International week over, and the “big dogs” are back playing domestic football. This weekend’s break for World Cup qualification fixtures passed me by a lot more than they did the last few seasons. Aside from the obvious, where depending on our opponent we’d often have our fixture postponed, even if we didn’t it was regularly a much more reduced slate in the third tier than it is the fourth. That’s just life in League Two, I guess.
But no matter, our league campaign rumbles on. Having been kind enough to give Oldham their first win of the season after doing the same for Bristol Rovers recently, we ended those three home matches (in all comps) having won 2 and lost 1. With a trip to Grimsby, one of the most impressive teams in the whole division so far, coming up next, we could be looking two defeats in a row in the eye.
But one thing we’ve seen so far is how unpredictable this division is. I’ll repeat the stat: when we beat Newport last week, all home teams across the League 2 slate were the bookies’ favourites to win the game. Only 2 ended up winning. So always have hope, anything can happen.
You should of course be signed up to the Coconut Tier, to get a great stats round up of League Two by the king Ben Griffis, and a written Match Preview of Saturday’s game, as well as extra audio content every month:
What’s New? 📰
We’ve sold 4500 of our 4900 allocation for Fulham in the Carabao, at the time of writing. You’d expect the last 400 to go so be quick if you haven’t got yours yet, it promises to be some evening.
United have been awarded ‘Gold’ status in an assessment of the best run clubs in England. It’s worth remembering that while we all have a moan about some things that go on on the pitch, off it we have a solid, dependable and sustainable football club to be proud of.
At The Match ✍️
U’s 0-1 Oldham: Mellons = Twisted - By Freddie Owers
Cambridge United fell to a first home defeat of the season on Saturday as they were beaten 1-0 by Oldham Athletic. A first half Michael Mellon goal was enough to give the visitors all three points.
I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't openly optimistic going into Saturday's game. Off the back of a successful week both domestically and in the league, a home fixture to division newbies seemed the perfect opportunity for us to start building some real momentum.
That mindset was quickly eradicated when a transitional error gave Oldham the ball in our half with a numerical advantage. A swift attack later saw Jamie Robson slide the ball across the six yard box, for Mellon to steer into an empty net. A goal that seemed all too reminiscent of last season's antics.
One trait that I believe Harris has got spot on with the team so far this season is the mentality. Very rarely, if ever, this season have we rolled over after going behind, and we didn't do that here, in all fairness. Heads rose following the goal and just a minute before the break, we almost drew level when a Kaikai corner fell the way of Kell Watts whose effort was blocked by Mat Hudson in the visitors' net.
Our biggest chance, however, came within ten minutes of the restart. A fast attack saw Kaikai play Louis Appere through on goal on 54 minutes, before the Scotsman impressively cut back past a defender and saw his goal bound effort cleared off the line by former U Luke Hannant. One of those chances where, once it has gone away from you, you slowly start to realise that it really isn't your day.
That would unfortunately prove to be the case, as despite a foray of half chances and nullified attacks, the visitors came the closest to netting in the latter stages of the game. An agile Jake Eastwood save from a free-kick, followed by a one-on-one stop by the United keeper prevented the Latics from doubling their lead.
The game finished 1-0 and the visitors took the points. A frustrating afternoon for the U's, but at a stage of the season where I believe Harris will be able to drum the correct messages into the players and start to not only win more individual games, but begin to put together some momentum and climb that table.
We travel to Grimsby next week, what could go wrong there!
View From The Away End 🧐
Oldham Athletic - Kieran (from the NTT20 Squad - join it here)
On their seventh attempt, Latics finally broke their duck and recorded their first win of the season at Cambridge, making it a hat-trick of wins at the Abbey.
The day got off to a good start when Tom Pett was announced to be not just in the squad, but to be starting, having been the MotM in the NL Promotion Final in June. Michael Mellon was also handed an immediate start in the absence of the suspended Joe Quigley.
And it didn’t take long for Mellon Jr. to make an impact, as when a Luke Hannant cross came into the box, Mellon used Ben Purrington as a step ladder to rise highest at the back post, but his header could only find the outside of the post.
