Mark Bonner buzzing after Cambridge win again

Posted Sunday, February 16, 2020 by PA

Mark Bonner was thrilled with Cambridge’s positive attitude after securing a fourth straight League Two win with a 2-1 victory over Bradford.

Trailing 1-0 with six minutes to go, the U’s hit back in a thrilling finish.

Defender Harry Darling lashed home to equalise from Idris El Mizouni’s cross, and after the latter crashed the crossbar, Harvey Knibbs netted a winner in stoppage time to the delight of the Abbey Stadium crowd.

“It’s a heck of a result,” Bonner said.

“The end of the last two games here has shown a little bit about what this group’s capable of.

“We knew today was going to be a bit of a game of two halves, the old cliche. We wanted to go against the wind first half so we were pleased that we won the toss so we were able to.

“The first half was a bit of a non-event. We tried to kill it, the ball was all over the place in the air and the wind was incredible.

“The second half had to be a lot more about us camping in their half, creating as many chances as we could. Once we got the goal I loved the mentality to go and win the game and I loved the impact the substitutes made to us.

“I said to the lads after the game about the mood in the stadium, the re-connection with the supporters, everyone wants to be part of it.

“That’s what we should be about, everyone getting behind something and buying into what we’re doing. Long may that continue.”

Bantams boss Stuart McCall was incensed at referee Nick Kinseley for not awarding his side a free-kick in the build-up to Knibbs’ winner.

“I don’t think it’s the players that we can point a finger at today,” he said.

“I’ve just watched the incident, and I hate whinging about referees but it’s the most blatant free-kick ever seen on Harry Pritchard.

“How he doesn’t think that is a free-kick, and the linesman in front of him. They must have had their eyes closed. It’s so blatant to everyone in the ground, so that’s disappointing.

“It was always going to be a game of two halves when the conditions are like that. In fairness we probably didn’t do enough first half with the conditions, although I thought we played some decent stuff at times.

“In the second half they were always going to come on and put crosses in. The balls have been coming in, we’ve blocked them, we’ve put headers on them.

“In fairness to them they came on and came on, the wind at their backs. We had to defend and up to a point we defended well.”