Cambridge United will be determined to make an instant return to winning ways in Sky Bet League One this weekend when they pit their wits against Barnsley at the Cledara Abbey Stadium…
How to Watch
Tickets are selling rapidly for Saturday’s meeting at CB5, with another near-capacity crowd poised to flock for the 3pm kick-off.
Avoid disappointment by purchasing your tickets online at cufctickets.com, over the phone by calling 01223 566500 (option 1) or by visiting the Ticket Office. All prices increase by £2 when buying in-person on the day.
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
Established in 1887, Barnsley wasted no time in achieving success. Joining the Football League in 1898, the side originally struggled in Division Two, but used their FA Cup success in 1912 to cement themselves. Post-war, they fluctuated between the Third and Fourth Division, but built their way up and gate-crashed the Premier League for a single season in 1997/98. Most recently, they’ve pulled off the Championship ‘great escape’, went close to returning to the top tier with a promotion tilt, succumbed to League One football and then suffered play-off heartache in the previous two campaigns. The Tykes’ aim of capping a topsy-turvy era by going one better and ensuring it’s third time lucky has made a strong start under tactician Darrell Clarke – can he maintain that organisation and consistency?
Occupying a respectable ranking of 4th, the Yorkshire outfit recovered from an opening day 1-2 defeat to newly-promoted Mansfield Town by securing three victories from four against Lincoln City, Crawley Town and Bristol Rovers. Their most disappointing result of the season, a 3-0 blow at Stevenage, signalled a run where they won just one in five, but they’ve certainly turned the tide of late and found rhythm to their game. Going into the match off the back of a four-match unbeaten run, Clarke’s men have edged out Blackpool, shared the spoils with Charlton Athletic and overcame Shrewsbury Town and Rotherham United by two goals to nil.
Between the sticks, Ben Killip has evolved into a dependable goalkeeper and commands well with his back three of Frenchman Mael de Geivgney, vastly experienced Marc Roberts and the commanding Josh Earl. Their reliability gives wing-backs Corey O’Keeffe and Georgie Gent licence to roam, with central midfielders Adam Phillips, Luca Connell and Jonathan Russell breaking up the play and progressing it. 25-year-old Max Watters has led the line impeccably recently and should partner marquee signing Davis Keillor-Dunn up top, which completes a very well-drilled and exciting group that’ll keep the U’s tested all throughout the afternoon.
Form Guide
- 22/10/2024 – Barnsley 2-2 Charlton Athletic – Sky Bet League One
- 26/10/2024 – Shrewsbury Town 0-2 Barnsley – Sky Bet League One
- 29/10/2024 – Barnsley 1-3 Doncaster Rovers – Bristol Street Motors Trophy
- 02/11/2024 – Port Vale 1-3 Barnsley – Emirates FA Cup First Round
- 08/11/2024 – Barnsley 2-0 Rotherham United – Sky Bet League One
The Amber Angle
The U’s have spent the week licking their wounds and refocusing after rivals Peterborough United terminated their five-match winning run with a 6-1 victory at the Weston Homes Stadium.
Although the visitors had found their feet during a positive opening 20 minutes, the Posh immediately moved up the gears thanks to their free-flowing attackers who were lethal on the counter. Ricky-Jade Jones, a double from Kwame Poku, Malik Mothersille’s penalty and Ryan De Havilland’s strike 50 minutes in raced the hosts into a commanding 5-0 lead, Sullay Kaikai went on to provide a consolation, but man of the match Poku completed his hat-trick at the death to register a difficult afternoon for United.
Reflecting on the defeat, Garry Monk said: “It’s a bitter pill to take isn’t it, especially a derby game… I don’t think the scoreline reflects really the whole game, but it is what it is. We’ve got no excuses; we just didn’t react well enough after what was a really strong start.”
Languishing in 22nd, the gap from safety now reads at four points, but that can all change in a heartbeat with seven matches still to play until Christmas. A return to basics is expected as they look to rekindle the form which saw them go five matches without conceding, whilst at the other end they’ve been working on finding that clinical edge in the final third and increasing their output – only Stevenage have scored less than their 12. Capitalising and making ground on others during the international break will make for an excellent reaction.
Form Guide
- 22/10/2024 – Stevenage 0-2 Cambridge United – Sky Bet League One
- 26/10/2024 – Cambridge United 1-0 Burton Albion – Sky Bet League One
- 02/11/2024 – Woking 0-1 Cambridge United – FA Cup First Round
- 05/11/2024 – Cambridge United 1-0 Chelsea U21s – EFL Trophy Group Stage
- 09/11/2024 – Peterborough United 6-1 Cambridge United – Sky Bet League One
Quick Quotes
Monk on bouncing back: “I’m sure you’ll see a determined response in this game, we’ve been working in that way all week. The challenge of that is something we’re looking forward to. We have to bear in mind the progress we’ve made, it’s a balance of both – what’s just happened, what we feel from that and also not forgetting the progress we’ve made to that previously. We need to package that all up to put on a performance this week.
“We’ve got a good group. They understand what it means to play for the club and what it means to go there Saturday and try and put a response in, not only because of the result before but because we need to and where we are in the league… For a number of reasons there’s a lot of motivation there to win this game.”
Team News
It was revealed on Thursday that James Gibbons is set to be sidelined for 10 to 12 weeks with a knee ligament injury, whilst Josh Stokes has also suffered a reaction to his knee so won’t be available for Saturday. Vicente Reyes and Sullay Kaikai will also miss out after being called up to the Chile and Sierra Leona respectively, but frontman Shayne Lavery has a chance of making the squad.
Head-to-Head
- Cambridge United Wins: 6
- Barnsley Wins: 12
- Draws: 7
Last Time We Met
Friday 29th March 2024 – Barnsley 0-2 Cambridge United – Sky Bet League One
Our last encounter back on Good Friday saw the Head Coach register his first win for the club – and the U’s first since February – as they gave their survival hopes a massive boost by overcoming the Tykes 0-2 at Oakwell. An unfortunate own goal from Mael de Gevigney handed the visitors a shock lead, but they were excellent value for the three points in a significantly-improved performance capped by substitute Gassan Ahadme’s header 20 minutes from time. The line-up on that day: Mannion, Jobe, R. Bennett, Andrew, L. Bennett, Cousins, Digby, Gibbons, Kaikai, Brophy, Taylor.
Boot in Both Camps
Academy graduate and a modern-day United legend, Luke Berry has made a real name for himself in English football following spells with Cambridge and Barnsley a decade ago. Coming through the ranks, the box-to-box, all-action midfielder was integrated into the first team in 2009 and was influential during their promotion to the Football League in 2014, which earned him a move to this weekend’s visitors. A short spell meant he returned back home after the solitary season on a four-year deal, where he thrived and scored 22 goals in 2016/17, prompting Luton Town to acquire his services. The 32-year-old embarked on the Hatters’ meteoric rise to the Premier League, in which he found the back of the net on two occasions last campaign, before linking up with Nathan Jones again at Charlton Athletic. His ability to progress play and find space in the final third has caught the eye of all the clubs he has appeared for.
Officials
- Referee: Sebastian Stockbridge
- Assistant Referee: Daniel Bonneywell
- Assistant Referee: Marc Wilson
- Fourth Official: Oliver Mackey