Cambridge out to confirm automatic promotion as Stevenage visit The Abbey

If Cambridge United secure three points against local rivals Stevenage on Saturday afternoon, the U’s will secure a return to the third tier for the first time since 2002.

Mark Bonner’s side remain top of the Sky Bet League Two table after a convincing 4-2 win away at Leyton Orient on Tuesday evening. Many predicted that the visitors would be in for a tough game, with the O’s sitting just one point outside of the playoff places before kickoff.

However, a brace from Joe Ironside coupled with goals from Shilow Tracey and Paul Mullin saw the league leaders seal a statement win and march closer to securing automatic promotion. This will be mathematically confirmed if they record a victory against Stevenage on Saturday afternoon.

Given the Boro’s recent form and current league position, they head into the clash as heavy underdogs. Despite going on a 12 game unbeaten run starting in mid-February, Alex Revell’s side have dropped to 16th in the table after suffering three consecutive defeats to Salford, Mansfield and Cheltenham.

However, Stevenage have a good recent record against Cambridge, winning two and drawing one of their last three encounters. This included an incredible 4-0 win at The Abbey last season, one of only three wins that the Boro managed in their entire 2019/20 campaign. They also earned a 1-0 victory against the U’s in the reverse fixture at the end of December.

Of course, the stakes will be much higher this weekend. With fourth place Morecambe hosting third place Bolton, at least one of those two sides will drop points and be unable to overtake the U’s should they pick up the win against Stevenage.

That could make for an incredibly nervous and cagey affair at The Abbey, although Bonner’s men have thrived under pressure this season. They were tipped to fall out of the automatic promotion race ahead of an incredibly tough run-in, but have won six of their last eight games prior to Saturday’s clash.

Much of that success is down to Wes Hoolahan, who has been one of the standout players in League Two this season. The 38-year-old has contributed to 13 goals in just 31 games this season, scoring five and assisting eight.

As the main creative asset in Cambridge’s squad, they’ve struggled when he has been left out of the lineup due to his fitness levels. However, Tuesday’s performance at Leyton Orient proved that they can win without his attacking influence. He’ll undoubtedly be given the nod to start against Stevenage as the U’s look likely to return to their favoured 4-1-2-1-2 diamond formation.

They’ve also heavily relied on Paul Mullin’s incredible goalscoring record to propel them to the summit of League Two. The 26-year-old scored his 29th league goal of the season in Tuesday’s win, undoubtedly cementing his position as the top scorer in the division this season. However, Ironside’s impressive performance against Leyton Orient has proved that he can ease the attacking pressure on Mullin if needs be.

While all eyes will be on Cambridge, Stevenage would surely love nothing more than to spoil the promotion party for their local rivals. Despite playing in different counties, there’s a lot of animosity between the two sides due to their geographical proximity. Both clubs consider this tie to be a derby, and it will undoubtedly create an incredibly tense atmosphere on Saturday afternoon.

A win for Stevenage would see them become just the second side to do the double over Cambridge this season, with Exeter the only other team to beat the U’s home and away. All the pressure will be on the hosts, however, as they edge towards what would be just their second promotion of the 21st century.

It would be an incredible story if Bonner can guide the club back to the third tier 16 years after they entered administration and were relegated out of the Football League.

Follow us on Twitter @ProstInt