Cambridge United will be looking to secure an instant return to winning ways in Sky Bet League One this weekend when they do battle with Wigan Athletic at the Brick Community Stadium…
How to Watch
Over 300 ardent U’s fans have already secured their place for Saturday afternoon’s meeting in Greater Manchester, which gets underway at 3pm.
Supporters who wish to join them can buy their tickets from the stadium on the day of the game.
Unable to attend? Be sure to back the boys from home via your CUFC TV account. Overseas supporters can stream the game live, whereas UK U’s can tune into audio commentary.
Opposition Focus
Formed in 1932, the Tics plied their trade in non-league until 1978, where they finally broke into the Football League – from there, the only way was up. Enjoying a slow descent, the two-time EFL Trophy winners broke into the second tier in 2003 and, just two years later, were celebrating promotion to the Premier League for the first time following a 2nd-place finish. There, they stayed for a total of eight seasons, with 10th their best recording. In spite of relegation in 2013, they won the FA Cup with a memorable success against Manchester City, which secured a Europa League adventure whilst in the Championship. A yo-yo side since, Wigan have hunted solidity - Shaun Maloney looked to be the first step towards that, with the former winger shoring up the defence and ensuring a strong foundation thanks to a respectable ranking of 12th last time out. However, with the current campaign not progressing as anticipated, they parted ways last week and are now in the process of adding experience and structure to their ranks in order to conclude the season with optimism.
Currently sitting in 15th, with a relatively comfortable seven-point advantage from the bottom four, the hosts are determined to kick on. To do that, they’ll need to find a clinical edge – their conversion of 31 goals is the least in the division. On the other hand, the backline has been watertight and helped churn out points, particularly in the opening months. After losing three of their opening four matches, six consecutive clean sheets saw them gain 10 points to climb the division, but the reverse defeat at the Abbey kick-started an inconsistent spell which continued into the winter months. A three-match unbeaten run over Christmas, where they dispatched Bolton Wanderers and Rotherham United either side of a 2-2 draw with Shrewsbury Town, has been the only highlight of late, with the Latics approaching the weekend off the back of the solitary victory from eight attempts.
Opting with a 4-2-3-1 setup, 22-year-old goalkeeper Sam Tickle will be looking for his 14th shutout of the League One season and is usually joined by a back four of James Carragher, centre-back pairing Will Aimson and Jason Kerr, and former Carlisle United man Jon Mellish. Scott Smith protects the middle of the park alongside the combative Ollie Norburn, allowing the license for new recruit Ronan Darcy to roam. Out wide, Jonny Smith and Dion Rankine battle for a starting berth on the right, with the proven Owen Dale on the other flank supplying for top scorer Dale Taylor, who has bagged eight important goals and popped up with seven assists.
Form Guide
- 18/02/2025 – Crawley Town 1-1 Wigan Athletic – Sky Bet League One
- 22/02/2025 – Wycombe Wanderers 0-0 Wigan Athletic – Sky Bet League One
- 25/02/2025 – Wigan Athletic 2-1 Huddersfield Town – Sky Bet League One
- 01/03/2025 – Wigan Athletic 1-2 Reading – Sky Bet League One
- 04/03/2025 – Mansfield Town 0-0 Wigan Athletic – Sky Bet League One
The Amber Angle
The U’s plan to bounce back in a positive fashion after the winning start to Neil Harris’ second tenure came to an end on Tuesday night when a professional Stevenage outfit secured a 0-1 success at the Cledara Abbey Stadium.
Unable to continue their momentum, a physical and committed affair was on show, with neither side able to show much attacking promise in the final third throughout an opening 45 that didn’t dish up a single shot. Coming out of the break stronger, Boro retained their resilient edge and secured the points courtesy of a well-taken Jamie Reid effort from outside of the box.
Summarising the evening, the Head Coach said: “We competed and I thought we were better at competing than Stevenage, which doesn’t happen very often in the lower leagues. I was really pleased with that, but we needed slightly better quality in the final third. I’ll never settle for defeat, especially here at the Abbey – not in a million years. Everyone knows my nature; I don’t like losing.”
A missed opportunity for United, although the overall picture hasn't changed much, with no sides in the bottom 10 registering a win on Tuesday night. 13 encounters remain, as United aim to pick themselves up and focus on picking up a second away win on the bounce.
Form Guide
- 11/02/2025 - Birmingham City 4-0 Cambridge United – Sky Bet League One
- 15/02/2025 - Cambridge United 0-1 Exeter City – Sky Bet League One
- 22/02/2025 – Cambridge United 2-0 Stockport County – Sky Bet League One
- 01/03/2025 – Crawley Town 0-2 Cambridge United – Sky Bet League One
- 04/03/2025 – Cambridge United 0-1 Stevenage – Sky Bet League One
Head-to-Head
- Wigan Athletic Wins: 7
- Cambridge United Wins: 5
- Draws: 8
Last Time We Met
Saturday 30th November 2024 – Cambridge United 1-2 Wigan Athletic (AET) – Emirates FA Cup Second Round
Just weeks after registering their first victory of the season against the Latics, the Abbey hosted another meeting between the sides in late November as the 2013 winners secured a last-gasp 1-2 victory during extra-time to seal their place in the Third Round of the Emirates FA Cup. A dramatic end to the second half saw youngster Brandon Njoku jump off the bench to draw first blood for the U’s, but they were quickly pegged back by Thelo Aasgaard. Just as penalties beckoned, the hosts were undone as Jonny Smith’s cross trickled in to ensure their passage through.
Cambridge’s line-up on that day: Reyes, Bennett, Ibsen Rossi, Watts, Andrew, Kachunga, Cousins, Brophy, Kaikai, Loft, Nlundulu.
Officials
- Referee: Matt Corlett
- Assistant Referee: Graeme Fyvie
- Assistant Referee: Garry Maskell
- Fourth Official: Aaron Bannister