So, We’re Favourites To Go Down Then? Cambridge vs Reading-
A Completely Unbiased Match Report
“Quality is never an accident. It is always the result of intelligent effort.”
John Ruskin
I have to start by saying, but for two grievously appalling decisions, which the Referees have apologised for, we would be top of the league. That’s right. Little Cambridge, run sustainably and responsibly, competing with clubs like Sheffield Wednesday, Leicester City, Huddersfield and….Reading I suppose. I won’t mention a certain other Cambridgeshire side struggling near the bottom because that would seem too much like gloating and I can’t condone that. Just before the game we saw Josh Stokes, a Bristol City loanee, who once played for us with great distinction. He’d gone to Reading to get more match time but wasn’t even included on the bench. A waste of talent and a measure of the huge difference in financial muscle between the clubs. It should be said, of course, that, not so long ago, Reading’s financial misdemeanours should have seen them relegated to League Two, or worse. Somehow, they escaped justice and now their fans have an insufferable sense of entitlement which they made known to us before the game. We know of course that having a successful past, a big budget and a large and modern stadium don’t guarantee success, but many more fans will write us off before the season’s end. We shall see. Neil Harris has put together a strong side which battles for each other and will cause problems for a lot of teams who won’t expect it. We are all confident of survival now. One or two judicious additions in January, if we can afford it, could make us surprise promotion contenders but best to not get ahead of ourselves.
Things were pretty even for about half an hour although, Reading were looking a bit more in control than us. We’d made hard work of playing against a strong breeze and I began to feel that if we were level at half time, we’d be all right. A cross arrived awkwardly for the unfortunate Heffernan, who had an excellent game other than this moment, when he fell and miskicked at the same time. Marriott seemed to mishit his shot, which surprised Eastwood, and in it went. Marriott seemed inordinately pleased with a goal which had more than an element of luck about it. Had it been a wonder goal I might have understood the wild celebrations in front of the Habbin, but I suppose I only like our celebrations in front of the Habbin. From this moment on, two blokes standing behind me spent most of the rest of the game ranting about how awful we were, how we needed to be quicker and how we weren’t trying. This may have been cathartic, but it doesn’t help the team, and it certainly dampened the mood of the Habbin Ultras, albeit briefly.
In the second half we were a team transformed. We were quicker, more aggressive and suddenly the Reading defence was under strain. The arrival of Mpanzu and Lavery galvanised the team, which were now keeping the ball better and passing quickly and well. Openings would come. Mpanzu and Ball took control, indeed I have rarely seen them play better and Bennett’s all-round game probably should have earned him the Man of the Match award. It didn’t, but he won’t mind because he equalised with a header, which I think was aimed elsewhere but nestled nicely in the back of the net having cleared the despairing Peraira. After that he spent a lot of time moaning at his defence. The winner came a few minutes later when Watts headed in a fine cross from Mpanzu. That really doesn’t do it justice. The header was an absolute bullet. One of the best headers I’ve ever seen. The Abbey erupted, the Reading fans sulked for the rest of the game and, but for a brilliant defensive tackle, Lavery would have scored in the last minute. He’d fought for every ball and always makes a difference. We were forced onto the defence but at least we always had an out ball and were prepared to counter attack. We’ve had a bad habit of conceding near the end. Reading tried to “win” a penalty, but it was a bit desperate and unconvincing. We held on. Our players looked exhausted, but we’d prevailed. This is a team which will always try to find a way and one which will get better over time. As for the noisy critics in the Habbin and the Reading yobs who threatened cyclists on the common, a simple reminder. No one is entitled to win. If they were, there’d be no point playing would there? Referee watch- no friend to Ahadme, but he was very competent and absolutely fair. He won’t need to send us an apology. Pity they can’t send us the points instead but it all balances out. Doesn’t it?