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Cambridge United youngsters retain Cambridgeshire Invitation Cup with penalty shootout win over Cambridge City




A season to remember got even better for Cambridge United’s academy this evening as a group of their Under-18s successfully defended the Cambridgeshire Invitation Cup with a 6-5 penalty shootout victory over Cambridge City at the Abbey Stadium.

It appeared that United were going to win the final in normal time when they took a 2-1 lead into four added minutes at the end of the second half, but non-league City struck to level the scoreline up at 2-2 and force the encounter into spot kicks.

Six of the U’s that went so close to upsetting Arsenal in the FA Youth Cup last month were named in the starting line-up, yet they looked a little tentative in the opening exchanges.

Cambridgeshire Invitation Cup final, Cambridge United v Cambridge City, March 21, 2023. Picture: Ben Phillips
Cambridgeshire Invitation Cup final, Cambridge United v Cambridge City, March 21, 2023. Picture: Ben Phillips

United could have fallen behind inside 40 seconds when goalkeeper Louis Chadwick dragged his goal kick straight to City midfielder Simon Swinton inside the centre circle. His first-time pass sent Jarid Robson clear, but with Chadwick appearing to be in two minds about whether to close down the attacker or not, he lifted his effort off target.

However, City, who have won the competition on a record 15 occasions, did not have to wait too long to break the deadlock. In the 3rd minute a static United defence left space for Mikey Davis to drive into and he duly obliged with a low finish from 10 yards out that left Chadwick no chance.

Brandon Njoku, who scored the winner for United in the fifth round of the FA Youth Cup against Sheffield Wednesday, had the ball in the net in the ninth minute, only for it to be ruled offside. And other than that, Jimmy Unwin’s youngsters struggled to make an impact on proceedings during the opening 20 minutes.

Cambridgeshire Invitation Cup final, Cambridge United v Cambridge City, March 21, 2023. Picture: Ben Phillips
Cambridgeshire Invitation Cup final, Cambridge United v Cambridge City, March 21, 2023. Picture: Ben Phillips

But they stayed in the game and slowly but surely United started to play more in the City half, with Dan Barton and Kai Yearn instrumental figures.

It was Barton’s cross from the right that Njoku volleyed straight at Joe Welch in the 25th minute and then five minutes later the striker galloped clear of Taylor Parr to latch on to Yearn’s slide rule pass, but his shot flashed wide.

It was now City that were struggling to make much of an impact in an attacking sense, although they did go close in the 37th minute when Jake Battersby crossed from the left for his fellow full-back Ben Nolan, who rose well but could not keep his header down.

Yet, just when it seemed that Robbie Nightingale’s men were going to get to the break a goal to the good, they were pegged back in the 44th minute. The lively Barton exchanged passes with George Scales on the edge of the box and then drove towards the right byline before crossing for Saleem Akanbi to sweep home.

Cambridgeshire Invitation Cup final, Cambridge United v Cambridge City, March 21, 2023. Picture: Ben Phillips
Cambridgeshire Invitation Cup final, Cambridge United v Cambridge City, March 21, 2023. Picture: Ben Phillips

Seemingly buoyed by the equaliser, United were bright at the start of the second half and in the 48th minute they took the lead. Njoku spurned two good opportunities in the first half but he made amends by turning inside the box and then producing a shot that Welch could only help into the net.

The forward could have doubled his tally for the evening five minutes later when he was left unmarked to meet Yearn’s inswinging free kick from the right, but his downward header bounced high and landed on the roof of the net.

Njoku was fast becoming the game’s main feature and he had another opening on the hour mark after being picked out by Barton’s cut back. There was plenty of power in the shot, yet Welch was right behind it and made the stop.

In a bid to get his side a foothold on proceedings, City boss Nightingale moved Nolan to a more natural attacking role wide on the right and it almost paid dividends in the 67th minute when he rode a couple of challenges and picked out Robson inside the box, only for his shot to lack the necessary power to trouble Chadwick.

Cambridgeshire Invitation Cup final, Cambridge United v Cambridge City, March 21, 2023. Picture: Ben Phillips
Cambridgeshire Invitation Cup final, Cambridge United v Cambridge City, March 21, 2023. Picture: Ben Phillips

Opportunities at both ends dried up for a period thereafter, although that changed in the 83rd minute when Yearn and Barton played a neat one-two on the edge of the City box, but the latter’s low shot was saved by Welch’s feet.

Next it was Yearn that passed up the chance to make the game safe for United with three minutes remaining as he controlled substitute Amaru Kaunda’s low cross and then volleyed over.

And they proved to be costly misses because in the second minute of stoppage time a high ball into the United box caused panic and when it dropped City substitute Tom Lorraine pounced to prod the ball underneath Chadwick.

It sent the clash to penalties, during which both goalkeepers made two saves apiece before Tom Rigby rattled City’s eighth kick against the crossbar. It left Kaunda with the chance to wrap up the silverware for United and he duly obliged with a shot that sent Welch the wrong way.

Cambridge United: Louis Chadwick, Scales, Winterbone, Jobe, Lott, Tarpey, Hoddle (Liam Chadwick 80’), Akanbi (Ismaili 46’), Yearn, Barton, Njoku (Kaunda 80’)

Cambridge City: Welch, Nolan, Battersby, Ofosu, Parr, Maynard (Rigby 80’), Swinton, Bradley, Robson, Davis, Waumsley (Lorraine 55’)



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