Joe Ironside scored an 88th-minute leveller as Cambridge United came from two goals behind to draw 2-2 with the Blues at the Abbey Stadium. Town looked to be coasting to victory after Sone Aluko had netted on 10 and 36, his first Blues goals, but James Brophy pulled one back for the U’s before half-time and the home side completed a deserved comeback when Ironside headed home two minutes from the end.

Aluko and former Cambridge loanee Idris El Mizouni came into the Town team for Wes Burns, who dropped to the bench alongside Bersant Celina, who was back from international duty having missed last week’s 2-1 home win against Shrewsbury, and Lee Evans, who had presumably picked up a knock.

Aluko started on the right wing with Tunisian international El Mizouni in central midfield alongside skipper Sam Morsy. Town were otherwise unchanged from the team which beat the Shrews.

Cambridge were captained by former Blue Paul Digby but Jack Lankester missed out having picked up a knock in training.

One-time Town trialist Shilow Tracey and Wes Hoolahan returned to the Cambridge XI with Liam O'Neil the other player to drop out.

The Blues started brightly and in only the second minute Macauley Bonne was sent away down the left by Morsy. The striker’s angle was too tight to hit a shot so he cut back to Conor Chaplin, who blazed his effort well over.

Less than a minute later, the former Barnsley man curled another shot not too far wide after good work on the right from Aluko.

Cambridge attacked for the first time on five, George Williams hitting a strike which Matt Penney blocked.

Aluko had looked Town’s main danger in the early stages and in the 10th minute Nigerian international put the Blues in front with his first goal for the club.

Cameron Burgess headed clear and Aluko nipped in to take the bouncing ball away from the hesitant Conor Masterson before deftly lobbing home keeper Dimitar Mitov from the edge of the box.

Four minutes later, Town threatened again, Penney crossing low from the left but Mitov reached it ahead of Bonne.

On 22 Penney crossed from the left again and Chaplin turned a shot well wide when he will feel he should have done better.

Town continued to control the game, often looking to get it forward very quickly. Just before the half hour, Aluko crossed from the right to Bonne at the near post but Mitov saved the striker’s header.

On 31 Morsy shot wide following a Town break after a Cambridge attack had broken down.

Two minutes later, Mitov slipped when trying to cut inside Chaplin when miles out of his area. His poor clearance fell to Aluko well inside his own half but this time the ex-Reading man’s attempt at goal skewed well away from the target.

The Blues pressure continued, Chaplin making a clever run into space down the right before crossing low for Bonne, who tried to work space before hitting a shot which deflected out for a corner.

And from the resultant 36th-minute flag-kick, Town doubled their lead with Aluko again the man finding the target.

The corner came over from the right, George Edmundson’s header hit the post and the ball landed at the feet of Aluko, who slotted home off keeper Mitov from a few feet.

A minute later, Chaplin was booked for kicking the ball away after the referee had already blown his whistle, which seemed a harsh yellow card.

It had been all Town but in the 40th minute the home side pulled a goal back out of nothing.

As so often having scored this season, the Blues were guilty of switching off and Tracey found Brophy in the area on the left in loads of space from where he struck a shot which beat Vaclav Hladky, a spectator up to that point, hit the underside of the bar and crossed the line.

Aluko went looking for his third of the afternoon, hitting a shot from a tight angle on the right of the area which was deflected behind and moments before the whistle, Burgess headed away a Cambridge corner.

Town had been completely dominant and looked to be coasting to victory at 2-0 up via Aluko’s two goals. The first was a great finish reminiscent of Finidi George’s goal against Sunderland in the 2001/02 Premier League season, while the second was a predatory finish from close range.

From there, the Blues ought to have seen the half out but again allowed the opposition to get back into the game with a poor goal at a time when Cambridge were looking a well-beaten side.

Cambridge created the first chance of the second half in the 50th minute and it was a decent one.

