Cambridge 2, York City 0

The Minstermen began the Easter holiday period with a 2-0 defeat at fellow strugglers Cambridge United last night and must now hope for a swift resurrection of their season if relegation from the Football League is to be avoided.

Cambridge won the game thanks to the unfortunate David Merris putting through his own net on 86 minutes after Luke Guttridge had controversially opened the scoring in the first half.

City's miserable night was then compounded by Richard Hope's sending off for a second bookable offence after he hauled back the seasonally-named Jermaine Easter.

City fans, meanwhile, will be stewing over a 14th game without a victory - a run made even more depressing by the fact that the three points earned since the team's last triumph have all come from 0-0 draws.

Scoring goals remains Chris Brass' side's biggest problem.

The Minstermen have failed to find the net in the last four matches and managed just one shot on target - a tame Richard Cooper effort - at the Abbey Stadium.

Nine-goal leading marksman Lee Nogan has now gone ten matches since his name was last on the scoresheet but, during that spell, has hardly had a chance to take or squander.

At Cambridge, City's midfield trio of Cooper, Brass and Darren Dunning snapped away at their opponents but lacked the creative spark that can open up a defence and, with the supply-line from wing-backs Darren Edmondson and David Merris minimal, attacking options were once more limited.

Passes and crosses rarely reached their intended target, if there was one, and City only appeared to suggest any kind of unpredictability with the second half introductions of enigmatic pair Liam George and Richard Offiong.

On-loan Newcastle striker Offiong often comes to life when he receives the ball and can look a threat but, on the evidence of his sometimes static Minstermen appearances, his apprenticeship at St James' Park would probably best be served studying the movement and work-rate of former England captain Alan Shearer when he is not in possession.

Offiong did, nevertheless, manage one of just three City goal attempts in a drab 90 minutes against a Cambridge team who forced just one save from the recalled Mark Ovendale.

Only relegated First Division club Wimbledon had collected less points at home than Cambridge this season coming into last night's fixture but City became the fifth visiting side to leave defeated.

The travelling army of 333, who were desperate for something to cheer about, deserved better for their unwavering vocal support of the team all night.

Ovendale's one save of the evening came on nine minutes when he charged off his line to smother Shane Tudor's shot after the Cambridge midfielder had been put clear by Easter.

Tudor then hit the outside of a post with a corner before Cambridge went in front on 25 minutes.

A poor clearance by defender Chris Smith - back in the side after being completely dropped from the 16-man squad for last Sunday's 2-0 defeat against Macclesfield - gifted possession to Easter, whose pass sent Guttridge, who appeared to be in an offside position, clear on goal.

The flag stayed down however and, when Ovendale raced out to confront the Cambridge midfielder, Guttridge produced a calm side-footed finish into the bottom corner.

Easter, on loan from Hartlepool, then muscled Dunning off the ball before firing a firm 25-yard drive just over.

Marshall made his only save, sauntering off his line to comfortably catch Cooper's weak long-range shot. City's next goal attempt came on 79 minutes when Smith headed harmlessly wide and Offiong's mishit shot on the turn then bobbled wide.

Cambridge secured victory when Easter teased a backpedalling Smith before sending a low cross into City's six-yard box and a break down in communication then saw Ovendale palm the ball out on to Merris' shin, from where it rebounded back over the line.

Hope, who had been booked earlier for a tackle from behind on Guttridge, received his marching orders in the last minute for hauling back Easter as he bore down on Ovendale's goal.

The former Darlington defender, who had earlier exchanged angry words with Merris, left the pitch amid a slanging match involving Dunning and is now likely to be suspended for the trip to Doncaster and the home clash against Leyton Orient.

City's main solace should now lie in the fact that the club could not have hand-picked four better home games than the remaining quartet to determine their Football League future.

Bury, John Ward's Cheltenham, Orient and, depending on their wobbly play-off challenge, Yeovil Town, could all be teams who, unlike the majority in Division Three, will have little to play for when they come to face City.

It is to be hoped that the team's ever evaporating confidence does not make that advantage an irrelevance.

Cambridge 2 (Guttridge 24min, Dunning og 86); York City 0

Ovendale 5, Edmondson 5, Wise 5, Smith 5, Hope 5, Merris 5, Cooper 6 (Wood 67min, 6), Brass 5, Dunning 5, Newby 6 (George 71), Nogan 5 )Offiong 64, 6), Subs not used: Porter, Law

Key: 10 Faultless, 9 Outstanding, 8 Excellent, 7 Eye-catching, 6 Good, 5 Average, 4 Below-par, 3 Dud, 2 Hopeless, 1 Retire

Star Man: Wise - played with determination and concentration that every City man must show until the end of the season.

Cambridge: Shaun Marshall, Ashley Nicholls, Warren Goodhind, Adam Tann, Stevland Angus, Fred Murray, David Bridges, Luke Guttridge, Shane Tudor, Jermaine Easter (Ashley Fuller, 90), Ryan Lockett (Daniel Chillingworth, 57). Subs not used: Martin Brennan, Stuart Bimson, Matthew Robinson.

Yellow cards: Edmondson 13, Hope 39, Easter 87, Dunning 88, Hope 90.

Red cards: Hope 90 min.

Referee: Kevin Friend (Leicestershire) Rating: might have been let down by an assistant for first goal, otherwise average.

Attendance: 5,120.

Weather watch: Mild and dry evening.

Game breaker: Cambridge's first goal and its heavy suspicion of offside saw City fall behind again.

Match rating: Poor advert for Third Division football.

Updated: 10:22 Saturday, April 10, 2004