Interim boss Bonner looking to take Cambridge forward after beating Scunthorpe

Posted Wednesday, February 12, 2020 by PA

Interim head coach Mark Bonner is looking forward to continuing in caretaker charge of Cambridge after seeing his side record a 2-0 Sky Bet League Two win at Scunthorpe.

The win at the Sands Venue Stadium, earned via goals from Idris El Mizouni and Paul Mullin, was the U’s third in succession since Bonner took temporary charge following the departure of Colin Calderwood and came hours after the club confirmed he would remain at the helm while a long-term successor was appointed.

“I’m really enjoying it and it’s good to know I’m going to carry on for the time being and get that distraction out of the way,” Bonner said.

“It allows us to keep building on what we’ve been doing and it allows the club to not rush the appointment of the guy who will take this club forward.

“From start to finish tonight we were very good and in the first 20 minutes in particular I thought we were excellent.

“We stamped our authority on the game early on and looked really good with the ball and pressed with a real intensity.

“We probably needed half-time when half-time came and we probably needed the second goal when that came because at each time the game was in the balance.

“But we defended well and looked a threat on the counter attack. It’s a brilliant result and there’s a nice feeling around the place. We want to keep that going.”

On-loan Ipswich teenager El Mizouni set Cambridge on the way to victory with a perfectly-placed free-kick in the 16th minute.

And after limiting Scunthorpe to very little in the way of chances, Mullin made the result safe when he finished from close range after Iron goalkeeper Ian Lawlor had saved a shot from Harrison Dunk.

Three days on from beating play-off chasing Cheltenham 1-0, the Iron caretaker boss Russ Wilcox was disappointed at his side’s inability to back that performance up.

He said: “We were disappointing tonight and it’s difficult to put your finger on why. It was like chalk and cheese compared with Saturday.

“We spoke about the importance of getting the first goal, because once Cambridge do it, they’ve shown they can sit off and protect a lead.

“But I like to think I’m an honest person and in a nutshell, we weren’t good enough tonight, in possession or out of possession. Man for man I thought Cambridge were better than us.

“The whole of the first half was flat, but then we didn’t give the fans anything to cheer about.

“It’s hard to say why. The lads should have been full of confidence after the weekend, but we looked like a side that had just lost the last five games.

“We lacked energy and drive and I thought Cambridge wanted it more than us. They scrapped better than we did.”