Cambridge United return to the Abbey Stadium with the sole aim of restoring that winning feeling in Sky Bet League One this weekend when Shrewsbury Town make the trip to CB5...
Similarly impressive starts to the season for both the U’s and the Shrews have been diminished of late, with just the solitary point separating the sides. Mark Bonner’s group will be eager to use their home support as a springboard to terminate a five-match winless run, a feat that the visitors achieved in midweek.
How to Watch
Another big crowd is expected for Saturday’s encounter, which gets underway at 3pm. To avoid disappointment, be quick in securing your place.
Only single tickets are available in the Main Stand, with very few also left for sale in the Newmarket Road End and North Habbin. However, a generous amount of spacing is still on offer in the South Habbin.
Be sure to keep your notifications on for the Ticket Office Account on Twitter for all of the latest updates regarding sales.
Opposition Focus
Experiencing mixed fortunes since their formation in 1886, Town moved to Gay Meadow in 1910 and joined the Football League in 1950 following a successful election campaign. Just shy of three decades later, they made the second division for the first time in their history. Although they dropped down the leagues slightly from here, they’ve established themselves as a no-nonsense third tier outfit ever since their promotion from League Two in 2015, even making the play-off final in 2017/18 after a superb campaign, but fell short to Rotherham United at Wembley. First, Steve Cotterill laid stern foundations for Salop in recent years, firing them to 12th last season – their best showing in five years – but a new era dawns under Matt Taylor, who is hoping to turn the corner.
Following a summer of change, the 3-5-2 formation is retained. Slovakian goalkeeper Marko Marosi has started every single game and attained four clean sheets, with the dependable Morgan Feeney and Tom Flanagan either side of defensive rock Chey Dunkley – a threat in each box. Carl Winchester, Joseph Anderson or veteran Elliott Bennett usually hug and dart down the flanks, with Tom Bayliss, Taylor Perry and Hibernian loanee Nohan Kenneh the midfield destroyers. Although summer signings Max Mata and Kieran Phillips are yet to break their duck, fellow strikers Ryan Bowman and Daniel Udoh are real powerhouses and a nuisance to contend with.
As far as starts to the season goes, the Shrews ticked along well thanks to three wins from their opening five as Cheltenham Town, Burton Albion and Fleetwood Town were all edged out during one-goal victories. A five-game winless and goalless streak followed, with one point picked up from a possible 15 – concluded by a tricky 3-0 defeat at Oxford United. Last weekend, they turned the screw with a last-gasp triumph against Northampton Town to rise them to 19th. With a five-point gap from the drop, the task is to ensure it increases and improve on their five-goal showing.
Form Guide
Cambridge United: LDDLL
Shrewsbury Town: WLDLW
United’s Approach
The U’s will be hoping to find the fuel to charge a positive streak after they succumbed to a 2-1 defeat to Burton on Monday’s televised clash at the Pirelli Stadium.
A clinical first period for the Brewers saw them convert their two clear-cut attempts as pinpoint crosses were turned home from Josh Walker and Deji Oshilaja. It ultimately proved to be decisive as Fejiri Okenabirhie’s headed finish halved the arrears and set up a tight finish, where the visitors dominated the ball but couldn’t force more chances as Dino Maamria’s men stayed compact.
Reflecting on the display, the Head Coach stated: “You give yourselves too much of a mountain to climb when you fall behind against a team like that… We’ve got good players but we’ve got to do more to make those situations turn out for us because it’s a game that we should come and take something from, but we make it really hard for ourselves from the start.”
It was the first time this season that United have suffered back-to-back league losses – they’ll need to ensure that doesn’t occur again for some time. The loss extends their run to one win in eight in all competitions, but as the games come thick and fast – which includes taking on the two lowest-scoring teams next up – they’ll keep plugging away and battling for points.
Quick Quotes
Bonner on the tight schedule: “We’ve got some big games coming up and the relentless schedule will be good for us I think. There are three cup games in amongst that, but in the main I think we’re quite happy with the number of games that we’ve got coming.”
Bonner on starting games strong: “To concede early in both games (Barnsley and Burton) makes it difficult. First goals are always important in games and we’ve always seen that. We need to make sure that we are at the level from the very start to make sure we can get on top of the game.”
Bonner on how to tame the Shrews: “We’ll have to be excellent with the ball, create tempo at the right times and be creative when we get to the top third, but be robust and energetic and aggressive to defend against their threats in a direct style.”
Team News
In regards to team news, every member of Monday’s squad is fit, training and hungry for minutes, whilst Gassan Ahadme has a good chance of making a return – his slight strain will be assessed throughout the buildup and will be selected should he make it through training unscathed. Elsewhere, Kai Yearn has returned from his loan spell at King’s Lynn Town.
Head-to-Head
Cambridge United Wins: 15
Shrewsbury Town Wins: 12
Draws: 10
Down Memory Lane
Just four weeks after a euphoric come-from-behind Boxing Day victory, United succumbed to a dreary 5-1 shellacking in Shropshire in our previous meeting.
Luke Leahy and Jordan Shipley handed Salop a two-goal cushion heading into the break, which was extended through Matthew Pennington’s powering header on the hour. Joe Ironside restored parity and generated hope, but Christian Saydee and Leahy went on to net to cap a rampant display and consign the visitors to the relegation zone – where they would remain until the final day of the season.
Adamant to turn things around, Bonner said on that January afternoon: “We’ve got to do miles better. We’re way off where we need to be and we know what the situation is and if we don’t sort ourselves out there is only one thing that’s going to happen. (There’s) 20 games to do better and that’s on all of us to do that.”
Now, the U’s look to exact some revenge and build on a run of just the sole victory in five against Shrewsbury, where they’ve conceded 12 in that period. On the contrary, their home form is remarkable. In the previous 16 encounters stretching back to March 1978, Salop have returned from CB5 with just one win – that coming in a routine 0-2 FA Cup success in 2020/21.
Officials
Referee: Scott Tallis
Assistant Referee: Paul Kelly
Assistant Referee: Chris Wade
Fourth Official: Joseph Stokes