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U's Reserves Denied By Late Equaliser

Posted on: Thu 29 Apr 2010

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A young U's reserves side was denied all three points by Stevenage Borough on Wednesday night, as the visitors grabbed a late equaliser.

With the new league outfit having a number of senior players in their side, the U's had to face up to a physical challenge in this match but did this very well, despite being reduced to ten men for most of the second half.

In comparison to recent reserve teams, this was a young U's outfit, following another reserve team game against Watford on Monday night.

The U's could have taken the lead on five minutes, as a ball was only half cleared to Conor McCloskey on the edge of the box, but he drove his shot wide of the target.

Ten minutes later and a Jordan Lartey switch ball fell to the feet of Alex O'Leary, who miscued his finish when well placed ten yards out.

As the half wore on, Boro began to see more of the ball and, led by former U's right back Lawrie Wilson and ex-Southend winger Mitchell Cole, they pressed the U's back.

The game saw some feisty moments with one or two lively challenges, before Boro twice went close around the half hour mark.

First the ball came in from the right and Boylan volleyed his shot wide of the target.

Then Boylan again had a chance to score, rising acrobatically to head the ball only inches wide of the near post.

But those missed chances were to cost Stevenage as the U's took the lead just before half time.

A Sam Corcoran corner was played into the heart of the six yard box and Jordan Pavett jumped bravely to head home.

The first half may have finished well for the U's, but the second period got off to a bad start.

Shane Stamp brought down his man just outside the box with a strong challenge, and was shown a straight red card.

That saw O'Leary drop to left back, but it was from the other side of the pitch that the next chance came.

A great touch by Cole on the hour mark took him inside second half substitute Glowacki, but he fired his shot into the side netting.

Three minutes later and the U's went close again as a cross from the right saw Pavett acrobatically volley a shot towards goal, with Malton's follow up going just wide of the target.

The U's should have doubled their advantage with twenty minutes remaining as a free kick from the right hand side was missed by the defender.

Glowacki was waiting to pounce, but his firm finish was blocked on the line and cleared from danger.

Despite spending the second period down to ten men, the U's looked like they were going to hold on but found themselves all square with nine minutes to go.

The initial shot from the right was superbly saved by Cusack, but Boylan was the first to react and smashed home the loose ball to level things up.

The young U's side had stood up to their physical test well, but had to settle for a share of the spoils.

U's: Dickey (Cusack 46), Lartey, Hamilton, Bender, Stamp, Sanderson (Glowacki 46), Corcoran (Ladapo 76), McCloskey, O'Leary, Pavett, Malton