Gordon in a flash to help sink sorry U’s

COLIN Calderwood was left yearning for VAR as he claimed “everyone except the officials” knew Walsall’s opening goal was a handball as the U’s went down to the struggling Saddlers.

Josh Gordon bundled home the contentious opener after just 49 seconds and Mat Sadler’s header quickly doubled the lead as Walsall ended a six-game losing streak.

Sam Smith hit a post with a header for Cambridge, who pulled a goal back in second-half stoppage time through Harvey Knibbs’ cool finish.

U’s boss Calderwood said: “It was a horrible start for us, but it was a clear handball and the guy (Gordon) has admitted it to our defenders at the time.

“That changes the dynamics for them a little bit. The second goal is entirely our fault. We’ve got to defend the corner better and the lads know that.

“But the responsibility for the first goal is entirely the officials’ – and probably some of their players as well.

“Everyone seemed to know it was a handball and it shouldn’t have been a goal.

“In all honesty, if you’ve unlawfully lost the first goal, it’s hard to take and obviously VAR would have proved it – but we don’t have it.”

Gordon scored his fourth goal in two games after a midweek EFL Trophy hat-trick, bundling home Shay Facey’s low cross early on as the U’s protested in vain for handball.

Walsall then added a second when Sadler bulleted home a closerange header from Alfie Bates’ corner.

United had chances to pull one back as Knibbs nodded Paul Lewis’ cross straight at Liam Roberts from six yards.

Knibbs steered Smith’s 92nd-minute knockdown into the bottom corner of the net to give Cambridge hope, but Walsall held on.

Walsall boss Darrell Clarke felt his side should have won by more.

“The lads like to take years off my life by conceding the goal after we’ve had umpteen opportunities on the counter-attack in the second half,” he said.

“My heart is already on borrowed time. We were in cruise control at 2-0, defending really well and all of a sudden they might nick a 2-2 out of nowhere.

“But we didn’t get that kick in the face today which we’ve had a lot of times this season so we will take that.”