Cambridge City FC made it six games unbeaten in the Northern Premier League, Midlands Division with a 3-1 victory over Daventry Town at Bridge Road on Saturday afternoon (29/01), in front of a modest crowd of 224.

Cambridge City and Daventry are well acquainted this season, having already come up against each other twice and the Lilywhites winning them both.

City went into the fixture on the back of a successful 3-2 result over Wisbech Town in the Cambridge Invitation Cup quarter-final last Tuesday (25/01), while Daventry were 2-1 winners last time out against Spalding United in the league. 

Getting into the action on the pitch, the first twenty minutes were rather uneventful, as a badly cut-up pitch hampered both sides in adding any momentum or real rhythm to their game early on.

In an odd sequence of events, the game was stopped in the 25th minute due to referee Tom Hancock pulling up with a calf injury that left him unable to continue. Assistant referee Ian Pascu had to take over officiating duties, while a replacement linesman was found in spectator Matt Mee, City’s under-18 manager and a qualified official whose help ensured the game could continue.

After the restart, it was Daventry who looked the livelier of the two sides, dominating and trying to take a control of the first half with two good chances created from the long throw of Lewis Burgess – first Tom Lorraine headed just wide before a minute later Jack Bowen had his own chance excellently tipped around the post by city keeper Dan George. 

But it was the hosts who broke the deadlock in the 36th minute through Ryan Swift, who flew into the opposition half and moved forward passing the ball across the edge of the box for Mikey Davis to smash in at the far post, ensuring City went in at the break 1-0 up. 

The second half continued in a similar fashion to the first, with little real excitement, but started to come alive on the hour mark when the away side had two chances to equalise in quick succession. Substitute Nat Gosnal-Tyler had a shot at close range yet was denied by keeper George’s feet. Daventry fans were sure they had equalised shortly after when defender Jeff Woodward had a header denied, which was somehow saved off the line again by George in the City goal.

The visitors continued to chase an equaliser, applying pressure with opportunities but the City defence dug deep and soaked up everything thrown at them, and were duly awarded when, after a spell of possession, Jared Robson doubled the lead with a nicely placed lob over a stranded James Martin in the Daventry net.

Manager Robbie Nightingale’s Lilywhites made quick work of making sure their fifth league win in six games was secured three minutes later, when Swift was left alone at the back post to head in after Daventry’s Martin had deflected Ben Bradley’s shot.

Daventry clawed a late consolation goal in the game’s last passage of play, with debutant Dylan Wilson scoring a header in the fourth minute of added time to close the match at 3-1 to the hosts. 

In what was a solid win for Cambridge City, they now move up to ninth in the table and will look to extend their unbeaten run away at Sporting Khalsa on next Saturday (05/02).

Teams

Cambridge City Starting XI: George, Miles, Wren, Bridges, Gent, Parr, Swift, Bradley, Ingrey, Robson, Davis

Substitutes: Maynard, Wood, Haynes, Ofosu, Barker

Daventry Town Starting XI: Martin, Coleman, Burgess, Andrews, Woodward, Childs, Ball, Nketia, Bowen, Lorraine, Orosz

Substitutes: Gosnal-Taylor, McNeil, Wilson, Harris