By Marc Manning
The U’s welcome League One’s basement dwellers Doncaster Rovers to the Abbey on Tuesday night, with Mark Bonner’s men looking to build on a quire remarkable unbeaten start to 2022.
After a smash and grab 1-0 win at Lincoln on Saturday thanks to Sir Big Joseph Samuel Ironside, the U’s come into this one in a rich vein of form after wins in the FA Cup and the Pizza Trophy as well. Unlike their opponents, United have looked relatively comfortable at this level this season and will be looking to put Donny to the sword on their first visit to the Abbey since 2017.
A debut was given to new loanee Sam Sherring on Saturday who looked comfortable at the back alongside the in-form Jack Iredale. Looking further afield, the midfield of Paul Digby, Adam May and Ben Worman has become a formidable trio who have dominated proceedings so far this year. With rumours of Wes Hoolahan returning to Ireland in the pipeline, don’t be surprised to see the trio start again come 7:45pm.
Listen to the latest episode of UTAS here:
Takeaways from Bonner’s presser
- Big result on Saturday, carried a big threat in the second half
- Knows Doncaster carry a threat, says our game earlier in the season was tough
- “Don’t think we’re anything other than an underdog”
- The next few games are important and knows how good our home form is
Expected line-up
With Wes only playing 30 minutes on Saturday we could see him feature on Tuesday, though it does seem unfair to change a winning team. Question marks also surround the inclusion of George Williams who has missed the last two games with illness and it looks like they’ll be making a late decision on him.
Bearing that in mind: Mitov; Okedina, Sherring, Iredale, Dunk; Digby, Worman; Smith, May, Brophy; Big Joe.
Opposition preview
To put it bluntly, Doncaster Rovers have had a catastrophic season so far. They head to Cambridgeshire propping up the table after a disastrous run of four straight defeats.
Although the Yorkshire men are missing key players like Ro-Shaun Williams and John Bostock, Rovers have really lacked a cutting edge this season having only picked up four wins in the league.
A win against the U’s would be absolutely crucial going into their upcoming games against promotion hopefuls Milton Keynes, Plymouth, Sunderland and Rotherham.
There’s an in depth preview with Donny pod Into The Empty Net in our latest episode:
Who is their player to watch?
Quietly gaining plaudits for his performances in midfield, Ethan Galbraith offers a dynamic presence for Doncaster going forward. After netting the equaliser in our encounter back in October, the on-loan Manchester United youngster will be looking to get back amongst the goals on Tuesday.
Omar Bogle and Kieran Agard also offer a threat, begging the question: what are they doing down there?
Who’s in the dugout?
Gary McSheffrey was appointed manager on December 29th replacing the outgoing Richie Wellens. His first managerial position, the former Coventry winger will be hoping to keep the club up amidst a tight relegation battle.
What’s their recent form like?
D, L, L, L, L which includes their colossal 4-3 collapse away to Morecambe after being 3-0 up at half time.
Any ex-United players?
Lockdown legend Kyle Knoyle is currently ‘enjoying’ life at the bottom of League One. The right back has been ever-present at the back for the Rovers this season. We know just what sort of a threat he can be.
Last time out
A 1-1 draw for a very depleted U’s side featuring newly-crowned cult hero Tomas Holy in goal.
A matchday album to listen to
Get yourself warmed up for a chilly Tuesday evening with some full throttle Cambridgeshire rock courtesy of Tom Lumley & The Brave Liaison. The band released their debut album late last year and plays host to some of the band’s best work to date including Modern Age, Fake Friends and Haunted. The boys embark on a UK tour this month including a headline show at Cambridge Junction on February 11th.
The UTAS terrible Moosenet prediction
Cambridge 3-0 Doncaster. May x2, Brophy. Attendance: 4400
From the archive
A second half collapse from Shaun Derry’s U’s, a recurring phrase over the next few years.
Under The Abbey Stand 
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