Sat 15th Sep 2001.

Cambridge
Perez
Ashbee
Duncan
Walling
Angus
Wanless (McAnespie 85)
Fleming
Prokas
Youngs
Kitson
One (Kandol 72)

Subs not used
Cowan
Marshall
Revell

Cardiff City
Alexander
Weston
Gabbidon
Prior
Simpkins
Bonner
Hamilton (Jeanne 81)
Kavanagh
Maxwell (

58)
Brayson
Fortune West (

Subs not used
Boland
Hughes

The players stand for the one minute silence

Report from NigelBlues
What can you say? A good day out ruined by 90 minutes of football, if that's what you want to call it, from Cardiff City.

Had a great time before the game. Nice to see Tony Jefferies celebrate his 50th in a chauffeured limo, a great laugh in the pub beforehand (thanks to everyone who ordered coca cola so the huge chested barmaid could get them from the low fridge in front of us! - yeah, sexist I know), City fans having a good banter and feeling confident as we had every right to be.

The Abbey Stadium is now a three sided ground with the away end currently replaced by about 20 yards of greenery and boarding behind the one goal. City's 900 supporters were in a section of terrace on one side of the pitch and towards the goal City attacked in the first half.

There was an immaculately observed one minute silence after the horrific events in America this week and then Cardiff City's performance made sure it was followed by another 90 minutes silence from the travelling support who were let down badly by what unfolded before our eyes.

The pattern of the game and the result was affected by Alan Cork's terrible and baffling line-up and tactics. Terrible is too kind a description to be honest, they weren't that good. Denied Robert Earnshaw due to injury, the pre-match expectation was that Corkie would replace him with £1.7M record midweek signing, Peter Thorne, and retain the 4-3-3 unit which was so effective, so fluid and so excellent at Reading.

Playing the worst team in the division (by virtue of their league position prior to kick-off), Cork opted for 4-5-1 with Brayson and Maxwell given licence to push on but both staying wide. It was almost as if Cork was making a statement by saying City could still perform without a record signing striker, he got it badly wrong.

The inevitable result was a game and performance every bit as poor as Wales when they used identical tactics at home to Armenia a fortnight ago. The opposition were allowed to play, never hurt or punished by attacks and gradually, they realised City were there for the taking.

Not only were the tactics wrong but so was the style - there was none. City opted for the pathetic, long, aimless high ball to Leo. Now we all now Leo can't control or hold the ball well so, to help him, City gave him no support whatsoever.

It was ridiculous. How can we spend millions to get footballers in the team and then commit suicide by playing like this? How could every City fan work out what was wrong with the team and what needed to be changed within the first 15 minutes but our wonderful management team be clueless?

City fans who mumbled disquiet with Alan Cork throughout the 90 minutes, any/many more performances and tactical disasters like this and it will quickly become very audible.

Cork, with Butterworth standing alongside him today, both motionless with arms folded throughout, were very lucky that they were on the opposite side of the pitch to us. We were being over run and outplayed in most area yet Cork changed nothing until the closing stages when it was far too late, we effectively gifted the game to Cambridge and made it easy for them. It was tactical brilliance at Reading (which some now think might have been sheer luck after this showing), it was total incompetence today, in fact, it was difficult to work out what Cork's game plan was. The travelling faithful and Cardiff City deserved far, far better.

Cork could argue that he was let down by his players as, Des Hamilton apart and second half substitutes apart, it was difficult to single out anybody for praise. Hardly any of them showed the passion and commitment so apparent at Reading, many of them were simply awful. It would be an insult to suggest most of them were strolling and taking the opposition for granted but none of them seemed really sure what they were supposed to be doing, that's how it looked.

Cambridge wanted it more and fully deserved it. Take nothing away from them, they are a limited team but they played to their strengths and won in some style and, the most damning comment of all, with some ease too. That's why City fans will now inevitably debate the merits of Cork and the management team, it is a near disgrace that we can have the squad and strength that we have, yet fail to get anywhere near the best out of them. Cambridge's side cost £60k, we had £2.5M of talent on the bench.

