This time last month I was full of praise and optimism after an historic cup semi-final, and a couple of league wins. While they might not want to describe it that way, United have had a bit of a hangover since then, picking up just 1 point from a possible 12 in the league.
Starting at Loftus Road against QPR, Cambridge fell to a 3-0 defeat where they struggled to get into the game. QPR were 2 up inside half an hour, 3 up before the hour mark, and despite a couple of late efforts, United came away having been beaten by the better team on the day.
First-half injuries played their part, both Marden and Seymour had to come off early, and United made their third and final change at halftime. Darren Marjoram, ever the honest evaluator of the game, picked up on this post-match and how it affected his tactical choices, mostly dominated by who they could put out there.
A midweek home tie against London Seaward looked like an opportunity to set things right. Ruth Fox’s beautiful strike lit up an even game, but as time passed, the visitors ramped up the pressure and found an equaliser with 3 minutes to go. Whilst losing out on the 3 points to a late goal is frustrating, it was probably a deserved result, and Lauren Webb, who’s had a brilliant season, kept United in it with some great saves.
After a home tie against Ashford was postponed, United finished March with a trip to the South coast to play second-placed Worthing where they fell to two goals in the opening minutes of the second half. Before the game, Cambridge announced the addition of Therese Addison-Hardy who last played for MK Dons and would make her debut as a sub in the game. More exciting still were the additions of Lily Horsler and Holly Plummer to the bench, both called up from the u18s. With the recent focus on developing a clear pathway for youth talent to the first team, this was a great moment, especially for Plummer who made her senior debut off the bench.
Finally, United welcomed Norwich City to the Abbey to start the new month, with the specific aim of breaking their attendance record. 932 through the gates meant they did just that.
The windy conditions meant the game was not the cleanest or most composed, as both attackers and defenders found themselves misjudging the flight of the ball.
In Brooke Cheal-Ferris’s opener, we have a genuine goal-of-the-season contender. After her own corner was cleared straight back to her, she unleashed a whipped shot straight into the opposite top corner. Unfortunately, the best goal I’ve seen this year at the Abbey was cancelled out from the penalty spot, and Norwich took the lead on the counter soon after.
Ella Marden, playing at left back in a makeshift back line, had a tough time defending against Norwich’s attackers, and she was beaten for pace before the ball was crossed to Natasha Snelling who tapped home.
Norwich showed better physicality in dealing with the wind and had the better of the game outside of a couple of periods of United pressure. One of those periods came soon before the break, but the best Cambridge managed was Bella Simmons’ looping shot onto the roof of the net. Norwich’s third came soon after from a counterattack, crossed to Snelling who scored again from close range.
United pulled one back, through Stojko-Down, essentially scoring a carbon copy of Norwich’s second, but Norwich completed a 4-2 win direct from a (probably) wind-assisted corner.
It was a shame that the game frustrated Cambridge on a day with such a great atmosphere. Cambridge battled and may have beaten a lesser team, but Norwich (who remain unbeaten) made the better of the game and the conditions. Lauren Webb would be my player of the game, making 3 or 4 really good saves to keep the scoreline down, most of them in one-on-one situations.
It is tempting to compare this poor run to last season, where results trailed off some, but it has been a tough run, especially the last two. Cambridge have now played the top 3 of Wimbledon, Worthing, and Norwich twice each and picked up just one point. I am sure before long United will want to put themselves among the promotion chasers, but there is still something separating them; this time it felt like a certain physical edge.
At the bottom of the table, the weekend’s results relegate Haywards Heath, with Cambridge City looking the most likely to go down with them. We might have to make the most of our city derby while we can – that is one of United’s final three, all home games.
The new attendance record set shows the continuous, fantastic effort into promoting Cambridge United women’s team. Recently, Alysha Stojko-Down and Lauren Webb joined Her Game Too as player advocates, along with Darren Marjoram who was the first manager advocate altogether. They join the campaign run at our club by Emma Smith. I recommend reading the short interview with Alysha and Lauren on the Her Game Too website, where they talk about their reasons for joining, and why the campaign is so important.