You know, a balanced diet is important in the modern fast-paced world that we live in - and so it true in football. As those whey-faced vegans from Carlisle loiter at the foot of the table, so Peter Taylor realises that an injection of some good old high protein red meat to the City platter was necessary. After Saturday's performance, which showed promise going forward but revealed some rather worrying frailties at the back, the City boss chucked a couple of 11 ounce T-bones on the grill in the shape of Justin Whittle and Dean Keates (out went Joseph and Green). Both gave excellent performances, Whittle especially, with the end result that Cambridge were given a thorough chasing by the rampant and hungry Tigers.

Flapping their napkins with gusto, laying them on their laps and sharpening their steak knifes were:

Musselwhite
Thelwell Whittle Hinds Delaney
Price Ashbee Keates Elliott
Burgess Allsopp

What a difference two days can make, a fact that can only be a credit to the motivational skills of the City management team (let us not forget that Mr Taylor's role is that of head chef, it is Messrs Murphy and Butler that are often found at the stove concocting dishes to delight of the hungry Tiger following). Musselwhite was transformed from lumpen keeper with retirement on his mind to agile netman with full command of his box and those around him. Hinds was a rabbit trapped in the headlamps of an oncoming Sainsburys truck against Chelts, two days later he was behind the pantechnicon wheel, controlling the youthfully exuberant Cam striker Revell with aplomb. The midfield harried and bustled their foe into meek submission, while up front we carried a substantial and constant threat against a back four that appeared to have seen City's haphazard performance against Cheltenham and said "we'll have a bit of that". Venus, playing in the Premiership 15 months ago and the UEFA Cup 11 months ago down the A14 at Ipswich, was reduced to a slicing, blubbering wreck of a defender while ex-Imp left back Bimson, comfortably the worst Lincoln player in a squad that offers plenty of competition for that crown and inexplicably signed for Cambridge and installed as captain, gave a performance of imperious craptitude. Angus, Venus's centre back partner, looked assured but his passing was often awry and invited pressure from City's rampant Allsopp/Burgess combination.

Start as you mean to go on. City did this, and how. Within three minutes City had terrorised Bimson twice, firstly Price dispossessed him and Thelwell overhit a decent crossing opportunity, then Allsopp ripped past the bald-heided thug and set up Big Ben to clapper a shot just over. Cambridge were immediately reeling, good work from Elliott and Delaney (who in this game combined to greatest effect so far this season) winning a corner. Keates swung it in and the City fans looked on aghast as it became apparent the powerful Whittle was being marked by fey pretty boy Justin Walker (serial underachiever at Scunny and Lincoln in the past). Walker hopped mildly as the ball approached, Whittle rose majestically and planted a firm header through the ball to send it goalwards. The Cam goalie, the capable local boy Marshall, was alert and readied himself for the save, only for the twinkle-toed Jason Price, the darling of seven year old girls up and down the east coast, to dart across and divert the ball into the net from 4 yards. Total Tiger domination had borne immediate fruit, and Cambridge already had the look of a beaten team.

For the next twenty minutes City now subjected the home side to just about as comprehensive a chasing as one could wish to see. Price was getting plenty of the ball and invitations to muscle past left midfielder Murray and the dizzy Bimson were not shirked. Elliott too was advancing with success, having one shot cleared off the line although play was brought back for a push by the advancing Ulsterman. Pride of place at the head of the City table must go to Danny Allsopp however, who cast aside his "lazy, Keith Edwards for the 21st century" tag and gave a powerhouse performance. Venus received a roll-out from his goalie and looked up to find Allsopp running towards, then through, then over him as the ball was whisked away. The Aussie then looked to lob Marshall but the big keeper was able to reach up and claim the ball as it passed over his head. The back four were again caught when Keates dispossessed Angus deep in Cam territory and the ball found Allsopp via Burgess. The antipodean hero lashed a low shot goalwards, bringing a fine sprawling save from Marshall.

Finally the limp resistance yielded again. A long Mussy drop kick was not challenged by Burgess, but his mere lurking presence was enough to encourage Venus to advance too far forward and his backwards tumbling header was sent towards his own goal. The razor sharp Allsopp reacted first and accepted the ball in yards of space, rounded the goalie (who may have got a fingertip to ball as it passed him) and rolled it home for 2-0. Four in 4 starts for Allsopp, no matter how you spell his name that is top flight striker's form.