Ironside chasing a Lloyd Jones ball down the right channel and got in behind Burgess before hitting a shot which the advancing Hladky did well to stop with his legs.

Two minutes later, Morsy brought the ball in from the Town left but scraped his shot wide.

Town began to take control again and Bonne and Aluko got in one another’s way after Chaplin crossed low from the left having been played in by Fraser.

Just after the hour mark Aluko turned a low ball back from the right to El Mizouni but the Paris-born midfielder’s shot was blocked.

The Blues spent a spell playing keep-ball in the Cambridge half. Chaplin was just unable to get enough on a Penney cross from the left, then in the 64th minute Edmundson turned an El Mizouni ball in from the right weakly to Mitov.

Town swapped Aluko, who was warmly applauded off by the Blues’ travelling support, for Burns in the 69th minute.

The Blues’ performance drifted again as the game moved into its final 20 minutes and on 74 Brophy crossed from the left and Williams headed into the side-netting at the far post. As Hladky prepared to take the goal-kick, Town swapped Chaplin, who had put in another lively display, for Celina.

Cambridge should have levelled in the 81st minute after a dreadful mix-up between Hladky and Edmundson. The keeper appeared to call and came to punch but Edmundson either didn’t hear the Czech or ignored him and headed weakly to Brophy beyond the far post from where, fortunately for the Blues, the winger looped his volleyed effort well over. On 83, Town swapped Fraser for Kyle Edwards.

What should have been a game which was over before half-time was coming to a nervy end with the home side pushing for an equaliser in the closing minutes and Town showing little going forward. And in the 88th minute the second Cambridge goal came.

Jones’s looping header sent a left-sided corner back across the box and Ironside nodded home from close range.

Having levelled the home side were on the front foot going into four minutes of added-on time but neither side were able to create a serious chance and the home fans cheered the final whistle having secured a draw which looked hugely unlikely after the Blues had gone into a 2-0 lead.

But this Town side has shown on too many occasions this season that they can wilt in games and that was once again the case.

Having conceded the goal just before half-time, the U’s were given something to cling on to in the second half and after the Blues were unable to add to their lead while on top, the home side put Town under pressure in the latter stages and should have scored even prior to Ironside’s goal.

A disappointing afternoon for the 2,513 travelling Blues who made the trip to the Abbey Stadium - where Town are still to win a league game - after it had started with such promise.

The result sees Town drop to 15th ahead of Tuesday’s trip to manager Paul Cook’s former club Portsmouth.

Cambridge: Mitov, Williams, Iredale, Digby, Jones, Brophy (Knibbs 85), Ironside, Hoolahan, Tracey (Smith 77), Masterson. Unused: McKenzie-Lyle, Dunk, Okedina, Weir, Worman.

Town: Hladky, Donacien, Edmundson, Burgess, Penney, Morsy (c), El Mizouni, Aluko (Burns 69), Fraser (Edwards 83), Chaplin (Celina 75), Bonne. Unused: Holy, Harper, Jackson, Nsiala. Referee: Leigh Doughty (Lancashire). 7,944 (Town: 2,513).

Photo: Pagepix

brendenward35 added 08:31 - Oct 17 Most managers would use a good formation to score a couple of goals then change to protect it. No good keeping attacking formation if the other team changes to make your midfield invisible. Obviously we got the gob not the brains of the Wigan partnership. Get someone with balls on the touchline to give his head a wobble and kick him if they think his wrong. PR would be a good start he certainly knows the game.

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TonyHumesIpswich added 10:51 - Oct 17 This season is.....?
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BerkshireBlue78 added 10:56 - Oct 17 Wow - those goals were softer than cream cheese. Come on lads - lets stick a decent run together and we'll be hovering around the playoff zone soon enough. just need a concrete, solid, impenetrable defense and we then have a full set. Lets not be Brie, lets be a hardened Stinky Bishop..
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nick8 added 11:48 - Oct 17 COOK OUT
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