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Cambridge United were the bookies favourites for relegation before the start of the season.
Fans and pundits alike tipped them for an immediate return to fourth tier, with most predicting them to finish rock bottom of League One.
Perhaps this wasn’t a surprise. This was to be their first season back in the third tier since 2001/02, and the U’s were set to compete in one of the toughest League One lineups in recent history. In a division full of behemoths, Mark Bonner’s side were supposed to be making up the numbers, but Cambridge secured a comfortable 14th place finish, bloodying the noses of a number of bigger teams along the way.
That doesn’t necessarily tell the whole story, as the U’s suffered their fair share of heavy defeats. But ultimately, they adapted far better to League One football than anyone expected, and will undoubtedly be considered a far bigger threat in the third tier next season.
Five key games
Portsmouth 1-2 Cambridge United
Cambridge started their campaign well, despite failing to win any of their opening three games. A 3-0 victory at home to Burton Albion (a game which narrowly missed out on this list) kickstarted their campaign, following it up by beating Bolton Wanderers 1-0 the week after despite registering just 26% possession.
But things suddenly unravelled in the space of 72 minutes. Lincoln City would visit The Abbey at the start of September after a poor start to their season, but the Imps ended up thrashing the U’s 5-1 to end their unbeaten home record. For the first time, some doubt started to creep in.
Those doubts were extinguished just one week later, as Cambridge secured an impressive 2-1 win away at promotion-hopefuls Portsmouth. Joe Ironside’s towering header was followed up by a stunning strike from Liam O’Neil, firing a fierce volley into the top corner from outside the box. While Ronan Curtis halved the deficit in the game’s dying stages, the U’s showed incredible defensive resilience to see out the win.
After their soul-destroying defeat against the Imps, this gave Cambridge an immeasurable amount of confidence that clearly helped them for the rest of the season.
Morecambe 0-2 Cambridge United
Bonner’s side found that, while they were putting in good performances, they weren’t necessarily getting the results they needed to match. A win at home to AFC Wimbledon would be their only victory in October, and fans were wary that their side needed a few more points on the board to avoid getting dragged into the bottom six ahead of a number of tough fixtures in the following month.
Cambridge’s trip to Morecambe had to be rescheduled due to international call ups, and was rearranged for a freezing Tuesday night at the start of November. The Shrimps had lost four of their five previous games, but had gained a reputation of being a strong attacking outfit with Cole Stockton becoming one of the top scorers in the division.
That’s exactly how things started, too, with Morecambe looking the sharper of the two sides in the opening stages. That all changed when Ben Worman picked up the ball on the edge of the area, flicked it over his head and fired a powerful volley with his weak foot into the back of the net to give the visitors the lead. Cambridge controlled the game, winning a penalty with just over 15 minutes remaining, which Ironside scored to seal a 2-0 win.
Given that the U’s went on to lose and draw one of their next four games, their win at the Mazuma Stadium became even more important in stabilising them over the winter period.
Cambridge United 1-0 Crewe Alexandra
January was the month when Cambridge sealed their safety in League One, albeit not mathematically. The U’s played five league games, winning four and drawing one. This included a crucial three-match winning run that started with a 1-0 win at Lincoln City, before Bonner’s men beat Doncaster Rovers 3-1 at The Abbey three days later.
Crewe Alexandra, like Doncaster, were in the midst of a fierce relegation battle, and their trip to Cambridgeshire was certainly categorised as a ‘must-win’ fixture. While they fared better than Gary McSheffrey’s men did earlier in the week, they too left The Abbey empty-handed as Adam May’s trademark long-range strike took a deflection and looped over Dave Richards to secure a 1-0 win for the U’s.
It won’t go down as one of Cambridge’s most memorable games of the season, but its importance can’t be denied and capped off a crucial period in their campaign.
Ipswich Town 0-1 Cambridge United
When Cambridge secured mathematical safety by beating Morecambe at The Abbey on 9th April, Bonner claimed that the U’s knew they would be safe when they won away at Wimbledon two weeks earlier. The 1-0 victory at Plough Lane actually ended a five-match winless run stretching over an entire month. During this time, they conceded 14 goals, worsened by losing 4-2 away at Oxford United and 6-0 against Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsborough.
Despite ending their run of poor form, there was an uncomfortable feeling going into the U’s trip to Portman Road. Ipswich hadn’t lost in 11 league games and boasted an astonishing unbeaten home record that dated back to 23rd November 2021. After a disastrous start to the season that saw manager Paul Cook sacked, their impressive run had helped them close the gap on the top six, but they needed to beat Cambridge to keep their playoff dreams alive.
