Cambridge United slip to fifth straight Sky Bet League One defeat at the hands of Port Vale
Cambridge United’s losing streak in Sky Bet League One stretched to five matches this afternoon as they went down 1-0 at home to Port Vale.
And while that form is sure to be a cause of grave concern for head coach Mark Bonner, his goal-shy side has also now gone more than seven hours without finding the back of the net in front of their own supporters at the Abbey Stadium – a run that has seen slip from fifth to 18th in the process.
United’s Jack Lankester and Vale’s Tom Pett were both off target with early speculative shots from distance before Will Mannion – standing in for the injured Dimi Mitov – was called upon for the first time in the home goal in the 10th minute.
Captain Greg Taylor lost possession just inside his own half and Mido Odubeko pounced, slotting through a low pass that sent Gavin Massey clear, but his powerful shot was well dealt with by United’s deputy between the posts.
Mannion was again called into action 10 minutes later when West Ham United loanee Odubeko tried his luck with a daisy cutter from 20 yards that was turned on to the post by the ‘keeper.
Within a minute Mannion again had to be alert, getting down low to grasp Massey’s effort from 25 yards out at the second attempt.
Up the other end Mannion’s opposite number Jack Stevens was forced off with an injury in the 22nd minute after he had dived bravely at the feet of James Brophy, who had been played in by an advancing Lloyd Jones.
His replacement – Aiden Stone – was largely unworked throughout the remainder of the half and instead it was Mannion that had to come to United’s rescue again in the 35th minute when he stuck out a boot to deny Ben Garrity from 10 yards.
The hosts carved out their best chance of the opening 45 minutes with their next attack as Jones and Harvey Knibbs both showed good footwork on the edge of the box to free Lankester, who after taking one touch across his body shot over left footed from 14 yards.
The second half saw a change of shape from boss Bonner, who reacted to Taylor being unable to play no further part because of a head injury by bringing on Fejiri Okenabirhie up front and reverting to four at the back.
It seemed to breathe some life into United as an attacking force, though clear cut openings were still hard to come by.
They should have had one on the hour mark after Brophy showed a good turn of pace to reach the left byline and stand up a cross towards the back post, but with Lankester lining up a volley team-mate Sam Smith – perhaps overly eager to end a 10-game sequence without a goal – took charge of the situation and saw his header come to nothing.
Looking for more, Bonner made a triple substitution in the 63rd minute as Tuesday night’s Papa John’s Trophy match winner Lewis Simper entered the action alongside Joe Ironside and Shilow Tracey.
However, those attack-minded switches struggled to have the desired impact and instead it was Vale that started to look the more threatening of the two sides.
Centre-back Connor Hall fired a warning with a right-footed curling attempt that flew a couple of yards over before the breakthrough came 11 minutes from time. It was scored by retreating United midfielder Paul Digby, who in attempting to intercept Will Forrester’s low cross from the right, only succeeded in picking out the bottom corner of his own net.
United huffed and puffed in response, but they never looked like ending a wait that stretches back to Joe Ironside’s 27th-minute strike against Lincoln City on September 3 for a home goal.
Cambridge United: Mannion, Williams, Taylor (Okenabirhie 46’), Jones, Brophy, Okedina, O’Neil (Simper 63’), Digby, Lankester (Tracey 63’), Knibbs (Ironside 63’), Smith
Port Vale: Stevens (Stone 23’), Smith, Forrester, Hall, Worrall (Robinson 71’), Benning (Jones 86’), Pett (Butterworth 71’), Conlon, Garrity, Massey (Charsley 86’), Odubeko
