Season Review: Cambridge United fight against the odds to earn automatic promotion

Despite being tipped for a mid-table finish at best, Cambridge United stunned fans and pundits alike as they sealed promotion to League One.

The U’s had finished no higher than 11th in League Two since returning to the Football League in 2014, despite having aspirations of quickly building their way up through the football pyramid. The likes of Shaun Derry, Joe Dunne and Colin Calderwood took charge to try and guide the U’s to the third tier, but none were able to succeed.

Ultimately, Mark Bonner was given the job on a permanent basis in March 2020, despite having never managed a senior football team in his managerial career. What happened next was truly one of the most surprising stories in the entire Football League, as Cambridge secured a second place finish to earn League One football for the first time since 2002.

Five key games

Cambridge 3-0 Carlisle

The U’s started the season with a visit from Carlisle, a team who were tipped to play an important part in the promotion race. Chris Beech’s side had recruited well over the summer, and there was a confident mood in their camp ahead of a trip to The Abbey. But the hosts were 2-0 up within 16 minutes thanks to goals from Luke Hannant and Paul Mullin.

They could’ve been three or four goals to the good at half time, even though Liam O’Neil’s injury saw Bonner’s side lose their shape and composure as the game went on. Joe Ironside’s goal just five minutes from time sealed a comprehensive win against a team that stuck around the summit of League Two for much of the first half of the season.

Cambridge 2-1 Colchester

An electric start to the campaign saw Cambridge fans desperate to return to The Abbey after weeks of watching their side on iFollow. They got their wish in early December as Mansfield visited Cambridgeshire, but the struggling visitors left with a shock win in front of a disappointed crowd.

It was déjà vu just three days later when Oldham made the trip down to East Anglia, with the Latics sealing a comfortable 2-1 win. This was the first time that Bonner’s side had lost two consecutive league games all season, and their trip to Forest Green the following week saw that run stretch to three defeats in a row as they were outclassed at the New Lawn.

The pressure was on for the U’s to turn their dip in form around, and a visit from Colchester provided a good platform to do so. Mullin scored a second-half brace to seal the points in front of their own fans, despite Michael Folivi’s penalty making for a nervy final 20 minutes at The Abbey.

Cambridge 1-4 Exeter

Perhaps it’s strange to list a humiliating defeat as one of Cambridge’s key games of the season, but this result brought them crashing back down to Earth and gave them a thorough reality check.

The U’s had gone on an incredible run of form against some of the top sides in the division, pushing them up to the top of the League Two table. A visit from Exeter provided a stern yet winnable test, but the U’s were completely outclassed from start to finish.

Goals from Ryan Bowman and Jack Sparkes saw the Grecians race into a 2-0 lead within 15 minutes. Despite Ironside’s tidy finish early in the second half, the hosts continued to crumble under the pressure as Archie Collins and Matt Jay condemned Cambridge to a shock 4-1 defeat. Ultimately, it was an eye-opening experience that prevented Bonner’s side from becoming too complacent towards the latter stages of the season.

Leyton Orient 2-4 Cambridge

Cambridge avenged their disappointing collapse against Exeter with a gritty 1-0 win away at Newport the following week, and the U’s edged ever closer towards making their top three finish official. A win away at Brisbane Road against Leyton Orient would put them just one point away from a return to the third tier.

Wes Hoolahan’s absence was a clear area of concern, as the visitors had struggled in previous mid-week fixtures where the 38-year-old was absent. Ironside’s early goal was cancelled out by Dan Kemp’s equaliser on the stroke of half time, sending the teams in level at half-time.

As they did multiple times throughout the season, the U’s came out flying in the second half. Shilow Tracey and Mullin both got on the scoresheet. There were nerves around Greg Taylor’s own-goal, but they were eradicated by Ironside’s late finish to seal a 4-2 win, putting Cambridge on the verge of automatic promotion.

