Opposition view: Disgruntled Bonner slams 'hopeless goals' after Cambridge United's defeat to Cobblers

Cambridge United manager Mark Bonner slammed the ‘hopeless goals’ his side conceded during their 2-1 defeat to Northampton at Sixfields on Saturday.

After reaching half-time on level terms, Cambridge imploded at the start of the second half and found themselves 2-0 down within nine minutes of the restart. A defensive disaster presented Kieron Bowie with a simple tap-in before Sam Hoskins finished off a sweeping team move moments later.

To their credit, the visitors rallied and finished strong but, despite Gassan Ahadme’s late goal, their poor run of form continued with another defeat. It’s now just one win in 11 league games for Cambridge, who have subsequently dropped below Northampton in the League One standings.

"The first half was fine and we chased it well enough at the end but we gave the game away with two hopeless goals in a five-minute spell at the start of the second half,” said Bonner.

"We were OK and had a couple of half decent chances, both teams did, and defensively we were doing OK but it doesn't matter because we've giftwrapped a game that we should never have lost.

"The goal just after half-time is a hopeless goal to give away. We looked vulnerable and they caused us problems when they played forward. The first goal gives them a leg up and they score another one quickly, they outplay and outrun us in that moment and Hoskins has the quality that we don't have in that part of the pitch at the moment and it becomes a difficult task for us.

"The boys came on from the bench and gave us everything they could to try and help us but we couldn't find the quality we needed to get an equaliser. We turned the ball over too cheaply.

“We have a lot to do because the result isn't good enough, our form isn't good enough and the goals we're conceding aren't good enough.”

On Paul Digby’s late red card, Bonner added: "I have no idea what happened. He was given two yellow cards in quick succession and he's too experienced for that to happen. It doesn't help us at all.”