Cambridge United rescued a point late in the afternoon at the Cledara Abbey Stadium as they played out a 1-1 draw with AFC Wimbledon in their latest Sky Bet League One clash…
Following a bright start, the U’s found themselves undone on the half hour mark when Jayden Stockley struck a well-taken volley home. A change of shape after the break helped accumulate more chances and the hosts continued their record of finding the scoresheet in every league game this season during injury time as Zak Bradshaw squeezed the ball in.
Four days on from sweeping aside Gillingham in the EFL Trophy, Neil Harris named three changes to his starting XI as Jake Eastwood, Dominic Ball and Gassan Ahadme all returned. Among the substitutes was the inclusion of George Hoddle for the first time in 2026/27 after recovering from injury, who was joined by scholars Lohan McDougald, Dan Efobi and Dan Herd.
Defying many with their impressive starts to the campaign, the visitors were just a point and two places behind the U’s in 5th heading into this meeting. On form and fearing nobody that stood in their way, Cambridge were unbeaten in five matches in all competitions but would be tested against a resolute Dons who had kept four clean sheets from their last five.
CB5 was packed to the rafters on what was a warm afternoon, and the fans full of anticipation wouldn’t be waiting long for the first attempt to arrive as a neat passing sequence on the left resulted in Heath’s cross being punched away by a busy Josef Bursik, who then got down low to claim Glenn McConnell’s tame effort from outside of the area on the 5th minute.
Enjoying the ball early on and getting into the right spaces, Heath tested his luck shortly after with a fierce shot from distance, but it was meat and drink for Bursik. Straight up the other end, Stockley was found from 25 yards out and picked his spot but drilled it wide of Jake Eastwood’s right post.
Accumulating the half-chances, Ben Knight found himself in possession in the middle of the park and drove into space on the 13th minute and had every right to shoot but it was shanked wide, before Bradshaw’s delivery was cleared straight back to him on the edge of the area, who teed up Owen Moxon from 20 yards out – the midfielder attempted precision towards the far corner but couldn’t get it on target.
The travellers from London dished out the best opportunity of the early stages on 23 when Dujuan Richards’ deep cross was pinpoint for Stockley as the proven striker dived low to head on sight, but it was a strong match from Eastwood.
On half hour, United found themselves behind when Andy Yiadom’s delivery from the right was well-matched by Stockley, who controlled with his body and unleashed a sweet right-footed volley into the top corner.
Johnnie Jackson’s men were forced into an immediate change when an injury cut Richards’ match short – he was replaced by Zack Nelson as Wimbledon maintained their momentum heading into the break with the U’s unable to recapture their bright spells prior to the opener.
As a result, there was a change ahead of the second period as McConnell was replaced by Shayne Lavery as the Head Coach opted for a change of shape. This immediately handed the home side more impetus as the substitute scampered down the right wing and picked out a cross on target which nearly caught out Bursik, who clawed behind.
Some quickfire chances fell Cambridge’s way shortly after as Ball was invitingly found from 15 yards out, but his first-time effort sailed wide, before Knight won himself a free-kick from distance which he curled over the woodwork. Although the equaliser had so far evaded them, they looked much more front-footed.
The tide would soon change, however, as the U’s were forced deep when Aron Sasu’s header on 64 was powerful, but Eastwood watched it dip over, before a clever one-two from Callum Maycock and Alistair Smith allowed the former to pull the trigger with the angle closing in – again Cambridge’s number one was assuring to get a leg on it.
Somehow, the men in amber didn’t level matters on the 70th minute when a scramble inside the area gifted them a golden moment. Lavery’s strike was punched clear by Bursik, Bradshaw was there in the follow-up and Heath stabbed at it from yards out, but it was smashed off the underside of the bar an adjudged not to have crossed the line.
Very much one-way traffic now, Ahadme was next to wriggle through, but his strike was blocked before Knight again was denied by a stern body on the line from Steve Seddon.
With the clock ticking, Harris opted for the changes as Louis Appere and Hoddle were introduced. The midfielder’s sublime pass slipped in Bradshaw down the left, who floated towards the mixer, but it wasn’t latched at despite a deft touch.
Fighting tooth and nail, there were plenty of loose balls into the box, but just as it looked like there was no end product to grab a way back into it, Cambridge continued their goalscoring record by levelling matters during stoppage time.
Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu drifted a corner towards the back post and there was Bradshaw to turn the ball home from a tight angle for his third of the season. As a result, it initially appeared it hit the side netting, but U’s fans around the ground soon spilled into pandemonium.
Although they fought until the very end, Cambridge were unable to muster up a dramatic winner, but a share of the spoils was the least they deserved as they made it six unbeaten.
The international break means the U’s now have a period of recuperation, with their next match being back at CB5 on 6th October as they do battle with Northampton Town in their second Jersey Mike’s Trophy clash.
Cambridge United: Eastwood, Bradshaw, Heffernan, Watts, Mpanzu, Ball, Moxon (Hoddle, 78’), Heath, McConnell (Lavery, 46’), Knight, Ahadme (Appere, 78’)
Subs Not Used: Breeze, McDougald, Efobi, Herd
Goalscorers: Bradshaw (90+1’)
Bookings: Mpanzu, Watts
AFC Wimbledon: Bursik, Ogundere, Sweeney, Yiadom, Sasu (Horan, 90+1’), Maycock (McNeilly, 73’), Smith, Harrison, Seddon, Richards (Nelson, 34’), Stockley
Subs Not Used: McDonnell, Ashamu
Goalscorers: Stockley (28’)
Bookings: Yiadom, Seddon
Referee: Ben Toner
Attendance: 7,819 (1,031 away fans)