Cambridge Utd 3 York City 1: Lack of aggression so costly for Minstermen on road

Uncharacteristic blunders by goalkeeper Scott Flinders gifted the hosts their first and third goals, and U’s captain Luke Berry might have added a fourth from the penalty spot.

His woeful ‘Panenka’ effort cleared Flinders’s crossbar, leading to his immediate substitution by Shaun Derry.

James Berrett’s spectacular long-range strike had seen York reduce the deficit to 2-1 before the break but, after Michael Coulson rattled the crossbar early on, the visitors rarely looked like avoiding a 15th game without a victory on the road.

York chief Jackie McNamara said: “Too many players had an off day. They caused us problems physically because they were more aggressive than we were.”

Cambridge forged ahead on 10 minutes when Flinders misjudged Ryan Haynes’s cross, leaving Jimmy Spencer to head in from three yards at the far post.

A second goal was added on 27 minutes when unmarked Coulson sidefooted home Harrison Dunk’s corner.

Berrett hit back six minutes later when he fired over Norris’s head from 25 yards after Kenny McEvoy had charged down a Haynes clearance.

But Williamson pounced from close range after Flinders spilled Spencer’s edge-of-the-area drive and Dave Winfield then fell on top of Leon Legge on 77 minutes only for Berry to embarrass himself from the spot.

Cambridge United: Norris; Furlong, Coulson, Legge, Haynes; Berry (Donaldson, 80), Dunne, Ledson; Williamson, Spencer (Simpson,88), Dunk. Unused substitutes: Beasant, Omozusi, Roberts, O’Neill, Horne.

York City: Flinders; Satka, Winfield, Cameron, Ilesanmi; Berrett, Penn (Carson, 79), Summerfield, Coulson; Fewster (Thompson, 77), McEvoy (Hyde, 62). Unused substitutes: Ingham, Riordan, Dixon, Swan.

Referee: N Kinseley (Essex).

Man of the match: Jimmy Spencer.