Cambridge United take fight for Sky Bet League One survival into final week despite loss at Plymouth Argyle

They may have come up short away at table-topping Plymouth Argyle yesterday afternoon, but Cambridge United have achieved head coach Mark Bonner’s target of taking their fight for Sky Bet League One survival into the final week of the season.

The writing appeared to be on the wall at the start of the month, but a run of 10 points from the last six games has given the U’s a fighting chance of preserving their third tier status ahead of a campaign-ending sequence of fixtures that features Accrington Stanley and Burton Albion away alongside the visit of already-relegated Forest Green Rovers.

“It doesn’t matter when it happens (getting above the safety line). We’ve got three games in a week. No-one gave us a hope in hell six games ago to be in the fight in the last week and we’re bang in it,” Bonner said after the 3-1 defeat at Home Park.

“Most importantly the players believe in the task that we’ve got ahead of us. Let’s get ourselves ready for it.

“It’s going to be a tough week ahead - three massive games against maybe similar positions to us, certainly next Saturday.

“The results were probably what we needed everywhere else today. The gap is no different to what it was before the game.

“We’ve said for the last month let’s take it to the last week and we have. Now it’s up to us to go and attack those games.”

Sam Smith gave United hope that they could pick up a surprise result down in Devon yesterday afternoon with a headed equaliser before the break, but second-half goals from Joe Edwards and Niall Ennis sealed the victory for the promotion-chasing hosts.

Reflecting on the game, Bonner added: “First half we were excellent and (I was) delighted to get in level. We started really well and responded brilliantly to falling behind - that was important for us.

“In the second half we just couldn’t control or contain them in a 15-20 minute spell - they were excellent.

“There was a strong wind against us and they got right up the pitch. We played too many backwards passes and couldn’t get out of our half. The quality of their attacking players caused us problems. The second and third goal made it a really difficult task for us.

“The players have worked their socks off. It was always going to be a tough game when it was game three at the end of this week - probably the toughest one at the end.

“We’ve taken three points from three games. We’re a bit disappointed with that because we felt we deserved a bit more out of Tuesday’s game (versus Wycombe, 2-1 defeat), but this was always going to be tough.

“In the second half we chased it towards the end. Had we converted one or two moments that we had it might have made it interesting towards the end but it wasn’t to be.

“We lost to a really good side today but I’m really proud of our side for what we’ve given this week and over the last six games. We’ve given ourselves a really good chance going into the final week.”