Cambridge City 1-3 Cambridge United match report: Michael Morrison, Zeno Ibsen Rossi and Elias Kachunga score in U’s pre-season friendly victory
Cambridge United started preparations for their return to League Two with a 3-1 pre-season friendly victory at Cambridge City this afternoon.
More than 2,600 people packed into the recently-opened FWD-IP Community Stadium in Sawston to watch the first meeting between these two clubs in seven years.
And while the hosting Lilywhites certainly gave a good account of themselves, United’s quality ultimately got the job done.
It took United just three minutes to carve out the game's opening chance when trialist Jack Wells-Morrison, who spent last season on loan at Wealdstone and Solihull Moors from FA Cup winners Crystal Palace, fired over from the edge of the box.
In the sixth minute the lively Ben Knight was fouled by City skipper Jayden Randell 20 yards from goal and the former Manchester City playmaker dusted himself down to curl the resultant free-kick just wide of the left upright.
United's early domination eventually told 10 minutes later with the opening goal. After exchanging passes with Knight out wide on the right, Liam Bennett swung over a cross that captain Michael Morrison – still up the pitch from an earlier set-piece – headed beyond James Philp in the City goal.
However, the lead would only last for seven minutes. City's creator-in-chief Jack Thompson was afforded the space on the edge of the United box to float in a cross that new signing Mikey Salako was able to guide past Ben Hughes with a smart header.
City's other striker – George Smith – had a good chance to put the hosts in the lead as the half drew to a close when he pounced on an error from James Gibbons, only to see his shot blocked by Morrison, while at the other end Shayne Lavery could not make a clean connection with Ryan Loft's cut back.
U's boss Neil Harris sent out a completely different XI for the start of the second half – and the new line-up took just five minutes to restore the lead. Sullay Kaikai swung in a corner from the left and Zeno Ibsen Rossi rose highest to power in the third header of the contest.
Six minutes later Kaikai was denied a goal of his own when his curling effort was claimed at the second attempt by Philp before new addition Dom Ball – wearing the captain's armband – drove just wide from 25 yards out.
Young forward George Munday then blazed well over from a good position before he did put the ball in the net with 15 minutes remaining, only for the referee to pull play back for a foul on Harry Dawson.
United’s third goal did eventually arrive three minutes time courtesy of Elias Kachunga, who turned the ball in at the back from Dawson’s deep right-wing cross.
Cambridge City: Philp (Smith 84’), Adeniji (Tassell 51'), Mason, Randell (Scrivener 84’), Dicks (Frempong 70'), Coombes (Cipriani 70'), Warman, Apenteng (Flatts 84’), Thompson (Coxall 84’), Smith (Genovesi 79'), Salako (Ofori 51')
Cambridge United first half: Hughes, Bennett, Gibbons, Morrison, Bradshaw, Wells-Morrison, Hoddle, Brophy, Knight, Lavery, Loft
Cambridge United second half: Briggs, Purrington, Watts, Rossi, Dawson, Munday, McKoy, Ball, Thorpe, Kachunga, Kaikai
Attendance: 2,640