Over 46 games, there will be upsets, bad results and bad performances but it was the style of how this was lost that angered and dismayed supporters. This was unacceptable.

The first half was arguably the worst 45 minutes of the season. Aside from a couple of efforts tamely going past goal, City's only shot was a Des Hamilton rocket from 25 yards which bounced, hit keeper Lionel Perez on the chest, and was cleared. That was it!!!

Cambridge were not only bottom of the table but they had a few regulars missing too. It meant they played with a novice strike force of Dave Kitson, not totally fit and newly arrived from non-league football, and Armand One, a French 18 year old making his debut who was like Leo with bulk. Youngs played behind them. They weren't much more prolific in attack but City never handled them.

Spencer Prior had a terrible error strewn game, Rhys Weston who has been poor all season apart from at Reading, was worse than ever whilst Gabbidon plus Simpkins had poor shows too. When they had possession, they collectively made mistakes and gave the ball away and it was no better in midfield. Kavanagh was no midfield leader today, Bonner was anonymous.

Cambridge controlled the game and chances came. They scuffed a couple of efforts wide before they opened their account in the 17th minute with the first of two abysmal defended goals. The defence were totally static as a corner came over, was nodded back, Wanless shot and Kitson deflected it home. Three Cambridge players had the ball in the Cardiff area, none came under challenge.

City tried to wake up and press after that setback but made no impression. Defensively, ball after ball was lost in the air at the back or given away. A good Neil Alexander stop stopped things getting worse before half-time. And if their shooting was more composed, more efforts scuffed wide could have caused more damage too.

It was a humiliating 45 minutes. Worse still, the feted Cambridge bacon rolls were rubbish, they must have been in a heater all day. I congratulate anybody who had more meat than fat in theirs.

Half-time and I've had enough already Cambridge 1 City 0

City must have had a half-time rollocking but it was Cambridge who the early efforts of the second half. Cambridge passed it around, Cardiff hit the ball wherever they could.

Substitutions were inevitable. Andy Legg came on for Leighton Maxwell who stood and waited until his number was shown, he didn't need to. And Peter Thorne, who must be wondering why he signed for us given what he was seeing, came on for Leo.
Brayson pushed in, Hamilton went wide, we looked brighter - it couldn't have been worse - but we were still clueless.

Andy Legg was busy but even he was mishitting crosses but nearly got City back with a stunning 20 yard drive, quality so out of context with anything else in the game, that Perez did well to push away at the last moment, Simpkins followed up but was blocked.

Then it was game over with a pathetic 2nd goal. From a touchline long throw, Rhys Weston misheaded across goal, Paul Wanless was unmarked and stroked a low effort home. That was on 71 minutes and it started a slow drift of fans out of the exits.

With 9 minutes remaining, Leon Jeanne came on and lifted things at last. Cork left it far too late to introduce him, it was obvious Cambridge were vulnerable wide but we never went at them via that route until now.

Jeanne beat two men and won a corner with his first touches. Cambridge doubled up on him. A couple of times he beat himself but, at last, someone as well as Legg was trying. Thorne, in the brief chances given to him, looked good and will be good for us. He had a couple of headers which went wide and looks strong and forceful.

There were 4 minutes of injury time which was 4 minutes too long, even for us, but with 1 of them remaining, City got what the media like to call a consolation. Nice to see but it didn't make me feel any better.

Legg overhit a cross which Jeanne managed to get when most players would have left it drift behind. He crossed, Thorne headed well and was unlucky to hit the bar but Leggy smashed home a volley off the rebound.

It's been a week to forget and this was a game to forget. Two home games this week must be six points won to get us back on track and this performance cannot be repeated this season.

The drive back home was long and quiet. Not even chanting 'you're worse than Swansea City' to England cricketers Alec Stewart and Mark Butcher at Cheively Services made things better ... much!

Report from Matt Gabb.
We lost this game before the game was played.  They were much more up for it than us, we just turned up expecting to win and quite rightly got turned over.

Replace today with Lincoln / Darlo away last season and its very similar apart from today we had 4 million quids worth of players extra on the pitch.

