Cambridge United face benchmark test against red-hot Bolton Wanderers

Although Cambridge United and Bolton Wanderers were promoted from League Two together last season, the two clubs have very different aspirations for the current campaign.

Mark Bonner will be fully focussed on maintaining his side’s League One status. Although the vast majority of lower-league pundits have tipped them to go down, the U’s have dragged their way up to 12th after four league games. Granted, the fortuitous 3-0 win against Burton Albion will have helped, but Cambridge have undoubtedly provided some shocks so far this season.

While safety is the priority for Saturday’s hosts, Bolton will be looking a bit further up the League One table. Despite registering consecutive 3-3 draws in their opening two games against MK Dons and AFC Wimbledon, the Trotters now find themselves just one place off the top six. Back-to-back wins against two of last season’s play-off teams, Lincoln City and Oxford United, have shown that Ian Evatt’s side are true promotion contenders.

Both sides picked up impressive wins in their last league games but were subsequently eliminated from the Carabao Cup in midweek. Cambridge faced a tough trip to The Den to play Championship side Millwall, eventually falling to a 3-1 defeat despite taking the lead midway through the first half and Bolton made the short journey over to rivals Wigan Athletic but crashed out on penalties after a 0-0 draw.

In truth, the two teams are in completely different universes. In the time since Cambridge last played third-tier football 19 years ago, Bolton have played 11 consecutive seasons in the Premier League, finishing as high as sixth in 2004/05. Although their rapid demise saw them drop into League Two, their budget, status and reputation dwarfs that of the U’s.

Of course, Bolton have visited The Abbey when the two sides were in the fourth tier last season, but despite their dire start to life in League Two, the visitors dominated in a 1-1 draw that they easily could’ve won. Evatt’s side did take three points from the reverse fixture at the University of Bolton Stadium at the back end of the campaign, which they won 2-1.

The Trotters obviously don’t possess the quality of their glory days in the top flight, but one player who could push them nearer to promotion is Oladapo Afolayan. The 23-year-old spent the second half of last season on loan at the club from West Ham United, with the move being made permanent at the end of the campaign.

The forward has scored twice in Bolton’s first four league games, including an impressive long-range effort against Oxford last weekend. He ranks top of the entire division for successful dribbles and the number of times he’s been fouled. Cambridge right-back George Williams will have the unenviable task of marking him at The Abbey on Saturday afternoon.

That being said, Williams has had a run of impressive performances himself. While goalkeeper Dimitar Mitov took the plaudits in the win against Burton, the former Bristol Rovers man was statistically one of the best players on the pitch. As a result, he was made captain for the Carabao Cup tie at Millwall and scored the opening goal of the game.

The quality that Bolton possess will be evident, however. New recruit Josh Sheehan has also scored twice this season, as so has striker Eoin Doyle. The U’s can’t just focus on shutting out one key player because their opponents have such impressive strength in depth. The hosts will need to match their excellent performance against Burton if they’re to take points off the Trotters.

Unsurprisingly, Evatt singled out Wes Hoolahan in his pre-match press conference. The two men played together at Blackpool early in their respective careers, and the Bolton manager has a clear understanding of the danger he possesses. The 39-year-old is expected to return to the starting lineup after missing the trip to The Den in midweek.

Jack Lankester could also be given his first league minutes for Cambridge on Saturday after making his debut for the club off the bench at Millwall. The youngster’s knee injury has kept him out of action since joining the U’s from Ipswich Town earlier in the summer, but he looked incredibly impressive in his short cameo on Tuesday night.

A positive result is crucial for the hosts, who will have a two-week break from league action after their game at Doncaster was postponed due to international call-ups. Finishing August on a high, and potentially in the top half of the table, would be a huge statement to the rest of the division.

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