BONNER LOVES BEING A TARGET
MARK Bonner has urged his Cambridge side to embrace having a target on their back after their win at relegation-threatened Barrow.
Prolific strike pair Paul Mullin and Joe Ironside grabbed the goals as the impressive U’s opened up a three-point cushion at the top after their seventh game without defeat.
And Bonner said: “We have to enjoy it now because we’re enjoying the situation that we find ourselves in. To churn out a good result and a good performance is really encouraging for us.
“It just builds on the run that we’re on at the moment.”
And Bonner was delighted with the performance as much as the result.
He added: “It’s a good win for us and it’s an important win.
“We’re pleased with the result, pleased with the clean sheet and pleased with a goal from a set-piece.
“It was a tough game, but we had some moments in the game where I think we played really well. There were moments in the game where we had to defend well and were put under pressure.
“We played really well and there were some great performances through the team.
“It’s a tough one, it’s a long way from home. I think the timing of the goal helped.”
Cambridge were the better side for much of the contest.
Bluebirds’ goalkeeper Joel Dixon produced a super low save to keep out Harrison Dunk early on.
But there was nothing he could do as handful Wes Hoolahan teed-up Mullin to smash home the opener two minutes before the break.
Half-time substitute Lewis Hardcastle went close for the hosts on the hour mark.
Mullin squandered a great chance to secure the points as he fired over from Kyle Knoyle’s cutback.
But Ironside made no mistake as he poked home Knoyle’s delightful dinked cross six minutes from time.
Struggling Barrow are just two points above the trap door back to Non-League football.
But boss Michael Jolley, who kept Grimsby up in the 2017/18 season, stressed: “I’m move than confident that we’ve got what it takes to achieve our objective this season. We can’t be naive about the fact that we are third from bottom in League Two.
“We need to get some points on the board very quickly as well.
“As I say, we’re not naive about that, we understand the situation we’re in. We need to get points on the board and that’s what we’re going to be trying to do.
“You say it’s been a difficult spell but it’s what life is like in the Football League and League Two. We’re going to play good teams, we’re going to concede goals, we’re going to have setbacks with injuries. We have to respond to that – that’s the challenge.”
BARROW: Dixon 6, Eardley 6, Thomas 7, Davies 6, Brough 6, Taylor 6 (Beadling 40, 6 Hardcastle 45, 6), Banks 6 (James 71, 6), Donohue 5, Kay 5, Devitt 6 (Bramall 45, 5), Quigley 5 (Jones 90). Subs not used: Lillis.
CAMBRIDGE: Burton 7, Knoyle 8, Okedina 7, Taylor 7, Dunk 6, Hoolahan 7 (Iredale 90), May 7, Drysdale 8, Hannant 6 (Tracey 81,
6), Mullin 7 (Knibbs 86), Ironside 7. Subs not used: O’Neil, McKenzie-Lyle, Alese, Davies.