Neil Harris reserves praise for Shayne Lavery after Cambridge win at Barnsley
Vimal Yoganathan’s first-half goal was cancelled out in the second period by Ben Knight before Lavery won it in stoppage time.
Cambridge manager Neil Harris was full of praise for match-winner Shayne Lavery who helped the U’s come from behind to beat Barnsley 2-1 at Oakwell.
Vimal Yoganathan’s first-half goal was cancelled out in the second period by Ben Knight before Lavery won it in stoppage time. The substitute striker had also set up the equaliser.
Harris said: “He’s just so important.
“It’s the lift that he gives everybody and the infectious nature that he plays with.
“But he’s also just a very good player and that’s what we saw in the second half.
“He’s just a centre forward that understands the game, that reads the game and moves in the right direction to the ball at the right moment as well.
“I’m very, very pleased with him.”
Captain Cameron McGeehan should have given the hosts the lead midway through the first half but he somehow headed straight at Jake Eastwood from five yards out and Cambridge eventually cleared after debutant Tobi Adeyemo was unable to fire home the rebound.
Yoganathan was in the right place at the right time to give the hosts the lead in the 41st minute and tapped into an empty net at the back post following a Reyes Cleary corner.
Cambridge equalised just seven minutes into the second half thanks to some good work from substitute Lavery who beat his man and found Knight unmarked in the area who fired home calmly.
Cambridge won it in the first minute of stoppage time after some weak goalkeeping by Ravenhill gave Lavery the easiest of jobs to secure the three points from two yards out.
The U’s are now just one point off the top.
Harris added: “We were poor, especially in the first half.
“We were so un-Neil Harris-like.
“I think the first half is probably a reality check for everybody.
“We’ve fought hard to get where we are and we have to keep doing it because we’ve no God-given right to be winning football games at this level.
“We don’t get out the bottom four on budges at this level and so what the players are achieving is miraculous.
“I’m so proud of them for doing it.”
Barnsley dropped into the relegation zone following this defeat.
Head coach Daniel Stendel said: “I know how much everybody in this team, the club, invest every week to win games.
“But this is the situation.
“I have to take responsibility for that.
“I can only say I do my best and the players do their best.
“Sometimes we have to do it better.
“We cannot talk about having a young squad – we have to improve.
“We expected more but I think at the moment it’s more the mental side that’s important.”