The curtain-raiser for Cambridge United’s four-year stay in Sky Bet League One saw them succumb to a 1-2 defeat to champions Birmingham City at the Cledara Abbey Stadium…
A free-flowing start at CB5 was undone by Christoph Klarer’s effort from distance, but the U’s pulled it back through a well-taken Shayne Lavery strike. After being reduced to 10 men half-way through the second period, the visitors were able to capitalise by forcing an own goal to seal the points as the hosts concluded the 2024/25 campaign in 23rd.
The 46th and final team selection of the campaign saw Neil Harris name three changes to the XI that were edged out by Burton Albion a week earlier, as Nathan Bishop, Elias Kachunga and Lavery were chosen from the get-go.
15 seconds in, the U’s almost made the perfect start as Kachunga capitalised on Klarer’s misplaced back pass. The forward raced in on goal and scampered towards Ryan Allsop, but the goalkeeper remained big to deny.
One-way traffic continued in the opening minutes, with the DR Congo man being presented with a half-volley from 15 yards – the shot was clean, but it didn’t have the accuracy as it sailed wide of the post.
Named as the Club’s Player of the Season prior to kick-off, James Brophy looked up for the battle by testing his luck from distance on the 4th minute which was yards out, whereas opposite wideman Sullay Kaikai’s direct corner shortly after was heading in and required Allsop to paw away.
Following a series of corners on 18, Kaikai picked out a scintillating cross towards Kachunga at the back post who, with his back to goal, acrobatically struck against the side netting.
The Blues, fresh from shattering the EFL points tally record in midweek, had the ability to turn the screw in a flash by opening the scoring on the 24th minute. Out of nowhere, centre-back Klarer received the ball from 25 yards out and his intended cross looped towards the target, beating Bishop in the process.
Although this initially threatened to turn the tide in the visitors’ favour, the U’s continued in their persistent approach to deservedly level matters 10 minutes before the break through Lavery’s fifth of the campaign. An over-the-top ball from Liam Bennett was latched at by the Northern Irishman, who raced in from an angle in the area before hitting a delightful strike into the far corner.
Despite final rankings being sealed for both sides, there was still that nice energy to Cambridge’s play, whose endeavour was worthy of a draw going into half-time.
The second half brought a double change for Chris Davies’ men, whereas Harris opted for a switch in the attacking department as Dom Ballard replaced Lavery.
Immediately, United probed and carved open the watertight Birmingham defence courtesy of a one-two from Kaikai and Kachunga, with the former racing into the box and showing silky feet to manoeuvre past two men before pulling the trigger from a tricky angle which was denied.
Straight up the other end, Jay Stansfield hit a fierce half-volley at Bishop, whereas the goalkeeper needed to remain alert to then punch away Tomoki Iwata’s venomous shot from distance shortly after.
The U’s needed to see out the final 20 minutes with a man less after Kachunga received his marching orders for a second yellow of the afternoon following a lunge on Myung-Jae.
Even with the disadvantage, the hosts exploited space and created a good opening on the 73rd minute as Paul Digby released Ballard, who skipped past his man and crossed to Brophy inside the six-yard box, but a slight flick wasn’t enough to punish.
Veteran Lukas Jutkiewicz should have took the lead a couple of minutes later as he failed to gain a strong connection from a matter of yards away, but City would soon snatch the winner on 81 when a cross was deflected into the net off the back of a U’s defender.
In the dying embers, Josh Stokes and Ryan Loft were handed some game time, but it was Birmingham who finished in the ascendency to hold onto their win as the encounter fizzled out for the U’s, who now embark on League Two for the first time since promotion in 2021.
Cambridge United: Bishop, Bennett (Stokes, 87’), Morrison, Watts, Gibbons, Digby, Stevenson, Brophy, Kachunga, Kaikai (Loft, 87’), Lavery (Ballard, 45’)
Subs Not Used: Chadwick, Andrew, Okedina, Hoddle
Goalscorers: (Lavery, 35’)
Bookings: Kachunga (RED), Watts, Stokes
Birmingham City: Allsop, Laird (Anderson, 58’), Klarer, Hanley (Bielik, 63’), Myung-Jae, Leonard, Paik (Iwata, 45’), Willumsson (Dowell, 45’), Harris (Jutkiewicz, 70’), Gardner-Hickman, Stansfield
Subs Not Used: Peacock-Farrell, May
Goalscorers: Klarer (24’), OG (81’)
Bookings: Gardner-Hickman
Referee: Charles Breakspear
Attendance: 6764 (1036 away fans)
