The Blues are through to the knockout stage of the Papa Johns Trophy, despite a 1-0 defeat at Cambridge United in their final group game having been reduced to 10 men in only the 17th minute following Kyle Edwards’s sending off. The Blues had been largely in control but the home side began to get on top in the second half and sub Lewis Simper’s 79th minute goal sealed the victory for the U’s.
Town named a stronger than perhaps anticipated side but with youngsters Cameron Humphreys, Edwin Agbaje and Tawanda Chirewa all starting.
Republic of Ireland U18 international Agbaje made his senior debut on the right side of the defence alongside Richard Keogh and Luke Woolfenden. Vaclav Hladky was in goal.
Kayden Jackson was the right wing-back with Kane Vincent-Young on the left with Lee Evans, who skippered, alongside Cameron Humphreys in central midfield.
Full debutant Chirewa, whose only previous senior appearance came as a sub in the same competition at Colchester when aged 16 three years ago, was one of the number 10s alongside Edwards with Tyreece John-Jules the lone central striker.
Recent signing Panutche Camara, George Edmundson, Conor Chaplin, Wes Burns and Freddie Ladapo were on a strong bench along with young keeper Nick Hayes and U21s central defender Albie Armin. For Cambridge, former Town forward Jack Lankester was a starter.
John-Jules struck the first shot of the game in the second minute, Jackson cutting the ball back to the Arsenal loanee on the edge of the area, but his effort was too close to home keeper Will Mannion.
Two minutes later, John-Jules hooked the ball well over from a corner on the right, then in the seventh minute Edwards caught Zeno Rossi in the face with a high boot inside the Cambridge box as he looked to get on a bouncing ball. On 15, Edwards shot wide.
Two minutes later, the former West Brom man was given his marching orders. Edwards skipped his way past Jubril Okedina on the edge of the area on the Town left and looked to be tripped. However, referee Thomas Parsons felt Edwards had dived and showed him a yellow and then a red card much to the player’s bewilderment.
It looked a very poor decision in real time which video evidence appeared to confirm. Edwards will be suspended for the Blues' round of 32 Papa Johns Trophy match.
Ben Worman shot straight at Town keeper Hladky on 25 as Cambridge sought to make the most of their one-man advantage. Four minutes later, home skipper Gregory Taylor was booked for pulling back Chirewa, who had made a bright start.
Despite being a man down, the Blues continued to see most of the ball and take the game to the U’s, although without threatening.
Cambridge had similarly created nothing in front of goal until the 42nd minute when Fejiri Okenabirhie shot not too far over the bar from the edge of the area.
Just before half-time, Woolfenden was booked for a challenge on James Brophy, although the defender was adamant that he got a foot on the ball, and he looked to have a case. Lankester sent the resultant free-kick deep into the Town fans behind the goal.
At the whistle, Blues boss Kieran McKenna made his way over to referee Parsons to make his frustrations clear regarding the red card, the latest in a series of bad decisions to have gone against Town this season.
But despite being a man down, Town had still controlled the game for the most part, albeit while rarely threatening.
Cambridge had had a couple of chances late on before the whistle, but other than that the Town backline had been comfortable.
The Blues made a quadruple change at the break, debutant Camara, Edmundson, Burns and Ladapo taking over from Jackson, Evans, Woolfenden and John-Jules. Cambridge swapped Liam O’Neil for Simper.
Two minutes after the restart, Agbaje played in Burns down the right and the Welshman hit an effort off the near post, then his second was diverted behind.
The disparity in numbers continued to make little difference with the Blues still having most of the possession with the game played mostly in the Cambridge half.
Just before the hour, Burns struck a shot which was blocked, then Chirewa scuffed an effort through to Mannion but having been fouled. The free-kick came to nothing.
There was a scare for the Blues on 60 when Okenabirhie’s shot was turned against Keogh, then the former Derby man blocked from Saikou Janneh.
Cambridge were starting to look more threatening, Worman hitting a shot which was deflected wide in the 63rd minute.
A minute later following a corner on the left, a loose ball fell to Lankester on the edge of the box but Humphreys dived in to block, the ball looping up onto the top of the bar and over. On 65 Brophy cut in from the left and hit straight at Hladky.
Cambridge should have gone in front in the 71st minute with the home side putting Town under pressure for the first time. After a neat move down the left, Okenabirhie swept across the face and wide when it looked easier to hit the target. Two minutes later, Chirewa was booked for a foul on Janneh.
As the game moved into its final 15 minutes, the U’s had another chance, substitute Harvey Knibbs turning the ball goalwards from a low left-wing cross but too close to Hladky, who claimed down to his left.
In the 79th minute the goal which Cambridge had been threatening came. Town appealed in vain for offside as a ball was played over the top and eventually it was played out to Simper, who struck a low 25-yard shot through a crowd of players, off the inside of the post and into the net.
Brophy was booked for a foul on Burns as he broke forward in the 85th minute, then a minute later the Wales international saw a shot blocked as the Blues began to get back on top.
Agbaje, who had enjoyed an impressive and composed debut, was replaced by Armin for the final three minutes, the sub immediately making a vital saving challenge as Cambridge sub Sam Smith counter-attacked following a Town corner.
Deep in injury time, Knibbs turned the ball to Hladky and seconds later referee Parsons’s whistle confirmed Town’s first defeat in the competition this season.
The Blues had started very positively but Edwards’s harsh first-half red card inevitably made the task tougher for the Blues, however, for much of the game they coped admirably but without creating a serious chance.
Manager McKenna made four changes at the break to freshen things up but eventually the difference in numbers started to tell with Cambridge getting on top during the spell in which they scored.
"Despite the defeat, Town top their group meaning they will have a home match in the round of 32.
Cambridge are out with Arsenal U21s finishing second having beaten Northampton 3-1 at Sixfields this evening.
Cambridge Utd: Mannion, Williams (Knibbs 66), Taylor (c), Brophy, O’Neil (Simper 46), Lankester, Okedina, Rossi, Janneh (Smith 75), Okenabirhie, Worman. Unused: Holden, Cowling, Jobe, McConnell.
Town: Hladky, Agbaje (Armin 87), Keogh, Woolfenden (Edmundson 46), Jackson (Burns 46), Evans (c) (Camara 46), Humphreys, Vincent-Young, Edwards, Chirewa, John-Jules (Ladapo 46). Unused: Hayes, Chaplin. Referee: Thomas Parsons (Rochdale). Att: (Town: 1,218).