Mark Bonner hails ‘exceptional start’ for Cambridge after win at Morecambe

Posted Sunday, September 25, 2022 by PA

Cambridge boss Mark Bonner praised his side’s spirit as they came from behind to beat struggling Morecambe at the Mazuma Stadium.

Morecambe started well and took the lead in the 12th minute with a low strike from Jensen Weir.

The former Cambridge loanee ran on to Kieran Phillips’s neat lay-off before beating Dimitar Mitov low to his left.

The U’s levelled the scores just after the half-hour mark through Jack Lankester as the midfielder ran on to the end of Harrison Dunk’s left-wing cross and produced a neat finish from 12 yards.

Sam Smith missed a golden chance for the visitors early in the second half before substitute Harvey Knibbs clinched the points three minutes from time when he slotted home Shilow Tracey’s assist.

After seeing his side bounce back from two successive Sky Bet League One defeats, Bonner said: “I think we deserved the result and it was a big three points for us, especially as it was our first away win of the season.

“Any win for us in this league is a good result but it was especially good as it came after two league defeats and it came after we went a goal behind.

“I thought we played well overall and we showed good resilience and patience to stick in the game and I’m delighted to get the result.

“The boys that came off the bench made a great impact with one scoring from another one’s pass and that is exactly what you need to win games. We have won five games out of 10 now and that is an exceptional start.”

Morecambe boss Derek Adams said: “We got ahead in the game with a well-taken goal and I thought we did some good things in the first half until their equaliser which I thought set us back a bit.

“We got back at them and got in good areas in the second half but the final ball wasn’t good enough for us and that is why we didn’t win the game.

“Overall though I thought Cambridge were the better team and ended the game stronger. They had a bit more in them today than we did and that was disappointing from us and there should have been more freshness for the game than we showed.”