Cambridge United kicked off their pre-season campaign at near-neighbours Cambridge City for the second consecutive summer, coming away with a 3-1 victory - also for the second consecutive summer - at the FWD-IP Community Stadium...
Following first half goals from Louis Appere and trialist Tommy McDermott, who responded to the hosts opener, Ben Knight made it three to make sure of the win late in the match.
Head Coach Neil Harris opted to field two entirely different XIs for each 45-minute half. New signing Isaac Heath was named in the initial lineup, joining academy scholar Jacob Yakubu and a core group of familiar first-team faces, including Eastwood, Watts, Bradshaw, Bennett, McConnell, McLoughlin, Lavery, and Appere.
It was the hosts who sparked the game to life, catching the U's cold on a scorching summer’s day and taking the lead after just five minutes when Randall powered home a header from a corner. United responded quickly, however, restoring parity just moments later. Bennett turned provider, picking out Appere in the penalty area, and the striker swivelled sharply to lash a clinical volley into the back of the net.
Following a frantic opening ten minutes, the tempo settled. Heath proved to be United's most potent attacking outlet, operating down the left flank and showing plenty of confidence to drive forward and commit his marker at every opportunity.
On the half-hour mark, Lavery made way for trialist McDermott in a pre-planned substitution. The change was immediately followed by action at the other end, where goalkeeper Eastwood pulled off a superb stop to tip Hockey's top-corner-bound strike over the crossbar.
United nearly snatched the lead five minutes before the interval. McDermott played a slick one-two with the lively Heath to unlock the City defence and burst into the box, but he couldn't keep his sweeping effort under the bar. Undeterred, McDermott managed to break free of the defence in first-half added time, tucking the ball away nicely to send United into the break ahead.
It was all change for the second half. Ahadme, Stead, Knight, Ball, Jobe, Bauer, and Hughes all entered the frame, alongside academy prospects Murefu and MacDouglad, and trialists McDermott and Bwomono.
The attacking trio of Knight, Ahadme, and Stead looked dangerous from the off. Just a few minutes into the half, Stead forced a fine save from the City stopper, firing towards the top corner from a narrow angle only to see his effort beaten away well.
Lohan MacDouglad, one of the bright prospects from the Under-18s, also showed glimpses of his talent. Breaking away down the left, he picked out Ahadme from six yards out, but the striker couldn't direct his header under the crossbar.
Ahadme caused problems again with 80 minutes on the clock, as his header crashed off the crossbar from close-range, but Ben Knight was on the spot to slide in and convert the rebound to make it 3-1 to the U's.
Next up for Neil Harris’ men is a behind-closed-doors fixture against Southend United next week.