Their first goal was always on the cards from the start, long ball in (corner, flicked on and finished at the far post).  We had a couple of chances (as did they), Hamilton hit one from distance, Kavanagh
put one over the bar, LFW did his best up front on his own but brayson and maxwell were nowhere near to support.

Second half, cambridge got their winner from a near post corner which weston very skillfully flicked on before being headed in slow motion into the corner of the goal by the cambridge no 7.

Thorne came on bizarrely for LFW and Legg on for Maxwell (?).  Thorne showed some excellent touches.  Jeanne came on on the right hand side and looks very tricky and should be given a chance in the home games next week.

It took until the last five minutes before we put on any real pressure, our goal came from a long ball across field which Jeanne brought down with a piece of fantastic skill, the cross went in which was headed against the bar by thorne (?) and Legg volleyed home.   Too little too late in injury time and we lose 1-2.

Our support today reflected the apathy in the team.  We barely sold our allocation of 900 and even under the excellent low roof we couldn't raise too much of an atmosphere.

Prior and Kavanagh both had bad games.  Weston was taken apart by their strikers a number of times.  Brayson was out of position, Maxwell is a right footed player on the left wing.  It was a bit of a mess, and there was a certain amount of annoyance at Cork for his strange tactical decisions.

Football is like that though isn't it - win at the favourites one week and lose to the bottom team the next.  A loss at Reading and a win today would have left us in the same position but without the frustration that comes from losing to a team that we should have beaten.

5 games gone W2 D2 L1.  The next two home games against Northampton and Huddersfield are vital.

Cambridge view from Moosenet
Amazing, isn't it. All this time we've been wondering when the first win will occur, but today it happened. Yes, Dave Brown won £10 inthe supporters club draw. He's so used to not winning I had to point out that he had the winning number!

And more amazing things on the pitch. Money can't buy you love, said the Beatles many years ago, and today we found that money can't buy an away win at the Abbey.

There was a minute silence before the game started in memory of those who were killed or injured in America on Tuesday.

U's attacked the Newmarket road end in the first half, and attacked from the start, only a few seconds on the clock before their defence needed a hasty clearance. A short throw followed which allowed a low cross to go right across the face of goal on the 6 yard line, with no-one close enough to apply a touch. A U's free kick was headed wide, then Ashbee tried a shot after good work by Kitson on the wing but it was a weak shot and easily saved. A long throw caused some panic in the Cardiff defence, the ball finally being stabbed past the post for a goal kick.

Cardiff's first real attack ended when Perez collected the low cross on 8 minutes, soon after a long shot was not held by Perez but a defender helped him out by clearing the danger.

Prokas had a good shot deflected for a corner, from which more problems were caused for the visitors particularly by One, as they failed to clear, Wanless shot towards the goal through a crowd of players from about 10 yards but Kitson was in the 6yard box and deflected the ball into the net on 13 minutes to give us the lead.Cardiff tried to quickly get back into the game, forcing a corner which resulted in a long shot well wide.

Kitson kept the ball well as he came in from the wing, and set up Youngs for a run at the keeper, but the keeper saved the shot with his legs and the ball was cleared.

Cardiff had #15 Bonner booked after 19 minutes following a late challenge on Ashbee.

One made a chance for himself, but shot into the side netting from the corner of the 6 yard box. Cardiff seemed unable to deal with our long throws, as they seemed to cause them a lot of problems. A cross
by Youngs was headed wide by Kitson from about 12 yards, Cardiff had another long shot go well wide, then Kitson almost set up Youngs again.

One certainly has confidence, we won a free kick about 25 yards out, Ashbee rolled the ball sideways for One to shoot but he slightly mishit the shot so it didn't cause any problems. One got booked soon
after for kicking the ball away after conceding a free kick. Cardiff continued trying the long shot (perhaps they'd seen on TV the goals Bournemouth had scored?), and Perez had to get down to hold a low shot that was on target. A different tack saw them put the ball across the face of the goal but no other forward was near the ball.#2 Weston was booked for a pulling back Kitson near the wing. The final real action of the was a hard challenge on Youngs near the halfway line. It looked either a foul, or a throw in to us, but Cardiff got the throw and Youngs needed treatment!

