Cambridge United need to turn draws into wins ahead of a tough run of fixtures

Cambridge United’s recent form can be analysed in two very different ways.

On the one hand, the U’s have lost just two of their last eight league games. This form, in isolation, would be more than enough to keep them in League One, especially when considering the fact that they’ve avoided defeat against the likes of Ipswich Town and Sheffield Wednesday.

However, Mark Bonner’s side are on a winless run that stretches back as far as their 2-1 victory against Portsmouth at Fratton Park on September 18th. So, despite losing just twice in their last eight games, Cambridge have won just once in that time.

Unsurprisingly, this means that the U’s have the most draws in the entire division and the fewest defeats of any side outside the top 10. Sat in 17th place, Cambridge are dangling perilously above the relegation zone, with just three points separating them and Fleetwood Town in 21st.

Last weekend’s clash away at Shrewsbury Town heightened those concerns with Bonner’s men suffering yet another early collapse. This has been a running theme in recent weeks, although there were hopes that the U’s had overcome this issue. However, Ryan Bowman rose highest to head home George Nurse’s cross just six minutes into the game.

Where Cambridge have usually mounted a comeback soon after falling behind, they could’ve gone two or three goals down before Dimitar Mitov suffered a nasty head clash with Daniel Udoh. The latter walked away unscathed, but the U’s goalkeeper was knocked unconscious and replaced by Kai McKenzie-Lyle, who made his EFL debut.

This is what it took for the hosts to spring into life, as their attacking intent thoroughly improved before the half-time break. Soon after the restart, left-back Jack Iredale equalised with a stunning strike from 30-yards out.

However, Cambridge’s resurgence lasted all of 10 minutes before Adam May was sent off for a lunge on substitute Josh Daniels. While the referee was seemingly unmoved by the initial contact, the reaction from the Shrews’ defender encouraged him to brandish the red card and effectively end the game as a contest.

Bonner attempted to undergo a tactical re-shuffle but Bowman was in no mood for sympathy. The striker quickly completed a perfect hat-trick before setting up Luke Leahy to seal an emphatic 4-1 win at the Montgomery Waters Meadow.

The result was bad enough, but the consequences of the game were far worse.

May was given a three-game suspension after the club’s appeal was rejected. Captain Paul Digby was given his fifth yellow card of the season, meaning that he would miss the trip to Doncaster Rovers. Mitov, of course, had to undergo the necessary precautions regarding concussion protocol, ruling him out for at least nine days.

This left Bonner scratching his head as to how he could field a starting lineup, never mind name a squad for the game at the Keepmoat Stadium. This was far from ideal, given that this clash was against another struggling side stuck at the bottom end of the league table.

Ultimately, he found the right solutions. Young midfielder Lewis Simper was withdrawn from his loan at Yeovil Town, while Ipswich’s goalkeeper Tomáš Holý joined the club on a seven-day emergency loan.

The U’s made six changes for the clash in South Yorkshire with Iredale forced to move into midfield after his goalscoring exploits over the weekend. Jensen Weir and Ben Worman partnered him in the centre of the park, despite having played just six league games between them this season. Even the club’s top goalscorer, Joe Ironside, could only be named on the bench despite originally being considered fit enough to start.

To summarise, Cambridge were down to bare bones. So it was quite a big surprise when they went ahead after just seven minutes. Shilow Tracey broke down the right flank, beating his man before firing a powerful cross into the box that was turned home by Dan Gardner for an own-goal.

This young and inexperienced U’s side had suddenly looked like a team that had played together all season. While the end product wasn’t quite there, they controlled the pattern of the first half and nullified Doncaster’s attacking threat. There was a genuine sense of optimism that Bonner’s side could finally pick up that elusive win that they were chasing.

However, it wasn’t to be. The balance of the game changed drastically when Richie Wellens brought former Cambridge right-back Kyle Knoyle onto the pitch for Gardner which allowed Ethan Galbraith to move further forward into his preferred midfield position. Suddenly, the Rovers had found their feet in the game, pinning the U’s inside their own third for almost the entire second half.

The equaliser inevitably came from Galbraith. Revitalised in his favoured position, his powerful effort hit the post and ended in the back of the net. It was enough to see the points shared as Cambridge’s winless run continued.

Of course, these results can be excused. May’s red card against Shrewsbury has been seen as incredibly harsh, with many claiming that it shouldn’t even have been a booking. This ultimately led to their collapse, as the U’s had the momentum on their side up until that point.

Away at Doncaster, Cambridge’s selection crisis hindered any chances they had of winning the game and earning a point away at a side fresh off the back of a 3-2 win can only be deemed respectable, especially when considering their fiasco in Shropshire just four days earlier.

However, Cambridge won’t have any excuses against AFC Wimbledon on Saturday.

This doesn’t mean that fans can go into this game expecting an easy win, especially against a side who sit above them in the League One table. Mark Robinson’s side are, much like the U’s, in poor form, having lost four of their last seven league games.

The Dons have an incredibly young side with their attacking midfielders arguably the key components. Jack Rudoni, Luke McCormick and Ayoub Assal have been incredibly difficult to keep quiet in recent weeks, although the return of Paul Digby to Cambridge’s starting lineup should help limit their progression into the final third.

Bonner no longer has any selection dilemmas. In fact, his side should be fairly easy to predict. The likes of Weir and Jubril Okedina are expected to keep their places in the team, while Wes Hoolahan and Joe Ironside are set to return to the starting lineup.

While previous home games against Ipswich and Sheffield Wednesday felt like free-hits, Saturday’s game will come with much more pressure. The U’s are about to embark on a run of five consecutive away games in all competitions, starting with a gruelling midweek game against Morecambe on Tuesday night.

Then Cambridge’s ‘Nightmare November’ truly comes to fruition as they face away games at MK Dons and Rotherham United before welcoming Wigan Athletic and Sunderland to The Abbey soon after. All four of those sides are currently chasing promotion from the third tier.

It’s hard to see where the U’s points are going to come from in the next few weeks, adding further emphasis to the importance of their home game against Wimbledon.

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