Crooks' side have lost just once this season

Cambridge boss Bob Crooks has praised his side's commitment in the face of adversity after they ground out a 35-30 win against Blaydon on Saturday.

His players have not been paid since August and the club faces a winding up order in the High Court next month.

Crooks told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire: "The players' position is rock bottom and still they keep turning out.

"They haven't been paid. They get their days off work to travel up the day before and they still keep committing."

Cambridge came out on top in a tight affair at Crow Trees but Crooks admitted the quality of rugby left a lot to be desired.

"It was close because we weren't very good," he said.

I don't want to whinge and whine all the time but the boys are having to put up with a lot and they cope with it Cambridge boss Bob Crooks

"God that was an awful performance but you look at the character we showed in the last 15 minutes to win the game.

"We are light years ahead of Blaydon with our ability to play but we just didn't show any of that."

The Blood and Sand are now just one point behind league leaders Barking and Crooks feels his side had to overcome more than their financial concerns.

"I thought the referee was shocking and, by the end of it, biased," he added.

"Because there were things going on there you could clearly see were Cambridge penalties or advantage and he was not having any of it.

"I don't want to whinge and whine all the time but the boys are having to put up with a lot and they cope with it."

Cambridge are back in action on Saturday when they host fifth-placed Wharfedale.

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