The Abbey Stadium Saturday 7th January 2023
Cambridge United 1
Smith (5)
Bristol Rovers 2
Coburn (22), Sinclair (29)
Referee: Thomas Parsons Attendance: 5,703
Driving to the Eastern side of the country always seems to take forever (I give you Ipswich and Colchester as two more examples!) but it had to be done and so, accompanied by rain of biblical proportions I set off as a passenger in the transport provided by Radio Bristol.
The rain relented about 20 miles from the Abbey Stadium and the pitch was so dry that the groundstaff had to use the sprinklers to water the surface prior to kick off. Don’t you just love the British weather!
Joe Barton made three changes to his starting XI and was missing the services of the injured Harry Anderson and Lewis Gibson, while Antony Evans was left to warm the bench.
Into the starting lineup came Ryan Loft, James Gibbons and Luca Hoole. Although it seemed as though he might start with a back four, the manager opted for a system that was more akin to 3-4-1-2 with Gibbons on the left of the three centre backs, Hoole in the right wing back role and Aaron Collins given a free rein in behind Loft and Josh Coburn.
Following some early Rovers possession Cambridge opened the scoring after just five minutes in their first foray into the opposition half.
Harvey Knibbs swung over a delightful cross from the right and Sam Smith was on hand to head the ball back across goal and into the net off the post. The striker was denied a second goal shortly afterwards when James Belshaw touched his header over the bar.
Rovers equalised on 22 minutes when Collins played in Coburn who ran on towards goal. Keeper Will Mannion rushed off his line and smothered the striker’s first effort but as the ball spun up in the air Coburn headed it into an empty net to register his ninth goal in a Rovers shirt.
Rovers took the lead just before the half hour mark. Thomas and Coburn were involved in the build up and credit match referee Thomas Parsons for allowing Rovers an advantage following a foul on Thomas. Instead of blowing up for a foul, he let play continue and the ball was swept out to Hoole on the right.
His pinpoint cross picked out Scott Sinclair arriving in the areas like an express train and, using all of his top flight experience, the returning hero smashed the ball into the net giving Mannion no chance of saving.
That was the end of the scoring in a game that looked full of goals in that opening period. Facing a strong wind in the second half, Rovers had their work cut out to protect their lead, but everyone knuckled down and put in a shift.
The only real chance fell, once more, to Smith who hooked a shot just over. That apart, I don’t recall Belshaw having to make a meaningful save in the second period. Yes, the home side enjoyed the majority of possession, but their lack of quality and Rovers’ willingness to get in tackles and blocks meant that they took all three points back to Bristol.
Cambridge United: Mannion, Williams, Okedina, Taylor, Seddon (Bennett (45+4), Worman, Digby, Tracey (Lankester, 70), Knibbs (Ironside, 70), Brophy, Smith.
Substitutes: Holden, Janneh, Simper, Yearn.
Bristol Rovers: Belshaw, Thomas, Connolly, Gibbons, Hoole, Coutts, Finley, Sinclair (Gordon, 80), Collins (Evans, 80), Loft (Marquis, 66), Coburn.
Substitutes: Jaakkola, Whelan, McCormick, Saunders.
ALSO
Former Rovers player George Williams was in the Cambridge side while another former Rovers player, Gary Waddock, is the club’s assistant manager
Yellow cards were issued to James Connolly, Ryan Loft, Paul Coutts and John Marquis
Paul Coutts was skipper
Three substitutes used
Ten added minutes
(photos courtesy of JMP)
Keith Brookman