The half ended after 48 minutes with us holding a 1-0 lead.

No changes at half time, and again we started the brighter, although #9 Fortune-West got himself booked for yet another foul challenge in the second minute. The free kick caused the Cardiff defence more problems, and about this time in the game the Cardiff fans started calling for Thorne to be introduced!

A Kitson cross was headed goalwards by Wanless but cleared by a defender, then after 12 minutes the Welsh fans got their wish as Thorne came on, replacing Fortune-West.

Another good run by One earnt a corner which came to nothing. Duncan got booked for a tackle from behind in the 20th minute. Cardiff had a good spell and almost scored on 23 minutes- from a corner the ball was headed out, but a shot come in that looked to be heading into the top corner, but Perez took off to get fingertips to the ball and push it onto the angle of post and bar and away. I think it would have hit the woodwork without his intervention, but the ball would probably have rebounded into the danger area.

On 26 minutes we extended the lead. A long throw was again not cleared, the ball going towards the far post where Wanless applied the final touch into the net.

One came off for Kandol on 27 minutes. Cardiff kept pushing for a goal, the nearest was a shot that was deflected into the arms of Perez, other shots going wide.

Wanless had got injured, and was replaced on 40 minutes with McAnespie.

Both teams kept trying to score, Ashbee put a free kick over their bar by a few yards, another long shot was just wide, then Thorne tried a looping header which was an easy catch for Perez.

There had been very little stoppages in either half, yet the referee added 4 minutes, and during this time Cardiff scored. A cross was headed against the post, but the rebound was volleyed in for a nice finish.

After nearly 5 minutes of added time the referee blew the final whistle, and soon after we heard Coconuts on the tannoy.

What a difference a week makes. If we'd played like this last week we'd have beaten P*sh easily. So what was the difference?  We were much more compact, so when someone had the ball there was a colleague available to take a pass whether they were a forward, midfield or defence. The team defended from the front, our forwards limited the time their defenders had, our midfield was much stronger by not having to make up space for wide players, and the defence stayed solid.

Being able to make easy passes gave players more time on the ball, so when they did pass the ball was going somewhere positive, rather than the long hopeful boot upfield of the past few games. All the players did very well, Angus settled in well at left back, as did Duncan alongside Walling in the middle. Fleming gave their winger a bit too much space at times as he got sucked into the middle, but with Youngs getting back when required to support there was little danger. In the Supporters Club I think the betting was that Prokas would be sent off before half time! As it was I can't remember him fouling anyone. He gets stuck in, and played some good passes. Wanless was his more usual self, but Ashbee, perhaps with a little more freedom than he's had in a 2 man midfield, had his best game in a long time on the left side of midfield. I liked him thumbing his bottom lip at Kavanagh following some verbals after we scored our first goal! At the front Youngs looks almost back to his best, the extra weight he has gained is beginning to tell as he is much stronger on the ball. One looked dangerous, especially when he got the ball and was able to run at defenders. A few more games and a he'll be a real handful for defences.

My MoM however, and the sponsors, was Dave Kitson. He looks a real find, good in the air and surprisingly good on the ground for a tall chap. He attacks defenders, yet is a good defender too. There were times at both ends of the pitch when the ball looked lost, then out would stretch a leg to hook the ball back to keep possession. Kandol didn't do too much in his time on, McAnespie did OK for the last few minutes.

Cardiff showed briefly that they can play a good passing game, but in the main we didn't let them, especially not in dangerous positions.The referee was quite good, although he looked a bit older and rounder than we usually see. He also seemed to be wearing a green rugby shirt, which was a little odd. He tried to let the game flow, and there were relatively few fouls.

Overall I think a well deserved win, and hopefully the start of a climb up the table.

Cardiff beat Reading, our next opponents, last week, and we beat Cardiff today, therefore we should beat Reading. I don't think logic applies to football, otherwise a team that cost many millions would not have lost to a team that cost only a few thousand pounds. The visitors part of the ground was packed, such a shame the rest of the ground was not. After today perhaps those stay-away fans will return, and we can't continue to throw away revenue when there are visiting fans wanting tickets we cannot supply.

