The Cambridge Campaign

WHILE the recent form for Cambridge United has been a little inconsistent, our weekend hosts in Sky Bet League Two have already shown enough this season to keep Argyle very wary of their danger at the Abbey Stadium.

The season opened with successive 0-0 draws against Bradford and Newport for the U’s, scoring their first goal of the campaign through Marc Richards in the 1-1 draw at Brentford in the Carabao Cup, a game Cambridge eventually won on penalties.

Richards and Harry Darling then scored the goals in a 2-1 victory at Colchester, while a Paul Lewis double helped Colin Calderwood’s men to a 3-2 success over Scunthorpe. Cambridge finally tasted defeat in the form of a 2-1 loss to Oldham, prompting a four-match losing streak that included a 6-0 reverse at Swansea in the Cup.

The U’s stopped the rot with an entertaining 3-2 win at ten-man Crewe and then produced a superb finish to score four unanswered goals in the final 16 minutes at Mansfield. Momentum stopped there, however, and a five-match winless run came next.

Cambridge got back on the winning trail in spectacular fashion, walloping Exeter City 4-0 at the Abbey and a time when the Grecians were at the top of the league. A draw and defeat came next but late goals from Sam Smith and Lewis gave them a 2-1 win over Crawley at the start of November.

The last six games have come and gone without a win for the U’s, although only two of those fixtures were in the league, and Cambridge displayed their fighting qualities with a hard-earned 0-0 draw at Carlisle in their last game, a fortnight ago.