Having topped Group H, Mark Bonner's men now face off against Walsall in the Second Round of the Papa John's Trophy...
Form
Mark Bonner’s men will be looking to bounce back after falling to defeat against Sunderland on Saturday. Despite Sam Smith scoring his fifth goal in his last six outings and levelling the game midway through the second half, the U’s were unable to salvage a point after Nathan Broadhead had restored the Black Cats’ lead after 36 minutes, despite United dominating for much of the second 45 minutes.
Cambridge United form: LWLDL
The U’s previous outing saw United left frustrated having surrendered a two-goal lead in the final ten minutes, after Joe Ironside and Adam May struck either side of the half-time whistle, before Callum Lang’s late double salvaged a point for Leam Richardson’s Wigan Athletic.
Matt Taylor’s Walsall were unable to return Staffordshire with any points having made the daunting trip up to Carlisle on Saturday. Tristan Abrahams’ 88th minute winner sealed all three points for the Cumbrians and in turn saw Chris Beech’s side move out of the League Two relegation zone – leaving Walsall sitting 14th, six points shy of the play-offs.
Walsall form: LLDWL
The Saddlers however, were able to end a three-match winless run last Tuesday, as Brendon Kiernan’s first-half strike was enough for the three points over a Port Vale side who were reduced to ten-me midway through the second half.
Key Player: Liam Kinsella
The tough tackling defensive midfielder progressed through the Saddler’s youth ranks, having joined the club as an eight-year-old, before making his debut for the club in 2014 aged 18. Now 25, the Irishman, who boasts international experience representing the Boys in Green at U19 and U21 level, has now ranked up over 180 appearances for the Saddlers.
Down Memory Lane
Tuesday night’s clash at the Abbey will see Cambridge United and Walsall compete together in the EFL trophy for the first time since 1999, where Walsall eventually saw off Roy McFarland’s side off on penalties after the two teams were tied 1-1 at full-time.
Tuesday’s visitors Walsall boast a historical advantage over the U’s, having won eight of the 15 clashes between both sides, three better than United’s five wins.
However, in more recent years the U’s have tasted victory against the Saddlers, with Paul Mullin scoring the game’s only goal the last time the two sides met in March 2021, seeing the U’s complete a league double over Walsall en route to promotion.
Quick Quotes
U’s First Team Coach Barry Corr expects the team to make changes: “There is going to be changes with the team and that is probably a by-product of the kind of run that we have been on. We seem to have played every Tuesday for as long as I can remember!
“It is a good opportunity to give some minutes to some of our really promising players. It points to how good of a squad we have got. We do have good players that maybe haven't played so much this season and it is an opportunity for them to stake a claim for future games.”
Officials
Will Finnie has been appointed as the game’s referee, with Andy Bennett and Geoffrey Russell coming in as his assistant referee’s. Abigail Byrne will oversee the game as fourth official.
How to Watch
The clash kicks off at 7pm, with tickets available online, over the phone by calling 01223 566500 (option 1) or by visiting the Abbey Stadium Ticket Office on Matchday.
Only the Main Stand will be open for this fixture, with tickets priced at £12 for Adults, £8 for Concessions and £1 for U18s.
Supporters who can't make it to the game can stream the action live with an iFollow Match Pass. Match Passes cost £10 and are available to purchase by clicking here.
The best way to stream the match is by doing so via the EFL iFollow App but please note, the App is only for streaming and supporters can't purchase their Match Passes through the application.