Seasiders find their way past ‘Chuck’
AT TIMES this season it is as if Chuck Norris, not Will Norris, has been manning the Cambridge goal.
But not even the U’s stopper’s fifth penalty save of the season could deny Blackpool a share of the spoils that boss Gary Bowyer believes could well mark a turning point in his side’s fortunes.
The visitors took the lead though as Luke Berry curled a free-kick home, before spot-kick expert Norris saved from Danny Philliskirk.
But Andy Taylor struck a free-kick in stoppage time that ended a run of three straight league wins for Cambridge, while the point means Blackpool have won just one of their last six. However, Bowyer stresed the positives.
“I feel the players showed an enormous amount of character and spirit,” Bowyer said. “When you’re having spells like this where you’re playing well and you’re creating chances, you can feel sorry for yourselves and go under but our lads kept going.
“We got the equaliser that we fully deserved. The minimum we deserved was a point. Fair play to our players – they went right to the end. Sooner or later, because of the nature of it, it turns. And we are ready for the turn.”
Cambridge led after 17 minutes thanks to a brilliant 20-yard freekick from Berry, which curled past Dean Lyness into the top right-hand corner.
And the Tangerines found Norris in inspired form. Having produced a sensational save to deny Kyle Vassell after four minutes, he kept out Philliskirk’s penalty with his legs after the forward’s cross hit Harrison Dunk’s hand after 33 minutes.
And he again frustrated Vassell with an astonishing reflex save to tip over his strike from 12 yards on the stroke of half-time. “What can you say about Will Norris? He’s right on top of his game at this moment in time,” admitted Cambridge boss Shaun Derry. “I said it last week, I’ll say it this week – we’ve got the best No.1 in the division.” When Blackpool did finally get the better of Norris, the woodwork denied them as a thumping 20-yard volley from Kelvin Mellor cannoned back off the bar after 73 minutes.
But in the first of seven minutes of injury-time, Taylor curled home the equaliser.
“It was always going to be a tough game,” said Derry. “But I’m disappointed with the manner in which we conceded. We could have managed the situation a little bit better in terms of organising to get a bigger wall in.”