Shaun Derry urges Cambridge United to learn from FA Cup run to continue league challenge

Pride in defeat can spur on U's

Shaun Derry has given Cambridge United the challenge of taking both the positives and negatives from their FA Cup run to continue their push up the Sky Bet League Two table.

It has been an eventful year in the prestigious competition for the U’s, who exited in the third round on Monday night with a 2-1 defeat to Leeds United.

The hosts produced a gallant performance to take the lead at the Cambs Glass Stadium, but two second-half goals in eight minutes broke the hearts of the Amber Army, and left the manager rueing the manner in which they were conceded.

“That’s why I’ve got disappointment seeping through my blood at this moment in time,” he said. “It’s because of the type of goals we’ve conceded.

“If Roofe comes on, drops his shoulder and pings one from 35 yards then you go there’s your quality, there’s your Championship quality. If Doukara volleys one in from 15 yards into the bottom corner there’s your Championship quality.

“It was a standard ball into our box and we expect to get the first connection on those balls and we didn’t and it goes in the back of our net. I’m gutted about that.”

But there was plenty to be pleased about for Derry, not just in the Leeds tie but their Cup run as a whole.

“I think we got right under their skin and that gives me great pride,” said Derry.

“I’m sure Garry (Monk, the Leeds manager) will be very positive about Cambridge United because he should be. We’re both stood there on the sidelines and we’ve given them a hell of a game.

“He just said well done, that it was a tough game and that they’d had a lot of difficulties against us. It’s great isn’t it, when you can say that once you’ve won.

“I think our Cup run has been really positive. Two cracking games in terms of the television, the fixture away at Dover was a brilliant encounter.

“Against Leeds, I think everybody enjoyed the game. The Coventry game was just one way superiority, from our angle.

“We’re a group of guys and a coaching staff who like to think that we take all the positives and

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negatives.

“You have to learn from the negatives as well. There were negatives in our game, there is no denying that, I spoke about the two goals we conceded.

“But the positives are there for us to really build on. I mentioned about building blocks, we want this football club to at some stage get in League One.

“Can we have a go at this year? Well, if we do we need to make sure that we come out of this window stronger than when we went into the window and that’s the challenge now going forward.”