Cambridge United boss Neil Harris has insisted that his side could have scored as many as nine goals against Carlisle United on Saturday in an interview with The News & Star.
It was a performance that manager Harris could be proud of, especially as his side never really had to go through the gears as they ran out easy 4-0 winners. After consecutive losses, it was exactly the type of performance that Cambridge needed to distance themselves from the relegation zone.
As a result, the U’s are now six points clear of the drop-zone and have moved up to 16th in the process. With multiple games in hand over many teams around them, fans will be hoping that safety is ensured with a portion of the season left to go.
The dominant display comes at a good time, with the club’s next four fixtures against teams in the top seven. Harris will be hoping that the win against Carlisle can provide some momentum for the club as they encounter a tricky run which sees them play Bolton Wanderers twice as well as Peterborough United and Stevenage.
Although Carlisle are the current bottom side in the division it was still a very impressive performance by the visitors nonetheless, and manager Harris was thrilled by the performance that his players put out.
“I’m really proud of the players’ performance. We knew playing against Carlisle, a team at the bottom of the league, they’d come out fast, and we had to stand strong for ten minutes.
“We knew they were going to try and dominate the ball – they’re trying to adjust, trying to be different – but it’s where you let them have the ball that’s important.
As happy as the manager was with the performance, he was still left wanting more, and on another day, the scoreline could’ve been very different.
“We made sure we forced turnover after turnover today, and we scored goals – but it could have been seven, eight, nine, whatever you wanted it to be.”
The result would be their biggest of the season so far and would also seal an impressive 12th clean sheet. Although the U’s may not have too much to play for at this point in the season, survival is an achievement in itself.
Writer’s View
It was an impressive performance by Cambridge and one that was very much needed given their proximity to the relegation zone prior to the weekend. Having struggled in front of goal this season, U’s fans will be hoping that the performance was not just a one-off.
Although they may have some tricky fixtures coming up, with games in hand over teams around them, there is a good chance that Cambridge can ensure safety with time to spare this season. It will then be all about building for next year with Neil Harris set to have his first full season in charge and they certainly have a season that they can build on.
