PREVIEW ‘University Challenge’ Cambridge United (H)

As city famed for its top university, Cambridge often pop up on tough to tackle TV show University Challenge, but as United visit the One Call Stadium tomorrow – how’s this for a starter for ten, Can the Stags continue their solid September and give Cambridge a proper education.

With two wins and two draws from September thus far, The Stags have made up for their aggravating August, improving at the back massively having not conceded from open play for some 370 minutes, and resiliently grinding out positive results. For example, both they Wycombe and Lincoln games would have ended very differently (and not in a good way) played a few weeks earlier.

Shaun Derry is a first class coach and manager, naturally a lot tend to dislike him because he managed Notts County, but he’s assembled a good team and Cambridge will pose a tough challenge – they’ll come to the One Call wanting all three points and with two tall centre forwards are very good in the air, so Murfin and Pearce will again need to be on good form – as they have been recently forming a solid pairing.

Defensively Cambridge are a bit shaky, and as they’ll have to make changes with George Taft unable to play against his parent club, we need to keep hammering on the door – Danny Rose and Lee Angol has to be the pairing for me, whilst as Cambridge sit deep – Alfie Potter would be a wise choice.

Aside from their defeat at Barnet, it’s been a pretty tight game each time for Cambridge, so again I foresee a scrappy affair – anyone thinking we’re going to be a pretty side, should certainly think again – what matters is, as we have in September so far, rising to the occasion.

We have to start better for certain, but if we can do that and stay switched on – we’ll be ok. Having had minutes in the back for the reserves in midweek, there are plenty of players chomping at the bit – I don’t foresee wholesale changes but I do see Evans tweaking things when it comes to tomorrow and then the tricky midweek trip to Cheltenham, what we must maintain throughout is the fight and desire which has flipped our fortunes over the past few weeks.

​Because of the emotion a little factor got over looked at Lincoln – we ended their near perfect home form which had seen them go a year without defeat at home, that in itself was difficult and proved we are a team capable of upsetting the odds. Time to do it again as Cambridge pose a challenge at the One Call Stadium