Mark Bonner’s men welcome Burton Albion to the Abbey this weekend looking to secure their first win in the third tier for nearly two decades…
Form:
Following on from Tuesday’s fiery 1-1 draw at Plymouth, United will be looking to go one further this weekend, by getting their first win of the season against early season table-toppers Burton Albion.
A Joe Ironside penalty was enough to rescue United a point at Home Park, having fallen behind to a Luke Jephcott volley earlier in the second half – securing the U’s their second point of the season after an opening day draw against last season’s play-off semi-finalists Oxford United, a side who had handed this weekend’s visitors their only taste of defeat this season, in the first round of the Carabao Cup.
Despite elimination in the Carabao Cup, Jimmy Floyd-Hasselbaink’s men have enjoyed a largely successful start to the campaign, winning all three of their opening games in League One – which is an even more impressive feat given the Brewers have picked up six of their nine points against pre-season league favourites Sunderland and Ipswich Town; finding themselves only denied at the summit of the division by goal difference.
Jonny Smith’s impressive strike, as well as a man of the match performance from ‘keeper Ben Garratt was enough to earn the Brewers all three points against Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on Tuesday night.
Memory Lane:
The U’s and the Brewers have met on 14 occasions throughout history, with neither side having the edge over the other – both winning on five occasions. Most notably, facing off in the 2007/08 Conference Premier play-off final, where United overcame the Brewers over two legs before losing to Exeter in the play-off final.
Most recently in the Papa John’s Trophy, whereby United came from two goals down to confirm their progression out of Group H thanks to goals from Harvey Knibbs, Harry Darling and a brace from Luke Hannant.
Goals from Tom Elliott and Robbie Simpson weren’t enough in the last league game between the two sides, coming back in the 2014/15 season, with the eventual League Two champions running out as 3-2 winners on the day.
This weekend’s fixture will be the first time the two sides have met in the third tier.
Quick Quotes:
Mark Bonner ahead of this weekend’s clash:
“Since Jimmy Floyd-Hasselbaink has come in, they have been exceptional. They have recruited a lot of players in the summer and have had a brilliant start. They will certainly be coming to the Abbey really confident, trying to maintain the excellent start they’ve had.
“It is not a year where you can look at the fixture list and go “where’s the easy games?”, there simply is not any. The games are going to be a huge challenge and we are going to have to be at our best as often as we can. It is really encouraging that we have played three good teams and been very competitive in all of them. At the moment we are loving it, we are enjoying the challenge!”
The Officials:
Ben Toner, whose last game in charge saw Plymouth run out as shock 4-0 winners over Peterborough United in the Carabao Cup, will head up Saturday’s game at the Abbey, with Paul Yates and Adrian Tranter as his assistants. Abbas Khan will be the game’s fourth official.
Tickets:
Tickets for Saturday’s game can be bought online, over the phone by calling 01223 566500 (option 1) or by purchasing from the Abbey Stadium Ticket Office on Saturday from 09:30am until kick-off.
Save money by purchasing your tickets in-advance of the fixture, as all prices increase by £2 when buying in-person on the day of the game. Please view advance prices below:
| Advance Match Ticket Prices | Newmarket Rd/North Habbin | Main Stand Family Enclosures | Main Stand Blocks B, E, F & AC 1, 2 | Main Stand Blocks C & D |
| Adult | £18 | £19 | £22 | £24 |
| Concessions* | £14 | £14 | £17 | £20 |
| Under 18 | £8 | £8 | £10 | £18 |
| Under 12 | £5 | £5 | £5 | N/A |
| Wheelchair Disabled | £15 |
Ambulant Disabled supporters in receipt of higher level disability living allowance pay their relevant age category with a Carer Free of Charge, whilst the Wheelchair Disabled price also included the admission of a Free Carer Ticket, if required.
*Concessions = Seniors (64+), Young Adults (18-23), Serving or Retired Armed Forces and Full-Time Students
The South Habbin will be open for Saturday’s home match against Burton Albion, following feedback received from supporters. U’s fans in the Habbin will be able to move across to the South side of the stand, if they wish, in-order to lower the concentration of supporters in the stand.
Fans in other areas of the ground that wish to transfer to the South Habbin, may do so by contacting the Club in advance of the fixture by calling 01223 566500.
If you can't make the match, listen to live commentary courtesy of BBC Radio Cambridgeshire with an iFollow Audio Pass.