Elliott’s at the double as U’s spoil Burton run
CAMBRIDGE United may have stunned a few in ending Burton Albion’s perfect home record on Friday night, but U’s boss Richard Money insists his side have more surprises in store.
Tom Elliott scored either side of a Ryan Donaldson strike as an under-strength Cambridge became the first side to win in the league at the Pirelli Stadium this season and end a run of three straight defeats.
Tom Naylor,Tom Champion and Luke Chadwick were all still absent for Money’s side, but having seen his squad rise to the challenge he believes they can string a run of wins together.
“There's very little difference between top and bottom and wherever else you are, but we've got to give the players an incredible amount of credit,” he said.
“One or two put their hands up to play when not 100 per cent fit and we've got three or four working through match fitness, but we looked a real threat.
“The team sheet looked something more like it and I've still got Tom Naylor, Tom Champion and Luke Chadwick to come into that.
“But for the players to come here and perform like that and get the points and reward the fans again for their terrific support, I've got nothing but praise for them.
“We shouldn't forget that Robbie Simpson, Kwesi Appiah and Tom Elliott all missed most of pre-season. It's only their second or third game back and it takes a while.
“Harrison Dunk's the same and Donaldson missed quite a bit, but when they're all like that, they're a real threat to any opposition.”
Elliott headed Harrison Dunk’s cross past Jon McLaughlin on 35 minutes to give the visitors a half-time lead, before Dunk supplied another assist for Donaldson to score just after the hour.
Kwesi Appiah fed Elliott for the striker’s second on 76 minutes, while Lucas Akins grabbed a late consolation for Burton to leave Stuart Beavon ruing his side’s lacklustre display.
“We didn't turn up really and it was a bad performance from us. They came here with a game plan and it worked,” said Beavon.
“We had a couple of chances at 0-0 and in the second half at 2-0 we had a few chances to pull it back.
“We tried to get goals, but we left it open at the back and they caught us on the counter attack.
“It's down to us, as I don't think anyone has battered us and we've been our own downfall.
“We're out there working hard and sometimes we come up against teams and it disrupts our game plan.
“We know we've got a good enough team capable of going up, so we need to show it again.”