Goals: 1-0: Donaldson (27, got behind Collins and angled finish past Flinders); 1-1: Walker (59, Harewood laid the ball back for midfielder to smash home); 2-1: Dunk (87, long throw headed on and nodded in)
Bookings: Austin (9, foul), Crooks (71, foul), Walker (76 foul)
Referee: Kevin Johnson (Weston Super Mare): Always right on top of play, and didn’t pull players up too much for little things 7
Attendance: 4,931
Entertainment: 3/5
CAMBRIDGE (4-4-2): Dunn 6; Tait 5, Nelson 6, Coulson 6, Taylor 5; Donaldson 6, Champion 6 (Dunk 67, 6), Hughes 7, Chadwick 7 (Naylor 60, 5); Elliott 6, Appiah 6 (Simpson 88). Subs (not used): Norris (gk), Lanzoni, Lennon, Bird.
HARTLEPOOL UNITED (4-3-3):
6 Flinders: Kept the captaincy, under plenty of pressure first half without being tested;
5 Duckworth: Murray said he wanted to see the right-back get forward more – and it was clear to see why
8 COLLINS: Immense at the back, in his first game for eight weeks and a frantic spell in charge of the side
6 Harrison: Willing to clear his lines all first-half when he had to as Pools were constantly pressed back
6 Austin: Back to full-back and enjoyed the first-half battle – would have relished it more if he hadn’t been booked early on;
8 Walker: Tame opening period, but came to the fore in the second when he looked like the player he was last season. Scored one, could have had three.
5 Miller: It was busy in midfield and he wasn’t able to play with any sort of freedom to knock the ball around
6 Crooks: Willing and able. Put an honest shift in, and soon was put up front in a formation shift but showed his inexperience at times;
4 Brobbel: Never looked at ease in a very difficult opening half and no surprise to see him taken off at the break
6 Wyke: Little joy first-half, minimal impact, but improved after the break and kept at his job
4 Franks: Ran down too many blind alleys in possession, didn’t come up with many end products.
Subs:
Harewood (for Brobbel 46): Soon made an impact with a willingness to chase and harass, but didn’t keep it going for long enough 7
Smith (for Franks 66): Ran and chased, but little direct impact 5
Woods (for Crooks 75)
(not used): Holden, Hawkins, Richards, Jones.
MAN OF THE MATCH
SAM Collins –put his body on the line time and time again in a dominant display.
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