Homework pays off for Joe Dunne and Cambridge

Posted Sunday, April 15, 2018 by PA

Cambridge caretaker boss Joe Dunne loves it when a plan comes together, having watched his side perfectly scheme their way to a 2-0 win at Stevenage.

A brace from substitute Barry Corr saw United record their first-ever EFL double over their rivals, having last beaten Stevenage twice in a season back when the two teams were plying their trade in the National League.

Cambridge took the sting out of the contest before striking when the time was right and everything went according to plan, according to the Abbey Stadium chief.

“We planned in the classroom all week for it, really. We’ve seen them four times and did our homework,” said Dunne.

“We came here on a Tuesday night and did an evening session, and Stevenage are exceptionally hard working, as they always have been.

“We felt like making the first half a non-event. They’ve been exceptionally energetic and we wanted to take the game away from them.

“We looked at the second half and looked at the timings we could attack.

“We make no excuses for our first-half performance and you do what you’ve got to do. We spoke about when we fight, we fight, and when we play, we play.

“First half, we just wanted to see them out and then Barry came on and scored twice for us.”

Early on, Cambridge keeper David Forde had to be at his best to deal with Danny Newton’s header while Alex Revell squandered two chances to put Stevenage in front – and they were made to pay.

Shortly after being introduced, Corr headed home with his first touch of the game and then, with seven minutes to go, the Irishman finished off a fine team move, tucking away from Brad Halliday’s cutback to round things off.

Disappointed Stevenage boss Dino Maamria conceded that his troops did not do enough to affect the contest and deserved to come away with nothing.

He said: “It’s a shame that we’ve lost against one of our rivals. It’s always disappointing when you lose a derby but it is what it is.

“It’s disappointing for everyone involved with the club, from myself to the players and the fans.

“We tried our hardest and it just wasn’t good enough, in all honesty. We weren’t at our best and there are no excuses for that. It was just one of those days.

“We’ve got to thank the fans for coming out and supporting us but it wasn’t good enough for them.

“We want to finish the season on a high and give our fans something to cheer about.

“We want to bounce back strongly and we’ve still got a few games left to improve on our league position.”