First Win in Five as Cambridge Look to Attempt Great Escape! 

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There was a palpable sense of excitement in the air before kick-off at the Cledara Abbey Stadium as the crowd awaited the U’s first game under new manager Neil Harris after Garry Monk’s sacking last week.

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Before the game Cambridge were adrift at the bottom of the table: 8 points away from safety and the prospect of relegation looming ever larger with just one win in their previous thirteen league games.

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As such, one would expect Harris to struggle in his first game against Stockport County. The Hatters were riding high, having had four wins and a draw in their last five games, and were comfortably cruising towards the playoff places.

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That expectation was crushed within nine minutes as the ever-tenacious Liam Bennett, Gary Neville-esque with his tucked-in shirt adorned with the number two, crossed the ball into the danger area to be met by a header from Josh Stokes. Stokes powerfully headed the ball into the top right corner, and Stockport keeper Addai was well-beaten.

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Beyond that, the first half was mainly composed of repeated long balls and the resulting headers back and forth between the teams. There was no real sustained possession from either team and, in the chaos, chances fell the way of both teams.

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Cambridge’s chances mainly came through set pieces with a header wide by Morrison from a free kick midway through the half. However, the second goal could not be any further from a set piece ‘meat and potatoes goal’. 

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The interplay in the build-up to Morris’ goal was comparable to something one would see on the pitch at the Camp Nou in Barcelona. Gibbons and Stokes for this period of play seemed to have a magnetic touch as they effortlessly flicked the ball between them before Stokes’ deflected shot left Addai rooted to the spot. 2-0.

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Nonetheless, it would be incorrect to say this was a two-punch knockout for the U’s as Stockport continued to create chances throughout the rest of the game. Immediately after Stokes’ second, Southam-Hales – at near point-blank range – sent a free header sailing over the crossbar.

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At halftime, Stockport made substitutions with Rydel entering the fray for Southam-Hales. Rydel immediately made an impact as his attacking threat created problems for Cambridge. Indeed, the second half saw long spells of possession for Stockport, culminating in what seemed to be a goal back in the 77th minute, only to be immediately flagged as offside.

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This set up an enticing finale as Stockport continued to fight, not letting the game peter out. The last five minutes saw lots of action and controversy with an incident in the penalty area between the increasingly fractious Hills of Stockport and Watts of Cambridge. 

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The coup de grâce for Stockport came in added time when having received a booking, Stockport’s Connolly received a second yellow nearly instantaneously for his seemingly choice words to the referee Scott Oldham.

The crowd's laughs and jeers at Connolly quickly turned into cheers and applause as, with the full-time whistle being blown, a semblance of hope seemed to envelop the crowd. If the U’s can turn this result into a good run of form, perhaps they will be able to survive the drop?

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Final Score: Cambridge 2 – 0 Stockport 

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Cambridge United Player Ratings:

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13. Bishop 7
2. Bennett 8 (A)
4. Digby 6
5. Morrison 7
6. Watts 6
7. Brophy 7 (A)
10. Kachunga 5
18. Loft 4
22. Stokes 9 (G,G)
24. Cousins 6
26. Gibbons 7