Cambridge United make a welcome return to the Cledara Abbey Stadium on Tuesday evening as they welcome Charlton Athletic for their next Bristol Street Motors Trophy tie…
How to Watch
The midweek Southern Group C clash in CB5 gets underway at the earlier time of 7pm. Only the Main Stand will be open for this fixture, with tickets at a reduced rate of £14 for Adults, £8 Concessions and just £5 for Under 18s. To secure your seat, you can either purchase online at cufctickets.com, call 01223 566500 (option 1) or visit the Ticket Office in advance or on the night.
Unable to attend? Fans in the UK can still watch every second of the action live on Sky Sports+, which is broadcasting every single game in the competition as part of the new five-year agreement. Overseas supporters can tune in on CUFC TV.
Opposition Focus
The Addicks make the short journey to Cambridgeshire eager to kickstart their set of EFL Trophy fixtures with a victory to further cement an applaudable introduction to a season that has a plethora of promise. Under the guidance of the astute Nathan Jones - a top flight gaffer as recently as last year – a special atmosphere is brewing at the Valley, with many feeling their rise starts here. A Premier League outfit during the turn of the millennium, Charlton have fluctuated between the second and third division ever since, with this being their fifth campaign in League One following rankings of 7th, 13th, 10th and 16th most recently. Whilst the sole aim is battling it out with the heavyweights for promotion, a piece of cup silverware is also on the agenda for a well-rounded side.
Sitting pretty in 2nd, the Addicks have been tight defensively, which has been the bedrock of their early form. Stamping authority from the get-go, they came away from Wigan Athletic on the opening day with a late 0-1 triumph, before recording the same score in dramatic circumstances against Leyton Orient and then backing that up with a thoroughly deserved 2-0 win against promotion hopefuls Bolton Wanderers. Reading inflicted a first defeat, but they’ve recently bounced back with a 1-1 tie against relegated Rotherham United and then dispatched Shrewsbury Town 0-1 at the weekend.
The first thing you’ll notice is the many United links within the squad. Will Mannion has been the commanding figure between the sticks, claiming four clean sheets, whilst the towering Lloyd Jones is the defensive heartbeat. Another former U’s hero, Luke Berry has been an astute signing – particularly after scoring twice in the Premier League last season – whilst Gassan Ahadme, recruited from Ipswich Town permanently in the summer, opened his account last time out. With the games coming thick and fast, changes are expected, with the likes of Matt Godden, Daniel Kanu, Allan Campbell and a number of youngsters itching for starts.
Form Guide
- 17/08/2024 – Charlton Athletic 1-0 Leyton Orient – Sky Bet League One
- 24/08/2024 – Charlton Athletic 2-0 Bolton Wanderers – Sky Bet League One
- 31/08/2024 – Reading 2-0 Charlton Athletic – Sky Bet League One
- 07/09/2024 – Charlton Athletic 1-1 Rotherham United – Sky Bet League One
- 14/09/2024 – Shrewsbury Town 0-1 Charlton Athletic – Sky Bet League One
The Amber Angle
The U’s will be eager to tick off their first success of the season on Tuesday after they became unstuck at Mansfield Town on Saturday, who came away with a slender 2-1 win at the One Call Stadium.
Suffocating the hosts with a pressing nature, Garry Monk’s side started in the ascendency but were unable to find a killer instinct, which in turn was punished when experienced talisman Lee Gregory tapped home following a fast interchange moments before the break. Retaining belief, United came out of the blocks firing in the second half, drawing level courtesy of Emmanuel Longelo who rifled home after being slipped in. Despite boasting the impetus to go on and win it, it was the Stags who were clinical, with Gregory securing his brace and the points with a curling effort.
Deeming it as a cruel loss, the Head Coach said post-match: “The feeling is – out of all the recent run of results – that’s the one we deserved the least. We were much more solid defensively, which we’ve been working on. Of course there are moments where you can do better and you’d probably say that after every game, but we gave ourselves a platform in the game defensively… I truly believe it will turn for the players and everyone. There wasn’t much more we could do today in terms of an away performance.”
The defeat stretches the winless run to seven matches, but it’s not time for panic stations where the U’s are concerned – the front-footed philosophy remains a positive one, with the side hopeful that things will soon click into place. The task now is to add to the point gained at Bromley a fortnight ago and continue to keep the Wembley dream alive. It may just be the tonic they need to take into the league schedule.
Form Guide
- 17/08/2024 – Cambridge United 0-1 Crawley Town – Sky Bet League One
- 24/08/2024 – Cambridge United 4-4 Blackpool – Sky Bet League One
- 31/08/2024 – Bristol Rovers 2-0 Cambridge United – Sky Bet League One
- 03/09/2024 – Bromley 3-3 Cambridge United – EFL Trophy Group Stage
- 14/09/2024 – Mansfield Town 2-1 Cambridge United – Sky Bet League One
Officials
- Referee: Carl Brook
- Assistant Referee: Daniel Smith
- Assistant Referee: Andrew Hickman
- Fourth Official: Ryan Whitaker
