Neil Harris happy as Cambridge answer critics with win over Bristol Rovers

Neil Harris said it was “clear to see what my players are made of again” after his Cambridge side beat Bristol Rovers 3-1.

Since their 14-game unbeaten run was ended by bottom club Harrogate a week ago, Cambridge have responded with successive wins to lift them up to second in League Two.

Ben Knight scored twice, either side of Joe Quigley’s penalty equaliser, before Kell Watts headed home on 79 minutes to secure a 3-1 success for Harris’ side.

“We spoke at half-time about what we want to be now. Do we want to feel sorry for ourselves, or respond accordingly, get back on the front foot, go and really grab the game by the scruff of the neck?” Harris said afterwards.

“Anyone who wanted to question us – I was asked about complacency and was I concerned with the performance against Harrogate – well there was the answer. Six points, six goals, it’s a great response.

“The game went how we expected it, we thought it would be a tough battle but that we’d have real moments of quality as well.

“We were disappointed at half-time, naturally, a bit deflated, (but) no panic in the changing room, no tea cups being launched by myself or anybody else. We were by the far the better team.

“I said to the guys it was an opportunity again to deal with a little bit of adversity. The reaction for 25 minutes was outstanding. For me, over the 90 minutes there was one team in it.

“We got 1-0 up, we deserved to be in front, it was a brilliant goal. Ben Knight’s finish was sheer class.”

Steve Evans acknowledged his Rovers side had been “beaten by the better side, comfortably beaten”.

He added: “We didn’t help ourselves enough. The performance looks a little bit disjointed, a little bit nervy.

“Cambridge are a top-three side. They’re a good side and they’re playing with a lot of confidence, particularly here at the Abbey, so it was a tough place to come.

“At the end of the first half we get the penalty, which is a clear penalty, and I think there’s nothing in the game for the five or six minutes at the start of the second half.

“Then the referee gives a penalty for something he’s let go the rest of the game. I think it’s a penalty but he didn’t give Joe Quigley one in the first half, which is a clear penalty.

“We feel a little bit hard done to then, but then from there on in we didn’t go again. We lost two simple headers for the next goal. Defensively we were poor, the whole back five were poor.”