Melbourn 1 Cambridge City Res 2

A youthful Cambridge City Reserves team took the victory with two stunning strikes, but Melbourn can take heart from another good performance, even if victory escaped them.

Melbourn started on the back foot with Cambridge attacking straight from the kick off but as the half progressed Melbourn began to dominate for large periods. Cambridge’s youth and speed was key throughout and they always looked dangerous on the counter attack.

The first meaningful chance saw the away keeper save bravely at the feet of Kris Watters as Melbourn began to apply the pressure, however, it was the visitors that took the lead. A swift break down the left saw the winger cut inside and with no other options available he curled a right foot shot into the top corner. This goal knocked Melbourn and in the following ten minutes Mark Ferrari made a stunning save preventing a rocket of a shot going in to the top corner. Moments later Ferrari again made a great save at the feet of the advancing forward.

Melbourn played themselves back into the half and Andrew Morris showed time and again that when he runs with the ball at pace he is almost unplayable.

Melbourn came out of traps quickest after half-time and within the first two minutes could have had the lead. First Watters missed when he should have at least hit the target. Following this Morris ran from the halfway line, taking on five men and if the finish had matched the run it would surely have been a goal of the season contender at any level.

Melbourn continued to control the half and on the hour were level. A superb flowing move found Watters in the middle of the box and his cleverly lofted finish sailed into the net.

At this stage it looked to be only one team in it, but City’s youth and ultimately superior fitness played a vital role. With fifteen remaining a swift counter attack saw the left winger in the box and as he took his shot early, he caught Ferrari flat footed and lofted the ball into the far right hand corner.

It was a fitting winner in a game that was refereed well and saw two good football teams allowed to play good flowing football.

Melbourn: Ferrari, Walker (Hill), Staley, Bryan, Monahan, Edwards (Richardson), Wagstaff, Patman, Morris, Chadwick, Watters