PREVIEW: Cambridge United v Luton Town

Cambridge United showed the magic of the FA Cup is very much alive and kicking following their stunning third round success at Premier League Newcastle United last month.

Aided by a magnificent goalkeeping display from Dimitar Mitov who saved everything that a virtually full strength Magpies side threw at him, the League One visitors netted through Joe Ironside on 56 minutes and hung on to secure what was a famous victory.

Any thought that the cup success would have taken United's mind off their league campaign has quickly been laid to rest though, with Mark Bonner's side using the euphoria from victory at St James' Park to go on their best run of the season.

They followed it up with four wins on the bounce, beating Portsmouth in the Papa John's Trophy, plus a 1-0 triumph at promotion-chasing Lincoln City and then seeing off Doncaster and Crewe at home.

United went out of Trophy with a penalty shoot-out defeat at Rotherham following a draw in normal time, but then ending up 1-1 with Fleetwood was no bad return either.

Their eight game unbeaten run was finally ended on Tuesday night doing down 2-0 at in-form Bolton, but it has been enough to lift them up to 13th in the table, now nine points away from the relegation zone.

The cup triumphs have been the shining lights in what has been a first campaign back in the third tier since 2001-02 after promotion last term.

The U's went up by finishing second in League Two, but had a difficult start in the opening 14 games winning just three to sit 17th, three points above the dotted line.

Back-to-back victories over AFC Wimbledon and Morecambe looked to have got them going, but then another run of three losses from four punctured that optimism.

They had knocked Northampton out of the FA Cup by then though, with a second round 2-1 win over Exeter lead to a stunning 5-0 triumph at Cheltenham, before once again going three league matches without picking up three points, ahead of that memorable Newcastle victory.

It means Bonner and his players can relish the chance of trying to gain another scalp tomorrow, a tie that will have plenty of media interest in it, as the boss told the official club website: “We are all looking forward to Saturday, I think the whole occasion probably more so as well.

"I get quite excited thinking about a sold-out Abbey Stadium under floodlights on a Saturday evening!

“I think it will be a really good atmosphere, as you'd expect, and I think that's what the competition does.

“When you've had a game as big as the Newcastle game in the round before, I think it gets people wanting to follow the story (of Cambridge United), so there's a bit of interest in us and in the season that we're having.

“The fact that the game is on the television and that people can have a look at where we are as a club and as a team, I think it's a great occasion for us.”

With the transfer market now closed, the U's managed to strengthen their forward line by bringing in Brighton youngster and former Switzerland international Lorent Tolaj on loan until the end of the season on deadline day.

Earlier in the window, United also added AFC Bournemouth defender Sam Sherring on a similar deal after he returned from a spell at Accrington Stanley.

Team news: Luton aren't expected to restore fit-again Elijah Adebayo to the line-up with the forward having been rested recently due to a hamstring issue.

Sonny Bradley is doubtful too, having just become a father once more, while midfielder Jordan Clark is close but might miss out.

Cambridge have a number of injury concerns, none more so than top scorer Joey Ironside being out.

They will also miss Jack Iredale, Lloyd Jones, Greg Taylor, Shilow Tracey and Brighton loanee Jensen Weir, although Jubril Okedina should be fit.

Top scorers - Hatters:– Elijah Adebayo (12). United: Joey Ironside (13).

Man in the middle: Josh Smith - has taken 28 games so far this season, with 106 yellow cards at an average of almost four per game, with three reds too.

Has had the majority of matches in the Championship, with fixtures in League One and League Two as well.

Officiated the Hatters once before, the 4-0 defeat at Cardiff City last season.

Has been fast-tracked up the football echelon, having been in the National League during the 2018-19 campaign.

Assistant referees are Graham Kane and Craig Taylor with the fourth official Sam Purkiss.

In charge: Mark Bonner – didn't ever play professional football, joining Cambridge United in June 2011, taking on a number of positions in the club's academy.

In January 2018, he was named as first team coach, working under manager Shaun Derry.

After Derry exited a month later, Bonner served as assistant head coach to Joe Dunne, but Dunne left in December 2018 with Bonner taking over temporary charge of the first team for two matches.

When Colin Calderwood was appointed later that month, Bonner returned to his role as assistant head coach, in charge of first team affairs again in January 2020 when Calderwood was dismissed.

He picked up four wins in his first four matches and then was appointed permanent manager in March 2020 on a two-year contract.

Due to the curtailing of the 2019-20 season by the Covid-19 pandemic, his first match did not come for six months, but he went on to have a terrific season, leading the U's to League One.

That success saw him sign a new three-year contract with the club in May 2021.

View from the opposition: Mark Bonner talking to the club's official website - “It’s a really tough game; a really challenging game against a team having a great season, but one that one that we will go into optimistically.

“We know we have to be very good to try and win the game, but we will give it our best shot.

“They're right on the coattails of the play offs at the minute, heading into Saturday off a brilliant result Tuesday at Swansea.

"I think Nathan's (Jones) done an unbelievable job there.

“We share a fairly recent history with Luton, having competed against each other in the Conference, FA Trophy and FA Cup not so long ago, and the progress of both clubs in that time has been quick.

“They ended up in the Conference unfairly, really, but the way that they've developed since then has been very impressive, off and on the pitch.