Cambridge had threatened only sporadically. At 1-0 Kitson did well to win a header and set up Revell in space in the City box, but Mussy swooped massively and smothered the young striker's shot. Just after City made it 2-0 Guttridge, who unlike his boxing commentator namesake sported a full set of legs, cut inside from the right and thumped a low 25 yard drive that Mussy tipped around the post in breathtaking fashion. Then immediately after, Kitson was set free in space by a clever Walker pass only for Mussy to again narrow the angle, make himself big (he needs little encouragement for this these days) and pouch the intended Kitson lob, in much the same style as Marshall had done with Allsopp minutes earlier.

As the half drew to a close further chances were carved. Allsopp won a header from a corner (Cambridge defended corners quite disgracefully throughout the game, yet amazingly looked threatening when they had corners at the other end) and Kitson hacked away from on the goalline. Then Keates accepted a pass 25 yards out, scuttled through three tackles before being felled in the D of the penalty box. Alas, the resulting Ashbee shot was deflected wide for a corner. Actually it probably wasn't Ashbee who struck the free kick but I wanted to rewrite history to afford myself the opportunity to mention our new captain's superb midfield performance. The captain's armband seems to be bringing a more controlled and even-tempered player out of Ash, his tough tackling and expert reading of the game before him are still there but his tendency for argument and petulance appears quelled. Returning to the ground where he made his lower league name, Ashbee was amongst the top three impressive players on the day and even the most curmudgeonly Cam fan must have applauded his performance.

With four minutes to go Kitson rose with Hinds for a header leading very obviously with his elbow. Hinds was felled, and took several minutes to recover his senses, while Kitson was booked when a straight red may have been an option (not for the home team's star, perhaps reasoned the otherwise diligent ref). That, combined with a refused penalty after a ludicrous dive early in the second half, was enough to see Kitson sulk his way through the rest of the game. When Cambridge needed his power in the last third as they pressed forward late in the game, they instead found their big striker skulking around in offside positions cursing the fact that he may soon be changing in Rotherham's legendary dressing rooms.

In the second half Cambridge emerged fired up and, to their credit, pushed the Tigers back a little. However Taylor's two banks of four, last used to quell the half-hearted thrusts of Premiership non-glamour club Leeds United, were again put to good use. City were happy for the Cam back four to have possession safe in the knowledge that they could deal with their high balls into our box. As soon as anyone in gold stepped within forty yards of the City castle in possession of the ball however, they were rapidly closed down and tackled. This resulted in Cambridge having quite a lot of possession, but barely any chances. Key to this was the play of our hero Justin Whittle, who tackled, harried, dived and headed his way through the half with total domination. Justin was quite simply immense, and has surely played himself back into the first team once more. Good on yer Sarge!

A few chances were made. Kitson, prior to his refused penalty, narrowly failed to connect with a decent low cross deep in the City penalty box, Keates lobbed just over from 25 yards after Burgess won a header from a Whittle free kick, Allsopp found space down the left channel but was forced wide by Venus when an early shot from distance may have been the preferred choice. Pretty soon Cambridge were hoofing the ball to the disinterested Kitson, food and drink to the gargantuan Whittle. Hinds also put in a good shift to quell the more eclectic capabilities of young Revell. With 20 to go the quiet Price received the ball on half way and overhit his first touch horribly. Remarkably, the witless Bimson, first to the ball by five yards, failed to deal with the situation and presented the ball back to the Welsh pin-up boy. Jason advanced on goal and his low shot was struck just wide at the near post.

City now shut up shop. Holt replaced Elliott on the left, and the turbocharged powerhouse Melton replaced the tiring Keates in centre midfield. Cambridge made two further chances. Firstly Kitson and Revell combined to set up the big striker with a near open goal, only for his feebly hit shot to be hacked off the line by the alert Whittle. Then Guttridge had a header late on which he nodded powerfully but wastefully straight at Musselwhite's ample gut. The final word was left to Allsopp who, released by good work down the left by Holt, outstrengthed the defender and fired a shot just over the bar from an acute angle. Five minutes of injury time passed without alarm and the points were safely pouched.