On Saturday 22nd October, Cambridge United make the two and half hour trip southwest to face Cheltenham Town at the Completely-Suzuki Stadium.
Cheltenham’s last league result saw them gain an excellent point against a well-drilled Derby side at home. Rob Street scored Cheltenham’s first of the season and the only goal in the 1-1 draw, ending a rather unwanted record-breaking 11-game run without scoring a single goal.
Cambridge United’s last league outing saw them come away with the same scoreline as Cheltenham, a 1-1 draw at home against the aforementioned, Shrewsbury Town. Michael Morrison proved to be the surprise goalscorer for U’s, who would have felt hard done by after they were pegged back late on by an 88th-minute strike from Taylor Perry.
Expected Starting XI’s:
Cheltenham Town 4-4-2
Luke Southwood, Will Ferry, Lewis Freestone, Curtis Davies/Owen Bevan, Sean Long, Liam Sercombe, James Olayinka, Elliot Bonds, Liam Smith, Will Goodwin, Rob Street.
Cambridge United 4-2-3-1
Jack Stevens, Danny Andrew, Michael Morrison, Ryan Bennett, Liam Bennett, Paul Digby, George Thomas, James Brophy, Jack Lankester, John-Kymani Gordon, Fjiri Okenabirhie.
In his press conference, Mark Bonner talked about the upcoming foray of matches meaning changes may be expected, “I wouldn’t expect revelations of complete difference, but we know we’re in a batch of games now Cheltenham, Portsmouth, Carlisle, and then Wycombe that’s four games in quick succession where we won’t be able to play the same 11 in all four games so the games could look quite different.”
Key players to watch out for:
Cheltenham Town: Curtis Davies
With the Robins only able to convert a single goal this season, much of the attacking force in the side can be ignored. Instead, veteran central defender Curtis Davies stands out. The ex-England U21s defender recently declared for Sierra Leone at the staggering age of 38 and made his debut in a 2-0 win over Somalia. Davies has been a regular Premier League centre-back this century and brings a wealth of experience to the Cheltenham back-line. Cambridge central attacking midfielder Sullay Kaikai will know Davies all too well, after lining up alongside him against Somalia for Sierra Leone.
Cambridge United: Fejiri Okenabirhie and Jack Stevens
Fejiri Okenabirhie has been in scoring from the U’s so far this season and is their top goalscorer, with five goals. Against a Cheltenham side who have shipped 20 goals in 12 matches Okenabirhie and the Cambridge United faithful will be hoping for even more goals from their striker.
At the other end of the pitch, Cambridge United’s goalkeeper Jack Stevens has been excellent this season. Stevens signed this summer on a free transfer and has really hit the ground running. The 26-year-old shot-stopper has three clean sheets in seven matches for the U’s this season and has far exceeded previous number one Will Mannion so far this year. Losing veteran Dimitar Mitov to St. Johnstone will be a big blow, but it seems that Cambridge has had no problem finding a suitable replacement.
Previous Results:
Last season Cheltenham Town were able to do the double over tomorrows’ oponnents, winning 2-1 both at home and away.
In their history Cheltenham have won eight, drawn five and lost seven against Cambridge United.
The biggest win the Robins have ever recorded against the Us came in April 2015, with a 3-1 victory. However in more recent outing Cheltenham suffered a brutal 5-0 loss at home in 2021 and with the amount of goals they are conceding this season, it seems this could be a possibility once again.
Problems with Cheltenham Town:
After Wade Elliot’s departure, Darrell Clarke has stepped up and taken the managerial role with Cheltenham. As previously mentioned, under Elliot Town failed to score a goal in 8 league matches. Clarke has steadied the ship, gaining an excellent point against high-flying Derby and scoring the Robins’ first league goal this season on their last outing. However goals remain the issue and talisman striker Alfie May, continues to be irreplaceable.
May left Cheltenham over the summer for Charlton. The 30-year-old already has 7 goals in 10 games at his new club and scored a staggering 37 goals in 39 games last season. Cheltenham bought in Rob Street and Nathan Butler-Oyedeji as replacements, but May’s boots just seem too big to fill; with only one goal scored between the strikers this season.
Match information:
The game will take place at the Completely-Suzuki Stadium at 15:00 GMT on Saturday October 21st 2023.
