Match report: Cambridge United 2, York City 1

Contrasting markedly with the team’s eight consecutive league victories at home, a return of five points from a possible 21 on the road is not the form of a play-off contender.

Indeed, no club outside the Blue Square Bet Premier’s bottom seven have suffered more away defeats than the nine inflicted on the Minstermen this season.

City manager Gary Mills can take solace, though, from the fact that six of his side’s remaining nine matches will be staged at Bootham Crescent.

After the Abbey Stadium reverse, Mills and his players were left lamenting the lost chance to move within a point of fifth-placed Kidderminster.

Darlington, who were in FA Trophy semi-final action and are racking up the games in hand, could also stand to benefit from City’s loss at the weekend.

But, just like one of Peter Till’s weaving runs down the left flank at Cambridge, there will be several more twists and turns between now and the end of the season.

Saturday’s performance also offered more reasons for encouragement than the result might have done.

Six shots on target represented a better return than in recent City away matches and Jamie Reed again underlined his potency with another goal following his match-winning midweek brace against Mansfield although he did run out of steam prior to his 75th-minute substitution.

Cambridge, meanwhile, did not look like a side without a league win at home since November and, with the players at their disposal, have clearly under-achieved in 2010/11.

Danny Wright, certainly, seems to do little wrong when playing against the Minstermen and, on paper, this fixture perhaps looked a little easier than it was ever going to be in reality.

Former Histon forward Wright helped set up Cambridge’s first goal for talented teenage strike partner Liam Hughes and then netted for the fourth time in six outings against City to settle the outcome following Reed’s equaliser.

Mills opted to start the fixture with a 4-3-3 formation but, as his side sat too deep and left lone central Michael Rankine helplessly isolated, switched to 4-4-2 within the first ten minutes.

The move heralded a more expansive and end-to-end affair than City fans have become accustomed to on the road but rarely have the team looked so vulnerable to counter-attacks under Mills.

On ten minutes, stand-in skipper Scott Kerr went close with an edge- of-the box half volley and Reed then drove over from a narrow angle after Rankine had headed down a Jonathan Smith left-wing cross.

It was Cambridge, however, who forged ahead when Wright fed Kevin Roberts down the right and his scuffed cross was perfectly despatched into Michael Ingham’s bottom left-hand corner by Hughes from 15 yards.

At the other end, Reed lashed a 12-yard effort against the bar after Kerr’s through ball presented him with a clear shot on Simon Brown’s goal and the offside flag stayed down to the surprise of many in the 2,474-strong crowd.

Moments later, Reed made amends when, on 24 minutes, Rankine bullied the home defence to get his head on to James Meredith’s long throw and the former Bangor City striker guided the ball into Brown’s bottom left-hand corner from five yards out.

David McDermott, playing on the right wing, then sliced wide after another intelligent pass by Kerr before Cambridge ended the half strongest with Ingham diving low to his right to grab Wright’s shot after he had evaded a Liam Darville challenge.

Not lacking height in any department, the visitors also went close on 35 minutes when Mark Bentley headed over from a James Jennings corner.

Ingham spilled a 20-yard Jennings drive in stoppage-time and Daniel Parslow’s goal-saving lunge prevented Wright reaching the loose ball first.

Early in the second period, Rankine did have the ball in the net when Brown also failed to hold on to a Till shot but the former Rushden forward was denied a 14th goal of the season by an offside flag.

A Hughes shot was then grabbed by Ingham’s outstretched right arm before Till, drifting in from the left, saw an initial chance blocked and then lifted a second 20-yard attempt over the bar.

Just past the hour, McGurk headed wide from Till’s corner. Another Till flag kick then saw Reed’s close-range shot on the turn scrambled away as far as McGurk, whose looping effort was tipped over.

On 68 minutes, Hughes rattled Ingham’s left-hand post with a curling 15-yard effort after Meredith had committed himself recklessly and left substitute Dan Walker free to raid down the right.

Wright also worried Ingham from 25 yards when the ball sat up for him and his firm drive flashed narrowly wide.

With the game continuing to ebb and flow, McDermott might have done better when calling Brown into action at his near post following Smith’s sweeping pass.

Seconds later, Wright was more clinical when Bentley challenged Smith and the ball spun into his path without a City centre-back in close proximity.

Like Reed earlier, Wright opted for power rather than placement but his 12-yard first-time blast gave Ingham no chance in the 78th minute.

A second tame McGurk far-post header from another Till corner was the nearest City came to claiming a point but, with five of the club’s next six games at Bootham Crescent, Mills’ men can look forward to enjoying home comforts again.

Match facts

York City: Michael Ingham 7, Liam Darville 6, Daniel Parslow 6, David McGurk 6, James Meredith 5, Scott Kerr 8, David McDermott 5, Jonathan Smith 6, Peter Till 8, Michael Rankine 7, Jamie Reed 7.

Subs: Chris Carruthers (for Reed, 75), Leon Constantine (for J Smith, 84). Subs not used: David Knight, Will Hatfield, Andre Boucaud.

Key: 10 – Faultless; 9 – Outstanding; 8 – Excellent; 7 – Good; 6 – Average; 5 – Below par; 4 – Poor; 3 – Dud; 2 – Hopeless; 1 – Retire.

City’s star man: Kerr – good in possession, a real captain’s display in the difficult 4-4-2 anchorman role.

Cambridge: Simon Brown, Kevin Roberts, Brian Saah, David Partridge, James Jennings, Luke Berry (Dan Walker, 57), Ricky Wellard, Mark Bentley, Jordan Patrick (Rory McAuley, 90), Danny Wright (Conal Platt, 86), Liam Hughes. Subs not used: Danny Naisbitt, Blaine Hudson.

Booked: Darville 8, Partridge 80, Kerr 90.

Shots on target: United 7, City 6.

Shots off target: United 8, City 8.

Corners: United 12, City 6.

Fouls conceded: United 10, City 7.

Offsides: United 3, City 4.

Referee: Nick Kinseley (Essex). Rating: punished Darville a little unfairly early on, but there was little cause for complaint generally.

Attendance: 2,474 (326 from City).

Save of the match: Ingham reacted smartly to keep out Wright’s close-range first-half shot.

Shot of the match: Wright’s winning strike was a real net buster.

Head to head - Jamie Reed v David Partridge

City’s New Year signing from Bangor City caused his Cambridge marker several problems with his movement during the early stages.

He got himself into two unmarked shooting positions, firing over and hitting the bar, before scoring having again found space in the home side’s six-yard box.

Partridge got to grips with the one-time Wrexham forward after the break though as Reed faded a little.