The U’s arrived as massive underdogs, but started the match well, regularly testing Christian Walton in the Ipswich net despite mustering little possession. George Williams came closest to opening the scoring in the first half, but the two sides went into the break at 0-0. 11 minutes after the restart, Ironside flicked May’s free-kick into the back of the net to give Cambridge the lead.
The visitors spent the rest of the match sitting deep with a low block, stifling Ipswich’s attacks and nullifying their threat in the final third. Portman Road was met with an explosion of boos as the full-time whistle was blown, with the home fans furious about Cambridge’s defensive set-up and second-half time-wasting. In reality, it was a perfect game plan from Bonner that helped his side secure local bragging rights.
Wigan Athletic 1-2 Cambridge United
Cambridge had secured safety, but their season wasn’t done yet. They were due to face league leaders Wigan Athletic at the DW Stadium on Good Friday, but the game was moved to Easter Saturday, being selected for Sky Sports coverage. The U’s would get a chance to make amends for their last match on TV (a 3-0 defeat at home to Luton Town in the FA Cup) and show the world that they could compete with the big teams in League One.
In fact, they ended up doing much more than that. Shortly after the half-hour mark, Harvey Knibbs gave the visitors the lead, sneaking a low shot under Ben Amos. Ten minutes later, James Brophy was given too much space down the left flank, allowing him to lift a pinpoint cross onto the head of Sam Smith, who looped a beautiful header into the back of the net to give Cambridge a 2-0 lead at half time.
The Latics, unsurprisingly, made a number of attacking changes and reverted to their preferred 4-2-3-1 formation after the restart. Still, it would take them until the 77th minute to get on the scoresheet. Tom Naylor’s bullet header gave the hosts a chance, but the U’s defended for their lives, with Dimitar Mitov’s stunning last-gasp save sealing another famous win.
On a day that was supposed to be all about the top three in League One, Cambridge stole the headlines and blew the promotion race wide open. It also meant that the U’s secured four points from their two games against the eventual League One champions.
Bonus game: Newcastle United 0-1 Cambridge United (FA Cup)
This game technically missed out on the list because it wasn’t a league match, but it has to be mentioned as the biggest result of Cambridge’s season and one of the most important wins in their history.
In talking about it, it’s crucial to remember the three games that preceded it in their FA Cup run. This includes both games against Northampton Town in the first round and their 2-1 victory against Exeter City in the second round. Without big performances in each of those two games, their dream match at St James’ Park would never have happened.
The U’s were drawn to face Premier League outfit Newcastle United in the third round of the competition, with the Magpies recently becoming the wealthiest club in the world after their takeover by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia. The match would also become Kieran Trippier’s debut, having joined Eddie Howe’s side from Atlético Madrid for £12 million the previous week.
As a result, the game soon sold out, with more than 4,800 Cambridge fans making the trip to the North East. Howe opted to play the strongest team he had available, with the likes of Allan Saint-Maximin, Jonjo Shelvey and Joelinton all starting alongside their new arrival from the Spanish capital.
The U’s were, unsurprisingly, dominated for almost the entire match, although they could’ve felt aggrieved for not receiving a penalty after Matt Ritchie brought down Knibbs in the penalty area. Cambridge made it to half time level, but found themselves ahead just over 10 minutes later. May recycled the ball on the edge of the area, finding Ironside in the box who turned and fired a shot past Martin Dúbravka for the lead.
VAR looked set to rule out the goal, with May clearly standing in an offside position. However, Shelvey got a touch on Worman’s initial lobbed ball to him, creating a new phase of play and nullifying the offside position before of the goal was scored.
Cambridge defended for their lives, putting their bodies on their line to keep out Newcastle for the remainder of the game. Mitov was forced into an astonishing save in the final seconds of stoppage time, denying Joelinton from a corner to secure a historic win. The U’s won away at the richest club in the world while keeping a clean sheet, reaching the fourth round of the competition for the first time since 2015.
Player of the season: Dimitar Mitov
Mitov ended up sweeping four of the five end-of-season awards presented following Cambridge’s final game against Cheltenham Town, and it came as no surprise. While Ironside and Smith both boast incredible goal tallies, the amount of points and games that the Bulgarian goalkeeper has won makes him the obvious answer. He finished the campaign with 12 clean sheets in 42 League One matches.
In an overly top-heavy division, Cambridge’s goalkeeper was always going to be important this season because of the amount of time they would spend out of possession and the number of shots they’d face in each game. His saves against Lincoln, Ipswich and Wigan were crucial in Cambridge securing away wins against all of them, not to mention his stunning save against Newcastle in the FA Cup.
