“We didn’t lie down”: Cambridge come from 2–0 down to mark Harris’s 100th game with a point
Thursday 22 October 2026 · By Stuart Wellings
Neil Harris marked his 100th game in charge of Cambridge United with a dramatic comeback. Trailing 2–0 to Wycombe Wanderers at the Abbey Stadium on Tuesday night, the U’s scored twice in the last 12 minutes to rescue a 2–2 draw.
For most of the evening it looked like only their second league defeat of the season. Jayden Wareham put Wycombe ahead a minute before half-time and doubled the lead on 61 minutes. Cambridge had struggled to build any momentum, and Harris admitted afterwards that his team “weren’t at the races”.
The comeback started from the bench. Substitute Shayne Lavery headed in Ben Knight’s cross in the 78th minute, his second decisive contribution in four days after his stoppage-time winner at Barnsley on Saturday. Then, three minutes into stoppage time, Wycombe defender Connor Taylor headed Liam Bennett’s cross into his own net. The crowd was 5,776.
“It just shows where we’re at as a football club,” Harris told PA. “We didn’t lie down. At 2–0 we could have just downed tools and looked forward to Saturday, but we didn’t. Again we found a way. There was impact from the bench, the character, the heart and the drive to keep going.”
He did not hide from the performance. “I didn’t quite recognise us for a long period tonight. Individually we had too many players below par,” he said. “It looked like a game too far for us. I wasn’t going to criticise my players because they’ve been magnificent this season.”
And he enjoyed the finish. “Shayne Lavery pops up with a centre-forward’s goal and then the game completely flips. For 15 minutes it was one-way traffic and we looked like a team that could score at any moment. I’m absolutely delighted with a point.”
The point keeps Cambridge fourth on 20 points, inside the play-off places and two points behind leaders Stockport County. They have lost only one of their 11 league games.
The next test is a big one. Plymouth Argyle, who were top a week ago but have since lost twice in a row, visit the Abbey on Saturday (15:00 BST). Cambridge then travel to Sheffield Wednesday on Tuesday 27 October (19:45 GMT) and to Leyton Orient on Saturday 31 October (12:30 GMT).
In the FA Cup first round, Cambridge face an away trip to League Two side Bristol Rovers on the weekend of 7 November.
Harris said this one looked like “a game too far”. His side found a way anyway.
Cambridge United have played at the Abbey Stadium on Newmarket Road since 1932. Officially the Cledara Abbey Stadium for sponsorship, it still feels like a proper old Football League ground: four separate stands, a grass pitch of about 110 by 74 yards, and a capacity a little under 8,000. Visiting supporters get a close view of the action and a walk in that is unlike most grounds on the circuit.
Away fans are usually placed in the South Habbin, the southern third of the covered terrace that runs along the west side of the pitch. That allocation is typically a mix of standing (the bulk of the tickets) and a small seated block of around 120, plus a handful of wheelchair spaces. For some fixtures the club also opens part of the all-seater South Stand. Both areas look down the length of the pitch rather than from behind a goal. Sightlines are generally good; the only regular complaint is a fence at the join between home and away sections of the Habbin that can nibble at the near-goal view if you stand hard against it.
Access is the part first-timers remember. There is no visitor car park at the ground. The away turnstiles sit on Coldhams Common, reached on foot from Newmarket Road or Coldhams Lane. From the club shop on Newmarket Road, walk left, then take the path along the common to the far (south) end. You may share the field with cattle. Coaches usually drop on Newmarket Road at the front of the ground. Turnstiles typically open 90 minutes before a Saturday kick-off and a little later for midweek evenings. The venue is cashless inside; the shop and ticket office outside still take cash.
If you are driving, use the Newmarket Road Park & Ride (postcode CB5 8AA). Parking there is free and a matchday return bus to the stadium is sold on board — recent prices have been in the mid-£3 range for one adult, with under-5s free. Late return buses run after midweek games. Street parking near the Abbey is limited and tightly enforced; do not park on verges or driveways. Cambridge North station is the closer rail option (roughly 20–25 minutes on foot via the Chisholm Trail). Cambridge station is further; the Citi 3 bus stops at Ditton Walk, a short walk from the ground.
Food and drink for away fans sit behind the South Stand and South Habbin: hot dogs, burgers, pies, chips and pints at ordinary EFL prices. An extra kiosk sits just inside the away turnstiles. There is little in the way of a dedicated away pub next to the ground. The Wrestlers on Newmarket Road has long been the nearest option heading towards town; many visiting groups drink in the city centre first. The Supporters’ Club behind the Newmarket Road End sometimes admits away fans for a small fee if it is not full with home supporters.
The North Terrace — the Newmarket Road End — is where United’s loudest support stands. Opposite them, the Main Stand (east) holds the dugouts, media and a family block. Home colours are amber and black. Programmes and 50/50 tickets are sold outside. Disabled supporters should book spaces through the club on 01223 566500. Picturepath visual guides are available for fans who prefer a step-by-step walkthrough of the visit. Arrive early if the allocation is large: the common path and turnstiles can bottleneck just before kick-off.
The Abbey is compact, a little weathered, and easy to read once you have walked the common. Treat the neighbours with care on parking, bring a card for inside the ground, and you will be in your seat — or on the terrace — with a clear view of a proper lower-league pitch.