Norris cheer for festive rewards as U’s push on

Will Norris is delighted by the rewards reaped by Cambridge United during the festive period.

The U's made it seven points out of a possible nine with a 4-0 win over Notts County on Bank Holiday Monday, with only an injury-time equaliser denying them victory in a 1-1 draw at Leyton Orient on New Year's Eve.

The goalkeeper had an almost trouble-free afternoon against the Magpies as Luke Berry scored twice and Uche Ikpeazu and Piero Mingoia were also on the mark.

"It's obviously nice to piece results together like that and pick up a nice run,said Norris."It's been a good Christmas period for us.

"We've worked hard and we've got our rewards, especially after the game against Orient where they've scored such a late goal.

"But we responded well, we took our chances, we were ruthless and we got the all-important clean sheet as well.

"We need to kick on and keep looking forward and not get carried away with how it's going at the moment. We need to keep doing what we're doing, put the hours in on the training ground and in the gym and really kick on now."

United are now seven matches unbeaten in Sky Bet League Two, and the wins are coming thick and fast.

"It's so much better coming in when we've got three points in the back pocket,said Norris.

"It was difficult at the start of the year when we weren't getting the results, and weren't getting the rub of the green. We've said it before, the messages haven't changed from the management - it's been the same.

"All it was was motivating us a little bit more and getting us to work even harder and to make our own luck really. We've done that and we've turned the results and we're all determined to kick on and keep this run of results going."

Those thoughts were echoed by U's manager Shaun Derry, who now turns his attentions to the FA Cup and the visit of Leeds United to the Cambs Glass Stadium on Monday night.

"I thought the performance was brilliant, it was a really dominant display from start to finish,said Derry.

"I think at certain parts of the game we've shown how ruthless we can be and I thought the performance in the second half, that's what I asked us to do and the boys have been able to do that.

"The cleansheet pleases me as much as the win, of course it does. I was screaming to the back four and the midfield two not to concede.

"That was a lot of our strength of last year to keep those clean sheets, and we want to get that back."

Meanwhile, Max Clark has extended his loan from Hull City until the end of the season.

In other moves, Sean Long and Tom Dallison have returned to Reading and Brighton respectively after the end of their loan deals.

Elliot Omozusi and Keith Keane have both left the club by mutual consent, with the latter signing permanently for Rochdale.