Cambridge 3-0 Grimsby

Cambridge were completely cracking under the pressure of promotion. With three games remaining, they needed just one point to practically seal a top three finish. Local rivals Stevenage were up first, but the Boro spoiled the party by securing an impressive 1-0 win to do the double over the U’s for the first time since they returned to the Football League.

A Friday night trip to Harrogate provided a chance for redemption, with Simon Weaver making multiple changes ahead of an FA Trophy final three days later. But the Sulphurites were 3-0 up within 20 minutes. Despite forcing a late comeback, Cambridge ended up on the wrong side of an astonishing 5-4 scoreline.

This put all the pressure on a final day clash against already relegated Grimsby, where a defeat for the U’s would likely have seen them drop into the playoff places for the first time since January. Despite the nervous atmosphere around the ground, goals from O’Neil, Hoolahan and Mullin secured a superb 3-0 win and confirmed Cambridge’s place in League One for next season.

Key players

It’d be wrong to start with anyone else other than Mullin. The 26-year-old had a short stint on loan with Cambridge last season before it was curtailed due to Covid. He was released by parent club Tranmere and returned to The Abbey on a one year contract last summer.

Nobody could’ve expected the impact he would have in Bonner’s side.

The striker found the back of the net 32 times, breaking the record of goals in a single League Two set by Tom Pope in 2013. He was also crowned as League Two player of the season, and even had The Abbey’s away stand named after him until the end of the season.

His strike partner, Joe Ironside, managed 14 goals and seven assists himself, while Norwich City legend Hoolahan also played a crucial part in their attacking output, scoring seven and assisting nine. Between the three of them, they’ve contributed to 63 of Cambridge’s 73 league goals this season.

But credit has to be given to the U’s defensive players too. After all, for much of the season, they had the fewest goals conceded in the entire division. Both Jack Iredale and Kyle Knoyle have offered significant protection in wide areas while also contributing to their attacking output too. Captain Greg Taylor has provided a huge presence in the heart of defence, while goalkeeper Callum Burton has stepped up superbly to replace the injured Dimitar Mitov.

Cambridge’s incredible success is undoubtedly a team effort. It’s as a result of having a small, tight-knit squad that have avoided any major injury issues. Bonner has managed them superbly and made sure that they’ve never been complacent in their efforts to secure automatic promotion.

Season verdict

Nobody can say that they predicted Cambridge United to win promotion this season.

Led by an inexperienced manager, most predicted that the U’s would struggle to secure a top half finish. While some pundits tipped them to improve on their previous seasons, many thought that they’d end up in the lower reaches of the League Two table.

Bonner got his side playing superb attacking football, spearheaded by one of the best attacking trios in fourth tier history. Despite a few minor blips, they were defensively rock solid, and could’ve even secured the League Two title had they not have stumbled at the finish line.

This season has not just been an overachievement, but also one of the greatest campaigns in the club’s history.

Next season

Cambridge’s expectations for next season depend on a number of factors, most notably who they manage to keep ahold of this summer.

Around 12 first team players are out of contract this summer. This includes Mullin and Knoyle, who will likely fancy their chances at a top end League One club or even in the Championship. Mullin will undoubtedly draw interest from across the Football League, and the U’s will be unlikely to keep ahold of him. Hoolahan has also hinted that he may end his playing career this summer.

It also hinges on who they can bring in this summer. Bonner has already stated that he’s looking for players with League One experience, but the club’s budget may hinder them from competing at the same level as their third tier rivals.

Of course, the priority will be survival. If Cambridge can maintain their League One status past next season, they will have done incredibly well. Bonner is aware of the size of that task, and the fact that they will likely be the favourites to be relegated back to League Two. Nonetheless, the 35-year-old signed a new three year deal to stay in Cambridgeshire, proving that he’s fully dedicated to helping the club achieve their long-term aspirations.

Keeping the core of this promotion-winning squad together is going to be a challenge, and the U’s won’t want a high turnover in players after such a successful season. That may be the deciding factor in whether they can avoid relegation from League One next season.

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