Mellon would get his moment not long later, however, as a lovely move down the left hand side that involved Tom Conlon and Luke Hannant before Jamie Robson received the ball in the box, performed a pirouette, the likes of which you’d expect to see at the Bolshoi Ballet, before he played the ball across to Michael Mellon who was on the spot to finish off the move.
As you’d expect, Cambridge responded with attacks of their own, and when Louis Apperé got in behind Donervon Daniels, it looked for all the world that he’d get a shot off, however, in the nick of time, Daniels managed to get back round the outside of Apperé and stab the ball away from his feet at the last second.
The second half was largely played in the same manner that the first half ended, with Cambridge pressing and probing, but finding no signs of weakness in the Latics back line
The U’s’ big chance came midway through the second half, when, once again, Louis Apperé found himself through on goal, and managed to get his shot away this time. Fortunately for us, Luke Hannant managed to sprint the entire length of the pitch to get back on the goal line to hook the shot clear.
As Cambridge looked for the equaliser, they brought on reinforcements in the shape of Elias Kachunga, Shayne Lavery, Kylian Kouassi and Adam Mayor on for the final stages, but it was Latics who probably benefitted most from those changes, as it left Cambridge woefully exposed at the back, and allowed Kane Drummond to make two potentially decisive breaks. The first one was cynically ended by Dom Ball on the edge of the area, and from the resulting free kick, Tom Conlon very nearly found the top corner, but was denied by an excellent fingertip save.
The second break really should have killed the game, as when a Cambridge corner was headed clear to Kane Drummond on the halfway line, he knocked it past the last man and motored towards the box, and yet, with the game at his feet, and the goal at his mercy, he managed to hit the goalkeeper’s chest.
Nevertheless, the last few minutes of injury time passed without incident, and Latics wrapped up the three points, their first in the Football League since March 2022.
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Opposition Preview 🔮
Grimsby Town (A) - 4th place - Saturday 13th September
Last 5 (all comps): WLLWD - Few cup games in here, which are weirdly a loss to Bradford in the Tinpot Trophy and a now famous win against Manchester United in the Carabao.
Last time out: U’s 1-2 Grimsby, 26 November 2022. In the FA Cup and, if memory serves correct, the Sam Shhhhmith shushing incident.
Our H2H: P36, W14, D7, L15
Manager: David Artell. Won promotion from this level with Crewe a few years back.
One to watch: Charles Vernam. There’s a few to pick out here but on the basis of his performance last week at Milton Keynes, he is the one to keep quiet.
Former U’s players: Not that I can see.
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Under The Other Stands 🏟️
Gills maintained their unbeaten record with a last minute penalty to level the scores at Bromley. The decision was… questionable at best, but Clark dispatched the pen and Gillingham continue to set the pace.
Down the other end, after Oldham secured their first win of the season, Accy remain the only winless team in the division. And the latest defeat felt more damning, with Cheltenham taking their first three points of the season with an Isaac Hutchinson winner 2 minutes into his debut after a surprise move on deadline day from nearby Bristol Rovers.
Our fellow relegated sides Shrews and Crawley found their first wins of the season too, with Lofty getting sent off for a second yellow on his Crawley debut.
Gills might be setting the pace, but Swindon, Walsall and Grimsby are the teams really impressing the most, for different reasons: Swindon have scored 3 in each of their last 3 games, Walsall have won three games 1-0 on the trot, Grimsby just beat the league favourites 3-2 away from home (being 3-0 up in that game too).
A note for Bromley too: very much keeping pace in 5th and by all accounts look like a genuine contender this season so far.
Stats Corner 🔢
Slicker, the Barnet goalkeeper, played for Scotland internationally before he played a professional league game. Check out the highlights from that game too if you fancy a laugh…
This weekend, a son scored a goal for a team managed by their dad not just once at the Abbey, but twice, with Charlie Wellens scoring a 95th minute winner for his dad’s Orient side.
Swindon have scored 13 non-penalty goals but none from set pieces – the league’s top scorers are doing it all from open play! Check out more like this from Ben’s latest League Two Stat Pack:
In Case You Missed It 🧐
Former United Lorant Tolaj is somehow a million pound player scoring goals like this in League One.
Robbie Savage briefing himself out to manage *checks notes* Championship clubs.
Thanks for reading this week’s U’s-letter. Send us any comments or suggestions to include in next week’s issue to: hello@undertheabbeystand.com