Cambridge Away - Player Ratings

“Quality is not an act, it is a habit.”

Let’s be honest here. For most of the first half today we were murdered down both our flanks. Liddle and Gillesphey struggled to cope defensively, or midfield couldn’t get into the game and the ball wouldn’t stick with our forwards. Nadesan and Devitt looked confused on how to play together leaving Bennett isolated upfront and we looked way behind the pace of the game.

However, in fairness, thanks to a top class save from Adam Collin at 0-0 and a genuine piece of class from Bennett we weathered the storm and reached half time at 1-1. From this point Cambridge looked spent and we grew into the game after remembering how to play football. it’s a huge testament to the character of our players to dig deep and fight to a victory which in the end should have been way more comfortable had Campbell and Devitt not been wasteful in front of goal. As it was, a neat piece of technical quality and a calm finish from Nadesan brought us the win – but in truth, we really need to start games better than today and work hard on strengthening our full-back positions.

Collin – 7 – Left hopelessly exposed for the goal we conceded, but also provided a top class save to keep the score down in the first half. Commanded his box well in the air and looked composed. Some of his distribution was also first class this afternoon.

Liddle – 3 – A true defensive horror show in the first half today. You could show this 45 minutes to any young players and title it “how not to play right-back”. We might as well have given the shirt and captain’s arm-band to a traffic cone. When he was on the ball he used it very well today, in fairness – but he’s a defender and not being able to defend properly is a huge handicap for him. In fairness, he’s not really a full-back, is he? I missed the game on Tuesday, but is Miller really bad enough performances like this from Liddle can keep him out of the team?

Gillesphey – 4 – Marginally more solid than Liddle, think “traffic-cone on rollerskates”. I’m not sure some of what happens when his left boot hits the ball is complete genius or entirely random, at least there’s more variety to his use of the ball than Grainger’s clubbing boot. But still, he’s continually having a torrid time defensively. Again, I don’t really believe he’s a genuine full-back.

Gerrard – 6 – Size matters on a small pitch, and with his ample girth it actually helps him get blocks in and fill in holes. On this performance I’m not sure he’s getting fitter, but Carl Lewis wasn’t built in a day, in fairness. However, he’s forging quite a decent partnership with Parkes (for our level anyway). I’m also quite a fan of how he actually tries to find Carlisle players with his clearances / headers.

Parkes – 7 – A different player this season. Thriving after a manager has shown the faith in him to give him a run in his best position and benefitting hugely from having a footballer alongside him in defence rather than Liddle. Not only can he pass the football, he can also defend like an absolute beast – and his reading of the game at the back today was excellent.

Etuhu – 6 – Behind the pace of the game, drifting around for the first half an hour and I was thinking the Etuhu of old had returned from Keith Curle’s closet. However, he grew into the game so well that by the end of the game he was dominating central midfield like a League Two Marcel Desailly.

Glendon – 6 – Maybe not the type of battle Glendon was best suited for today, but he still managed to put his foot on the ball and spray it around with understated quality. When he settles into a rhythm for us he’s going to be worth his weight in gold, but at the minute he’s just sputtering into life. In the wide open spaces of Brunton Park he’ll be in his element rather than twisting on a matchbox at grounds like Cambridge.

Devitt – 5 – I almost forgot he was playing in the first half he was so anonymous, until he tried in vain to get on the end of one of Bennett’s headers. Maybe he’d been given more licence to get forward with Hope being absent, but we probably needed him to be grafting in midfield rather than disappearing into the hole between Cambridge’s defence and midfield. This being said, he provided the cross for our equaliser, from the right-wing (ahem), although Bennett still had to do an awful lot to turn it into a goal. He was much more in the game after half-time it’s just a shame it took him 45 minutes to start playing. Might’ve made the game towards the end, but fluffed his lines.

Yates – 7* – Involved in our equaliser and a constant thorn in the side of the Cambridge defence, who struggled to cope with his pace and close control. His decision making of when to pass and when to dribble is much improved, not dribbling every single time he gets the ball and adding some short passing and early crossing to his game has made him look a much more rounded player.

Bennett – 6 – At times he looks like ha can barely run, but he can win a header and battled manfully all afternoon. He had no right to score from Devitt’s lofted cross but to turn this type of ball into a goal took bravery and great technique. Not his best game by any stretch and we still struggle to play to his strengths – but his goal was incredibly important today and probably influenced the dynamic of the afternoon in our favour.

Nadesan – 6 – Not his best game, drifting too far out wide too often on the first half and struggled to get into the game. However, when it mattered, and when we worked the ball into his feet in the penalty area, he produced a moment of quality worthy enough to win the game. Like Bennett, he had an awful lot to do when he received the ball, but to make the opportunity for himself then calmly tuck it away was different class.

Subs

Campbell – 6 – Busy feet, a bit of pace and some crisp use of the ball. Missed easily the best chance of the afternoon which should have made the game safe for us, however his introduction, extra energy and thoughtful running took us long way towards closing the afternoon out for three points.

Sowerby – I’m not sure he touched the ball, but didn’t have enough time to really get involved.