Report from ic.wales
CARDIFF City suffered a shock defeat against bottom club Cambridge United in this Second Division match at the Abbey Stadium.

This performance was way below the standards Cardiff set for themselves with the win at Reading a week earlier. They were sloppy at the back, poor in midfield and lacked punch in attack.

Cardiff had eight shots on target in the second half, but did not score until it was too late, as Cardiff slid to a bitterly disappointing defeat.

Andy Legg, also on as substitute, scored for City in injury time.

Peter Thorne, Cardiff City’s £1.7m signing, started life as a Bluebird on the bench. He was joined by Leon Jeanne, the terrifically talented 20-year-old who has shone in the reserves. Both later came on for their debuts.

Jeanne still has a lot to work on in his game, particularly when the opposition are in possession, but he has undoubted ability, can score goals and create danger.

Manager Alan Cork decided Leo Fortune-West and Thorne are not natural partners in attack and, with Robert Earnshaw ruled out, moved Paul Brayson forward, with Layton Maxwell stepping into midfield.

It was a first Nationwide League start of the season for Maxwell, who has been on as a substitute just once.

Thorne returned to the ground where he scored the winner for Stoke City earlier this season.

U’s manager John Beck pledged to play a passing game against Cardiff. Beck promised to abandon his favourite long-ball game and selected a 4-3-3 formation, which included Dave Kitson, a signing from Ryman League Arlesden Town, said to be 80 per cent fit, and teenage French ace Armand One.

The new signing from Nantes stepped in for his Cambridge debut.

A minute’s silence was held before the match – observed throughout the ground.

Skipper Graham Kavanagh won the toss and opted to change ends, but the Bluebirds did not start at all well. City looked tense and nervous as Cambridge dominated possession and pressed forward.

There were half-chances as the ball flew back and forth across the Cardiff goal and the closest effort was a stabbed shot from One which rolled just wide.

City started to move forward and when Des Hamilton ran across the face of the goal 25 yards out he lashed in a shot which bounced just in front of former Sunderland keeper Lionel Perez. The ball bounced off his chest and flew high in the air, but City could not take advantage.

And they paid the penalty for a slow start after 14 minutes when Kitson scored his third goal of the season.

Ian Ashbee took a corner on the right and Dean Walling headed back across goal. Paul Wanless went for goal and Kitson, only a few yards from goal, deflected it past the stranded Neil Alexander.

That was a major blow to the Bluebirds, but they responded well and pressed Cambridge back.

City were playing 4-4-2 when Cambridge were in possession, but Maxwell pushed forward whenever he could to link up with Fortune-West and Paul Brayson. Kavanagh and Hamilton were in the centre of midfield with Bonner on the right and Maxwell left.

But Cardiff still didn’t look comfortable at the back and Tom Youngs burst through the middle, getting away from Gabbidon. Goalkeeper Alexander made a brilliant save and City scrambled the ball away.

Mark Bonner was booked following a foul.

Cambridge had settled into their new playing system well, with Kitson and One looking sharp and confident. Kitson won everything in the air during the first half-hour and Cardiff, looking distinctly wobbly at the back, badly need to regain the composure.

One became the first Cambridge player booked when he kicked the ball away at a free-kick. He was immediately followed into the referee’s notebook by Weston, for a foul.

Kavanagh finished the first half limping badly and Cardiff finished the period with their pride badly bruised by the team lying last in Division Two. Their first-half performance had been poor.

HT: Cambridge United 1, Cardiff City 0.

Kavanagh was back out and running normally at the start of the second half as City tried to wrest control from a Cambridge side working exceptionally hard.

Fortune-West was the fourth player booked in the match, cautioned for a foul.

Still City looked below par as Cambridge played their passing game and the Bluebirds struggled to cope. There was no punch in attack and City looked in need of fresh legs, particularly with Thorne, Legg and Jeanne on the bench.

