Cambridge Men’s 1st football were defeated by a travelling Derby side far more clinical with their offensive opportunities to register a 6-1 loss on a drizzly Wednesday afternoon at the Queens' Sports Ground. While not physically outdone by their opponents, with both sides having fairly equal shares of possession throughout, Derby made much more of the chances presented to them to lodge an impressive victory margin and keep Cambridge at the foot of the Men’s Midlands Tier 1 with two more games to come.

There was plenty for the neutral in what was a lively midweek affair even beyond the goals, as Cambridge saw nothing awarded for two early penalty calls, Derby having a penalty narrowly saved by keeper Tim Wallace, and Light Blue 14 Alex Mills narrowly avoiding a red card for a deliberate handball on the goal line which was ultimately given as a goal.

At kick off both teams went at the ball keenly and assertively, but it was Derby who would wrestle control of the game in the earliest minutes. Playing out from the back, the visitors were able to patiently build attacks and draw their opponents out to them. This approach provided dividends immediately, as a well-placed Derby cross found a waiting striker who was able to fire off a powerful shot close to goal and provide a lead after three minutes.

The Light Blues were not disheartened, however, and came straight back out from kick-off with attempts to play the ball down the right flank and provide some threatening crosses of their own. Derby’s defenders were well drilled throughout the game, however, with the visitors' right-back putting in a particularly athletic performance to shut down any threats as well as getting forward when required. 

Despite controlling possession in the early phases, Derby were unable to build quickly on their lead and Cambridge were allowed to grow into the game. Attacking often on the break, Nick Hope was able to get forward and through on goal before being taken down inside the box to loud penalty appeals from the home support. The referee however adjudged Derby’s defence to have beaten him to the ball, and play went on to witness a rapid Derby counter which bought the ball to the corner of the area and a rifled shot into the top right which left Wallace with little chance and a lead doubled.

More penalty drama was to follow immediately, as Derby got into another threatening position in the Cambridge box before a visiting striker was stripped of the ball and was decreed by the referee to have been tripped first to win a penalty. The resulting effort was to the right and at a good height for the keeper and Wallace judged it perfectly to keep his team from facing a mountain to climb, forcing the ball on to the post before diving back to stop it from trickling over the line to keep the score at 2-0.

Emboldened by this, Cambridge threw themselves forward and registered their best chance up to this point when Hope found himself in space on the right flank and swung in an inch-perfect cross but its recipient couldn’t keep it down and its power saw it fly over the crossbar.

Derby had no intention of relenting, however, and found themselves taking one of many corners in from the left just before the break. After swinging in, the ball met Wallace’s hands but broke loose and was stabbed at by multiple Derby players who were able to force it over the line to give the Midlanders a 3-0 at the break. 

After the resumption of play, Cambridge emerged with work to do but the visible resolve to achieve it. Early play resulted in a corner after surging runs down the left flank which was taken short and then sent to the back post with promise but a final recipient could not be found.

With improved communications in the second half, play was built more patiently by the hosts, and the reward came in threatening positions being reached with greater regularity. Sensing danger, a Derby defender launched a dicey challenge at Cambridge 16 Oduma Adelio on the edge of the box to provide a free kick in a promising position but the effort was ultimately scuffed low and at the wall, and was sent back downfield as a result.

The Light Blue’s passing game began to dip later in the game with numerous misplaced deliveries and interceptions given away, offering the sense that another Derby goal was a matter of when rather than if. This came to pass in the 67th minute and was far too easy for the visitors as a cross in from the right met an unmarked striker who was able to nod the dipping ball past Wallace into the bottom right corner to make it 4-0. This incident belayed an unfortunate defensive fragility which was not mirrored by the Light Blues offence, who worked tirelessly to create chances all afternoon.

Despite this there was little Cambridge could do about Derby’s fifth which was to follow four minutes after. The ball fell to a Derby striker who was able to lodge a well-taken pile driver of a shot into the bottom left corner of the goal.

In a clear demonstration of not letting heads dip, however, Cambridge were right back at the visitors from the off and were to finally to receive some reward for their persistence in attack when Hope broke free of the Derby backline and place a shot beyond the keeper to get the Light Blues on the scoreboard at 5-1.

This did not deter Derby though, and moments later they were back in the Cambridge box launching repeated shots on goal. One such effort was to see the most bizarre incident of the match, as a powerful shot from just outside the six-yard box was destined for the back of the net before Mills instinctively swung an arm at it and kept it out in emulation of his keeper's penalty heroics. After remonstrations from both teams, the referee consulted with his linesman and gave the Cambridge man a huge reprieve in allowing the goal to stand and with no further disciplinary action sanctioned.

This was to prove one of the final moments of the game, however, as the referee eventually blew time on a game in which the Light Blues committed performance and control of possession was perhaps not reflected in the final 6-1 scoreline.

The result means that Derby draw level with league leaders Oxford on 19 points, while Cambridge remain bottom of the table with two more games to come. Derby next face title rivals Oxford away on the 26th of February, while Cambridge are away to Anglian neighbours UEA on the same afternoon.

Full tables and results available here.