Town’s home game against Cambridge United remains 0-0 at half-time despite the Blues dominating the first period.

Town made two changes from the team which beat Portsmouth 3-2 on Saturday with Dominic Ball handed his Blues full league debut and Freddie Ladapo returning to the XI.

One-time Cambridge loanee Ball came into the centre of the Blues midfield with Lee Evans dropping to the bench, while Ladapo, who went into the match having netted three goals in three games, took over as the lone central striker from Tyreece John-Jules, who was also among the subs.

For Cambridge, former Blues midfielder Paul Digby started, while ex-forward Jack Lankester was on the bench.

Greg Taylor, James Brophy, Liam O’Neil, Harvey Knibbs and Jubril Okedina came into the starting XI for the U’s, replacing Lankester and Zeno Ibsen Rossi, who was also a sub, and Joe Ironside, Shilow Tracey and Harrison Dunk, who were absent from the 18.

Ahead of kick-off there was a minute’s silence for the more than 125 fans who died in the Kanjuruhan Stadium disaster in Indonesia. Both teams also wore black armbands.

Town started on the front foot and in opening minute Wes Burns fed in the breaking Janoi Donacien on the right, the defender cut back to Conor Chaplin, who took a touch before hitting a shot, which was blocked.

On six, Marcus Harness threaded in Ladapo on the left of the box but the striker was flagged offside before hitting a shot which visitors keeper Dimirar Mitov saved.

Town continued to dominate, although with the U’s having a couple of moments around the Blues’ area which were eventually cleared while in the main content to sit in and frustrate.

As the game reached the quarter-hour, skipper Sam Morsy almost played in Chaplin, then a Burns cross from the right was cleared and a Donacien ball in from the same side was blocked.

The Blues had dominated but in the 18th minute the U’s weren’t far away from going in front. Town left wing-back Leif Davis slipped, allowing Okedina to pick up a loose ball, drive forward and smash a powerful strike only just over Christian Walton’s bar from just outside the area.

Three minutes later, Chaplin curled a free-kick around the Cambridge wall but straight at Mitov, the forward having been fouled five yards outside the box.

Cambridge counter-attacked down their right flank in the 23rd minute but Okedina’s cross was cut out by Luke Woolfenden and George Edmundson prevented the ball from going out for a corner.

Five minutes later, following a free-kick on the left, James Brophy cut the ball back to Sam Smith on the edge of the area and the forward’s shot flew just over the bar.

But Town were still well in control for the most part and in the 31st minute Burns crossed from the right and Ladapo headed wide from 10 yards out at the near post.

Three minutes later, Burns stood up a cross to the far post where Davis leapt high to power a header which Mitov blocked at his near post.

Following the resultant flag-kick, the Blues remained encamped in the Cambridge half prodding and probing and looking for an opening with the opposition defending determinedly.

Crosses came in from both flanks but fell to amber rather than blue shirts, then in the 41st minute sections of the Town support thought their side had gone in front when Burns swept a ball from the right but Chaplin shot into the side-netting from a tight angle.

A minute later, Harness burst forward and fed Ladapo following a spell of Cambridge possession but the ex-Rotherham man was crowded out.

That was the final chance of a second half which had been dominated by the Blues - the possession percentage was 72-28 - but with Mitov not tested as often as he should have been.

Davis’s header was the nearest the Blues had come to a goal with the final ball having found a Cambridge player more often than a Town teammate.

Town: Walton, Donacien, Woolfenden, Edmundson, Burns, Ball, Morsy (c), Davis, Chaplin, Harness, Ladapo. Subs: Hladky, Keogh, Vincent-Young, Evans, Edwards, Jackson, John-Jules.

Cambridge: Mitov, Williams, Digby, Taylor (c), Jones, Brophy, O'Neil, Smith, Okedina, May, Knibbs. Subs: Mannion, Lankester, Rossi, Janneh, Okenabirhie, Simper, Worman. Referee: Robert Lewis (Shrewsbury).

Photo: Matchday Images

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