YORK City ended a four-hour wait for a goal by blasting in three during a terrific 12-minute spell to secure a vital 3-0 win at Cambridge.

Strikers Wes Fletcher and Jake Hyde both netted for the seventh time this season while, in between, Michael Coulson claimed a fortuitous goal with an intended cross.

Fletcher opened the scoring two minutes before the break with Hyde wrapping up victory early in the second period. City made one change to the side that started Saturday’s 0-0 draw against Exeter with an ill Diego De Girolamo replaced by Hyde following his return from a three-match suspension.

Manager Russ Wilcox also dispensed with his 4-2-3-1 formation and switched to 4-4-2.

The visitors managed the first attempt of the night when Fletcher guided a left-wing cross from striking partner Hyde across the face of goal.

Fletcher went on to slice a 15-yard effort on to the roof of the home stand before Jordan Slew fired Cambridge’s first chance into the sidenetting on 19 minutes after wriggling past Keith Lowe close to the byline. The former Blackburn striker was then denied by a fine Bobby Olejnik save after he had been released through the left channel by Ryan Donaldson when Hyde lost possession on the halfway line.

After a Russell Penn 25-yard drive whistled over for the Minstermen, Liam Hughes lofted a poor free kick too high at the other end.

Hyde went on to clear the home bar with a dipping volley after the ball bounced up off the turf 30 yards from goal but Fletcher made the breakthrough on 43 minutes.

A positive left-wing burst by Carson was followed by a short pass into the penalty box that picked out the former Burnley striker.

Fletcher was initially stopped in his tracks by U’s captain Ian Miller but reacted swiftly when the ball ricocheted back to him and beat Chris Dunn from 15 yards with a firmly-driven, left-footed shot inside the home keeper’s right-hand upright.

Rather than sit on their lead, City started the second half positively with Brad Halliday firing wide from 25 yards after an edge-of-the-box effort from Carson was blocked.

Nathaniel Mendez-Laing went on to drive narrowly over from 20 yards before Coulson doubled the visitors’ on 49 minutes when his cross from the right sailed over Dunn’s head and dropped inside the far post.

After Slew cleared the crossbar from four yards following a low Mendez-Laing centre from the right, City fans were then sent into delirium as Hyde added a third goal on 55 minutes.

Malvind Benning’s excellent cross from the left unsettled the home defence and, after Carson helped the ball back into the box, Fletcher’s scuffed shot across the goal was turned in from three yards by a predatory Hyde.

Shortly afterwards, Fletcher shot wide from 15 yards and Hyde scooped another effort over after taking Carson’s left-wing free kick on his chest.

Dunn, meanwhile, was quick off his line to smother at Fletcher’s feet as he burst through the left channel.

Cambridge’s attempts for a consolation saw Mendez-Laing go close with a deflected free kick and then drive into the sidenetting on 85 minutes before Olejnik tipped over Josh Coulson’s header in stoppage time.

Cambridge: Dunn; Tait, Coulson, Miller, Taylor (Dunk, 58); Donaldson, Champion, Hughes (Morrisey, 66), Mendez-Laing; Slew, Harrold (Simpson, 60). Subs not used: Norris, Nelson, Ball, Kaikai.

York: Olejnik; McCoy, Lowe, Zubar, Benning; Coulson (Meikle, 90), Penn, Halliday, Carson; Hyde (McCombe, 86), Fletcher (Sinclair, 79). Subs not used: Ingham, Ilesanmi, Platt, Montrose.