner, Anselin, Guttridge, Quinton, Hodgson (Davies 75), Turner (Bradley Johnson 68), Heath (Konte 80)
Subs not used:
Marshall, Easter

Scunthorpe United :
Musselwhite, Byrne (Stanton 45), Butler, Crosby, Ridley (Rankine 87), Sparrow (Taylor 45), Kell, Baraclough, Beagrie, Hayes, Torpey
Subs not used:
Jackson, Evans

SULSESC REPORT

by Jan Ordon at Abbey Stadium

YE olde cliche "football's a funny old game"

Pre–match ales in the wonderful Cambridge Blue (Elgoods–North Brink Porter, yum, yum) where the SULSESC contingent met and then on to the Abbey Stadium.

Choice of terrace/seating confused many - including me! - and the tea huts are still very good.

This match had BIG BANANA SKIN all over it. A team in great form, poxy cup draw(!) and away to poor opposition.

The first–half was bad, Scunny playing like Cambridge! Not a lot to report. Out of the blue, 10 minutes before the break, Cambridge had a couple of throw–ins by the corner flag, ball whipped in low, Iron defence staring at the floodlights, and the midget Hodgson scored with a good diving header into the corner of Mussie's goal. Oh dear.

The second–half started like the first with Cambridge seemingly happy to defend while 1–0 up - the ball hooved out of their defence at every given opportunity.

The game changed halfway through the half. One of the Cambridge defenders (sorry, forgot who it was) barged into Torps going for a header. Did he elbow him? The Scunny players were incensed and the ref (to his credit) produced a red card straight away.

Playing against 10 men is never easy, but slowly Cambridge sat deeper and deeper. Mr. Laws sent on Cleveland Taylor on the right wing (one minute flying like Sean Wright–Phillips, the next diving like Robert Pires - more of the former pleeeez).

Iron surely had to score, wave after wave, but chance after chance (even superstar Hayes missing an easy one set up on a plate for him by the flying Taylor) was wasted.

Time dragged on towards 90 minutes - we were not going to score.

Then a corner, the ball ping–ponged all over the show and then into the net - Torps credited with the goal.

Three minutes of injury time announced, the orange United were "dead" on their feet, and still the Iron surged forward.

On 92 minutes, ball played out to "Billy" Taylor who skipped past a defender, flew into the box and shot low. The ball flicked up over a defender's leg and into the top corner of the net - cue Iron delirium everywhere. The ref blows up and shades of MUFC 2 Munich 1 come flooding back.

Christmas (have a great one everybody) has definitely come early and it still is "a very, very funny old game".