“They’re a physical side and they really work hard for each other as well as having good quality within the team.

"I think the fact that they are competing at the level they are in the Championship shows how good a job Nathan's done and how well the players are doing there.

“Lots of their players have played throughout the leagues and it gives him that humility to graft and work to win games, that you sometimes really have to do in the lower tiers.

“I think it's a proper cup tie and one that I know we will have to play very well in, but one that everyone’s looking forward to.”

Managerial records: Nathan Jones has taken on Cambridge five times in his career, yet to lose, with his first ever game as Town manager a League Two 0-0 draw in January 2016.

He won the next three without conceding, including a 7-0 thumping in November 2017, before a 1-1 draw last time out.

One to watch: Sam Smith – 23-year-old forward started his career at Reading, playing 11 times for the first team, scoring twice.

Had loan spells with Oxford, Shrewsbury and then Cambridge in August 2019, scoring eight times in 34 matches, before heading to Tranmere and Cheltenham.

Left the Royals in the summer, returning to the Abbey Stadium once more, and has netted in all competitions this season, with six goals in the league, plus two in the FA Cup and four in the Papa John's Trophy to make it 12 to his name.

Hit a purple patch in November and December, with seven in nine, although has had a slight dip recently, bagging just one in his last 10 outings

Friendly faces: Luton midfielder Luke Berry came through the ranks at the Abbey Stadium, spending four years there before a move to Barnsley in July 2014.

Only had a season at Oakwell, returning to the U's in July 2015 and made himself one of the top goalscoring midfielders in the lower leagues, as he netted over 50 goals during both stints with the club.

Snapped up by Luton in August 2017 and has gone on to play 133 times, finding the net on 19 occasions.

Luton's deadline day signing, goalkeeper Jed Steer had a one-month loan spell at Cambridge in November 2012 after joining from Norwich City.

Kept two clean sheets against Macclesfield and Gateshead in four Blue Square Bet Premiership appearances.

Town's head of goalkeeping Kevin Dearden had a loan spell at Cambridge for two months in March 1989 when at Spurs, as he played 15 matches.

New Luton goalkeeper coach Kevin Pilkington joined the coaching staff at Cambridge United in January 2017, also registering a player too.

Left for Barnsley in July 2019 and moved to Kenilworth Road just before Christmas.

Hatters' head of scouting operations Phil Chapple joined Cambridge in March 1988 and played over 200 times for the club, until moving to Charlton for £100,000 in August 1993.

For the U's, defender Greg Taylor was with Luton in November 2011 after arriving from Darlington, as he played 43 times, scoring once, leaving the club in June 2013.

Went to Cambridge and has spent the last seven and a half years there, making almost 350 appearances, scoring seven goals.

Centre half Lloyd Jones joined Luton from Liverpool in January 2018, only playing 14 games, scoring once, leaving in December 2020.

Went to Northampton and then joined Cambridge in the summer of 2021, injury restricting him to just 16 outings so far.

Meanwhile, United assistant head coach Gary Waddock joined Luton as a player from Bristol Rovers in 1994, making 178 appearances and scoring three goals for the Hatters.

Played for both: Robbie Wilmott – winger began his career at Cambridge, spending four years at the Abbey Stadium before Luton snapped him up for £50,000 in January 2011.

Went on to make 67 appearances, scoring 15 goals, heading back to the U's in July 2012.

Has been at Newport County, Ebbsfleet, Eastleigh, Bishop's Stortford and Chelmsford City since, going back to Newport in July 2017.

Loaned to Exeter last term, but is now back in the Exiles squad and has played 25 times this season, with over 200 appearances in total for the Welsh side now.

We’ve got form: Hatters have been tough opponents for Cambridge during their previous visits to the Abbey Stadium.

They started with 0-0 Division Two draw 1979 with a first win following the next season, Bob Hatton and David Moss on target.

Luton didn't lost their first five visits until a 1-0 League Cup reverse in 1993, the start of four straight defeats.

A 4-3 FA Cup win in 2009 ended that though as Town went eight games unbeaten, including the now famous 1-1 draw in March 2014 with Mark Cullen on target late on to all but secure the Hatters' promotion back to the Football League.

They did lose in the FA Cup back in August 2015, but recovered to win two of the next three, as they are now on a seven match unbeaten run anywhere against their opponents.

In matches at the Abbey, Luton have won seven from their 21 trips, with nine draw and five defeats, scoring 33 goals and conceding 28.

Last time out: The Hatters were held to a 1-1 League One draw in March 2018.

Town took the lead on 33 minutes through James Collins, before the striker was then sent off with 13 minutes to go for two bookings, his first coming when trying to handball a cross into the net.

Jabo Ibehre came off the bench on 80 minutes to level the scores just three minutes later.

Hatters: Marek Stech, Jack Stacey, Dan Potts, Glen Rea, Alan Sheehan, Olly Lee (Scott Cuthbert 79), Luke Berry, Flynn Downes, Lawson D'Ath (Luke Gambin 20); Danny Hylton (Jake Jervis 66), James Collins.

Subs not used: James Shea, James Justin, Andrew Shinnie, Elliot Lee.

Attendance: 6,722.

Referee: John Brooks.