A closer look at the U's
THE GRECIANS head to the Abbey stadium to face Cambridge United with a spring in their step after netting a late equaliser against Portsmouth in midweek.Saturday’s opponents occupy twelfth place in Sky Bet League 2, five points and two places in front of City.
The last time the sides met City took all three points at St James Park as Tom Nichols scored the only goal of the game after just nine minutes.
UNITED CLINGING ON TO PLAY OFF AMBITIONS
United kept their play-off hopes alive in midweek after they beat Wycombe Wanderers with a first-half goal from Josh Coulson. They are now just three points away from the last play-off spot, currently occupied by Leyton Orient.
Former City striker Barry Corr is United’s current top-scorer this season on 12 goals. The Irishman spent one year at St James Park in the 2009/2010 season, when the Grecians were in League One.
The U’s have brought in a new director in Christoph Loch, who is the dean of Cambridge Judge Business School.
For their promotion push United are looking to use Loch in his academic capacity to "test theories of social interaction of players and coaching staff between games, and the effect it has on match day performance," according to cambridge-news.co.uk.
Until Loch's findings are published, in "several months", it will be up to Shaun Derry and his staff to ensure his side are in a good position for a promotion push, though hopefully not starting with the Grecians' visit at the weekend.
Derry took over the reins at the Abbey Stadium last November after former manager Richard Money, who guided the club back to the Football League in the 2013/14 season, was sacked after a poor run of results.
The current U’s boss is about to take charge for the twentieth time at United against City this weekend.
PREVIOUS RESULTS
Cambridge and City have played forty-seven times, with United the better record against the Grecians. City have recorded eleven victories over the Cambridgeshire club, though the U’s have beaten City twenty-five times.
United have not beaten the Grecians in their previous three attempts; the last time City were beaten by Saturday's opponents was back in April 2003, in a narrow 2-1 defeat.