At just 25 years old, Mitov will undoubtedly draw a lot of attention over the summer transfer window as he enters the final year of his contract. The goalkeeper refused to rule out a departure, but emphasised his love for the club following their 2-2 draw against Cheltenham.
“I have another contract for next season so I’m definitely here for now. But you never know what can happen in football. I can’t say yes but I can’t say no at the same time because I love it here. It’s the club that’s given me everything in football.”
Young player of the season: Ben Worman
Although Bonner has worked at every level of Cambridge’s academy, there hasn’t really been a young breakout player in their first season back in League One. The closest has to be 20-year-old Ben Worman, who played 13 league matches for the U’s this season.
The midfielder became the youngest ever player to take part in a competitive match for the club at the age of 16, but only ever managed to make one league appearance before Cambridge won promotion in 2020/21. His stunning strike at Morecambe saw him gain widespread attention on social media, with many fans hoping that he could be the long-term replacement for Wes Hoolahan.
It remains to be seen as to whether or not this comes to fruition, as Worman struggled to nail down a regular spot on the starting lineup, despite making the XI away at Newcastle in the FA Cup. With Bonner having a number of midfield options at his disposal, the U’s academy graduate may find that his short-term future is better away from the club, with a loan to a League Two side surely a possibility for next season.
Goal of the season: Ben Worman vs Morecambe
Almost any of May’s five league goals for Cambridge this season could be labelled as goal of the season, as could Iredale’s screamer away at Shrewsbury Town in October. Worman’s strike against Morecambe has often been criticised for his heavy yet fortunate touch that allowed him to strike the ball so powerfully, but it doesn’t take away from what is a stunning move from start to finish.
Furthermore, the importance of the goal in terms of the result makes it all the more special. Iredale’s goal, as incredible as it was, came in a 4-1 defeat, while Worman’s turned the tide in what was one of Cambridge’s most important wins of their season.
⚠️ ????? ???? ????? ⚠️
Stop what you’re doing and watch this absolutely ?????????? strike from Cambridge United’s Ben Worman! ? pic.twitter.com/6hnemsffSG
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) November 3, 2021
What’s next?
Bonner admits that the first aim for this season was always to secure survival. Cambridge never dropped into the bottom six at any point during the campaign, and confirmed mathematical safety with four games remaining. They ultimately felt just short of a top-half finish, finishing the season in 14th, so this is obviously what the U’s will want to achieve next season.
Bonner often describes League One as “a league of two leagues”, with the gap in quality between the top and bottom 12 sides so big. He describes his aim as being “the top of our mini-league”, but the Cambridge head coach will surely be keen on breaking into the top half and continuing their constant progression.
Although Wycombe Wanderers boss Gareth Ainsworth believes that the U’s can become a Championship side in the near future, Mitov indicated that the club won’t be expecting to challenge for the playoffs next season, before adding “you never know, stranger things have happened in football”.
However, ‘second-season syndrome’ is undoubtedly a real thing, as Crewe Alexandra found out this season. If Cambridge want to maintain and improve upon their current position, they’ll need to keep the core of their current squad together. This will be difficult, with the likes of Ironside, Smith and Mitov likely to attract increased interest after their impressive performances this season.
Bonner stated that Iredale is likely to leave the club this summer at the end of his contract, with Bolton seemingly the frontrunners to acquire his signature. Captain Paul Digby also confirmed that 39-year-old Wes Hoolahan will not be renewing his deal, and he too will leave the club, ending his two-year stint at the club.
May’s contract also runs out this summer, and he might feel that he can attract the attention of bigger clubs after his improved performances for the club this season. Harrison Dunk, Greg Taylor and Liam O’Neil are also at the end of their current deals, but are expected to be offered new contracts to remain at the club.
On top of this, Cambridge need to increase the numbers in their squad because they simply don’t have enough depth to compete throughout the course of a 46-game season. The U’s will need to add extra quality to their side too, with a number of strong teams set to compete in League One next season.
Ipswich, Bolton and Charlton will strengthen significantly over the summer, while three of MK Dons, Sheffield Wednesday, Sunderland and Wycombe will remain in League One and will undoubtedly be challenging at the top of the division. Both Forest Green Rovers and Exeter City will be aiming for a mid-table finish next season after they achieved promotion, while Barnsley and Derby County will be aiming for an immediate return to the Championship.
Peterborough United will be hoping to bounce straight back up as well, but they find themselves in the same division as Cambridge since 2001/02. It means that the Cambridgeshire Derby will be contested in a league game for the first time in more than 20 years, and the U’s will be hoping to beat their arch-rivals for the first time since 1998.
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