With 56 minutes gone, Legg went on for Maxwell and Thorne for Fortune-West. Some of City’s passing was poor – far below the standard set at Reading – and it was difficult to see where a goal would come from.

The service was poor and City’s strikers were left with little to work with.

The double substitution certainly made a difference and City pushed forward, but Cambridge looked capable of holding on.

Kavanagh and Bonner were now filling the centre of midfield with Hamilton and Legg on the flanks. Cardiff were now pushing a tiring Cambridge team back, but there was still no cutting edge.

Legg changed that with a swerving volley from 20 yards which hit a post with Perez flailing. From the rebound, Michael Simpkins saw his effort blocked.

City’s situation, already bleak, became a little worse when Wanless scored a second for Cambridge. Ashbee’s throw from the left was flicked on by Weston and as the ball ran across goal Wanless diverted it into the net.

That was after 71 minutes and there seemed no way back for the Bluebirds.

Nearly 800 Cardiff City fans had made the trip to Cambridge and saw their team undone by a young, inexperienced home team who were on the way to their first win of the season.

Jeanne was given his first chance for Cardiff when he replaced Hamilton after 81 minutes. Immediately Jeanne bemused two defenders and got in a cross which was among the best of the match.

But it looked a forlorn hope as Cambridge made sure Jeanne was well covered.

It had been an outstanding effort by Cambridge, whose team cost £65,000 to put together, against visitors who had spent £6m on their squad.

For City, it was a desperately poor performance.

They worked hard, they kept running and chasing, but there was no real conviction about the Bluebirds.

With 86 minutes gone, Steve McAnespie replaced Wanless.

Thorne had two headers at goal near the end and City scored in second-half injury time.

Kavanagh’s long pass picked out Jeanne, who controlled superbly and crossed. Thorne’s header hit the bar and Legg scored as the ball bounced down.

However, three minutes of injury time had passed by then and it was too late for the Bluebirds as the final whistle blew soon after.

Report from www.sports.com
Big-spending Cardiff City were stunned by Cambridge who pulled themselves off the bottom of the table with this impressive win.

The home side dominated for long periods as a switch to a more footballing style paid dividends.

Cambridge went close after just three minutes when Ian Ashbee's free-kick was headed inches wide by David Kitson.

Just four minutes later Terry Fleming's long throw was met by Cambridge's new striker Armand One who stabbed his shot just wide.

Cardiff then briefly threatened and in the 11th minute Des Hamilton's 25-yarder was saved by Lionel Perez .

But just as the visitors seemed to be getting into the game, Cambridge scored. Ashbee's corner was headed back by Dean Walling for Paul Wanless who fired a shot into the pack of players and Kitson deflected the ball past the keeper.

Cambridge had another good chance in the 21st minute when One took on a defender and fired a shot into the side-netting.

In the 26th minute Tom Youngs' cross found the head of Kitson but the Cambridge man was stretching and could not guide the ball home.

Cardiff's best chance came in the 34th minute when Hamilton's 20-yard effort was saved by Perez and hacked clear by Stevland Angus, but it would have been rough justice if the visitors had equalised.

Cambridge continued to have the better of things after the break. Just three minutes after the re-start Wanless saw his header blocked by a defender and One fired over from the rebound.

On the hour the impressive French debutant showed his power again as he beat Spencer Prior to win a corner.

But Cardiff once again threatened in the 69th minute when Andy Legg's stunning volley was destined for the top corner until Perez snaked out a right hand to tip it wide.

For the second time in the match Cardiff pressure was answered by a Cambridge goal. Ashbee's long throw flicked off the head of Rhys Weston, falling kindly for Wanless, who had stolen in at the far post, and he stabbed the ball home from six yards in the 71st minute.

Cardiff chased the game but looked unlikely to grab a consolation until stoppage time.

Mark Bonner fired wide in the 90th minute and Peter Thorne saw his header saved seconds later but the visitors were not to be denied in the third minute of stoppage time.

Leon Jeanne's cross from the left found Thorne at the far post, and although his header hit the bar it was turned in by Andy Legg from eight yards out.