Defiant U’s give Harris reasons to be hopeful

By Gabriel Delliant

SHREWSBURY T 0

SHREWSBURY: Blackman 6, Feeney 6, Pierre 7, Feeney 6, Wheeler 6 (Hoole 54, 6), Ojo 6 (Stewart 87, 6), Gilliead 7, Benning 6 (Nurse 87, 6), Shipley 6 (Perry 54, 6), Lloyd 6, Marquis 6. Subs not used: Young, Gape, Nsiala.

CAMBRIDGE U 1

Ballard 76

CAMBRIDGE: Stevens 6, Bennett 7, Gibbons 6, Morrison 8, Watts 7, Brophy 6 (Malone 61, 6), Stokes 6 (Longelo 90, 6), Digby 6, Stevenson 6, Ballard 7 (Kachunga 79, 6), Loft 6. Subs not used: Njoku, Barton, Hoddle, Briggs.

Att: 5,952 Rating: ★★★★★ Ref: Ollie Yates 6/10

NEIL Harris praised his players for their resilience following their win at bottomof-the-table Shrewsbury.

The U’s sat just one place and three points ahead of their hosts before the game, but came away with the victory after Dom Ballard’s second-half strike.

Both teams struggled to create chances throughout the encounter, but Southampton loanee Ballard netted the winner late on after a mistake from Shrewsbury goalkeeper Jamal Blackman.

Cambridge boss Harris insisted that his side should have won the game more comfortably, but was delighted with their reaction after going seven games without a win.

He said: “The scoreline says it was close, but we should have been more clinical in the first half. We got into so many good areas. I don’t think I’ve seen one of my teams have so many touches in the penalty area without scoring.”

The visitors came closest to scoring early on, as Ryan Loft’s snapshot hit the outside of Jamal Blackman’s post and trickled wide.

Cambridge thought they had grounds for a penalty soon after, when Dom Ballard fell in the area under pressure from Aaron Pierre, but referee Ollie Yates pointed the other way for a Shrewsbury free-kick.

Harris’ side enjoyed the bulk of possession in the early stages of the second period, but it was Shrewsbury who nearly opened the scoring midway through the half as substitute Luca Hoole poked wide following Jack Stevens’ save.

Cambridge battled back, however, and broke the deadlock with 15 minutes left when Ballard pounced on a loose ball in the hosts’ half, composed himself, and fired past Blackman from just inside the box. Shrewsbury had a fine chance to level late on, but Hoole headed overthecrossbar af-terghosting into the area unmarked.

Harris added: “I asked the boys for character. The boys will tell you that I maybe didn’t let up at all during the week. I’m just really, really pleased.”

Shrewsbury look to be consigned to relegation from League One.

Town boss Michael Appleton said: “If we’re going to get better as a football club and grow and develop players and play football that people are actually going to want to pay good money to come and watch, we have to take those risks with the ball.”