City Canter To Final As Pitmen Changes Bring Out The Worst

An experimental 4-1-4-1 formation by Hednesford Town failed badly as a confident Cambridge easily ended The Pitmens Red Insure Cup run for this season.

The away sides misery was compounded by a first half penalty miss by Tyrone Barnett as he blazed the ball over the bar and out of the ground.

 An engaging first twenty minutes saw Ben Bailey head wide at the back post from a teasing Elliott Durrell cross but Cambridge always looked dangerous in attack.

Jamie Barker volleyed a shot which hit the inside of the post and bobbled safe on three minutes and the impressive Tony Burke found space against an increasingly ragged Pitmen line-up. 

Cambridge opened the scoring on nineteen minutes as poor Hednesford defending left Ramon Calliste free at the back post for any easy tap-in after Liam Flynn had failed to collect the cross. 

Following the opening goal the movement and incisive passing of the home side meant Hednesford struggled to get a foot hold in the game. 

In a fairly low key second half Cambridge continued to dominate and secured their place in the final with a controlled side footed volley from the edge of the box by Calliste on sixty-five minutes. 

The Pitmen will have only two days to recover before embarking on a difficult run of games as they face league leaders Farnborough at home on Thursday night, travel to playoff contenders Brackley on Saturday and  make the trip to Leamington next Tuesday. 

Bernard McNally and Delwyn Humphreys will no doubt be hopeful that the disjointed display does not effect the confidence of a team who looked to be turning a corner just as the season was reaching its hectic climax. 

Cambridge City

Barrett, Bexfield, Krause, Theobald, Chaffey, Kennedy, Burke, Cambridge (Midgley 45), Barker (Nightingale 45), Calliste (19, 65), Fuller,

Subs Not Used

Coulson, Elenge, Gentle,

Hednesford Town

Flynn, Dunkley, Martin, Bailey, Francis, Gomes (Dyer 57), Durrell, Craddock (Chapman 67), Barnett (Gibson 72), Platt, Proffitt,

Subs Not Used

Brock, Overton,

Bookings

Martin, Platt,

Attendance - 142

Words by Chris Brewerton