Cambridge United battled their way to earn a point at Wycombe Wanderers on Halloween night…
There were to be no ghouls at Adams Park though, as both sides failed to convert any of their chances throughout the contest, with United picking up a best-in-the-EFL eighth clean sheet of the season.
Mark Bonner named four changes to the side that beat Carlisle United on Saturday, as George Thomas, Fejiri Okenabirhie, Saikou Janneh and Adam May returned to the starting XI.
United had to ride out some scary early moments as Wycombe looked to take the initiative in the game. With 12 minutes played, Hanlan failed to make a clean connection when the ball made its way over to him inside the box, before McLearly headed Vokes’ cross over the bar 10 minutes later.
With nearly 30 minutes on the clock, Wycombe’s Taylor blasted an effort from 20 yards over the bar, but the U’s would grow into the half and start to make some in-roads on the opposition goal.
The best chance for United came on 40 minutes, as a brilliant deep Andrew cross found the head of Bennett, whose effort crashed off the crossbar, onto the post and away from the Wanderers goal.
It was a half of little action, but one that probably suited the U’s as they went into the break all square and well in the game.
Just a few minutes after the break, Okenabirhie spurned a golden chance for the U’s as Janneh got in down the left before cutting the ball back towards the striker, whose shot flew over the bar.
Another decent opportunity came on 56 minutes, as Brophy was released on the opposite side, and despite finding May with a well picked out pass, the U’s midfielder was met head-on by a Wycombe defender who forced the effort wide of the goal.
With the U’s on top, Mark Bonner looked to keep it that way and made a switch soon after, as Kaikai came on for Janneh. It was on the opposite flank where United’s main threat was coming from though, as the lively Brophy cut inside before curling a strike just wide of the top corner from 25 yards out.
Despite struggling for much of the half, Wycombe came a whisker of the post away from taking the lead as Stevens denied McLeary from 10 yards out, with a crucial stop to keep the scores level.
The U’s would go on and come close once more, with Okenabirhie’s in-swinging cross coming inches away from Kaikai’s head, at point blank range.
As the game approached the final stages, the game opened up as both sides went for a winner. First, Wheeler let fly on the volley which fizzed over the bar, before arguably the best chance of the game fell to the recently introduced, Lankester, who powered his shot on target from six-yards out, but was denied by the strong hand of Stryjek.
All of the U’s good work almost came undone in one calamitous moment with nearly 90 minutes played, as an attempted clearance by the back-pedaling Bennett was almost sliced into his own goal from near the half-way line – thankfully the ball bounced over the bar and out for a corner.
That was the last of the drama as the full-time whistle blew and United extended their unbeaten run to three games, after a solid point and performance away from home.