Blues Footballers Thrash Local Rivals

Cambridge 4 – 0 University of East Anglia

Cambridge yesterday trounced UEA in a match billed as being much closer than it turned out.

The Light Blues made their intentions clear after with a goal after only 42 seconds, catching the UEA defence napping with some slick passing; Chris Gotch duly slotting home to make it 1-0.

Cambridge’s defence remained impenetrable and they repeatedly hit UEA on the counter-attack, Mark Baxter and Matt Stock making pacy runs down either flank.  It was Baxter who set up the next goal, crossing from a corner in the 25th minute to find the head of Paul Hartley at the near post, doubling the Blues’ advantage.

Despite the lead, Cambridge’s momentum never dropped. They persisted with their positive football, attacking relentlessly to the delight of their coach.

Cambridge’s centre-backs, James Day and Dan Gwyther, held their line well throughout, snuffing out any opportunities and preventing an already frustrated opposition from breakthing through.

UEA’s first – and only – real chance of the first half came in the 35th minute, when their number 8 put a ball wide of the posts. Even if his shot had been on target, Stu Ferguson in goal had it more than covered.

Blues forwards Danny Kerrigan and Chris Gotch squandered several chances up front but it was UEA whose frustration levels rose, their right-back at one point shouting “F*ckin’ ‘ell… Can someone please get in the box?” as he saw Day clear another of his crosses up the field.

If anything changed in the second half it was that Cambridge dominated their opposition even more. Captain Mike Johnson subbed himself off for Eddie Burrows, looking relaxed as he watched the game unfold from the sidelines.

It didn’t take long for Cambridge to extend their advantage. Under pressure from yet another Light Blue counter-attack, a UEA defender made a dreadful pass-back, so bad that it didn’t even reach the keeper. ‘Fox in the box’ Mark Baxter pounced on the loose ball, taking it around the keeper with a brilliant first touch and drilling it into the net from a tight angle to make it 3-0.

As the light at the end of the tunnel faded, UEA’s attention began to turn to the minibus at the end of the car park.

By the 82nd minute any hope that UEA had of salvaging the game had been well and truly extinguished. Still Cambridge didn’t let up; after a crunching tackle from Burrows, Baxter collected the ball and jinked his way through half the UEA team to set up Chris Gotch, who scored his second goal, making it 4-0 to the home side.

The final goal was typical of the performance from the Blues today; positive football, a determination to score even when the opposition had no avenues back into the game, unselfish play from every player and great team spirit.

As a player from U.E.A said after the match, “Cambridge were simply in a different class today”

The Tab’s Man of the Match: Mark Baxter