Cambridge United Earn Promotion Opportunity

Manager Neil Harris says his team is in a 'wonderful position' with three games left in the season.

Apr. 17, 2026 at 9:18am

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A cubist-style painting depicting a fractured, multi-perspective view of a Cambridge United football match, with sharp geometric shapes in shades of amber, navy, and emerald green representing the players and action on the field.Cambridge United's resilient defensive performance earns them a valuable point in their push for automatic promotion.Cambridge Today

Cambridge United manager Neil Harris expressed confidence in his team's ability to secure automatic promotion from League Two with three games remaining in the season. Despite a 0-0 draw against league leaders Bromley, the U's remain in third place and have back-to-back home games against Grimsby Town and Barrow before a final match against Crewe Alexandra.

Why it matters

Cambridge United are looking to bounce back to League One at the first attempt after being relegated last season. The team has the best defensive record in the league, conceding just 31 goals so far, and a strong finish could see them earn automatic promotion without the need for the playoffs.

The details

Cambridge United earned a valuable point in their 0-0 draw against Bromley, the league leaders, thanks to a strong defensive performance. The U's had to bring in emergency loan goalkeeper Jack Walton from Preston, who stepped up with a solid display. Cambridge missed some chances to win the game but manager Neil Harris was proud of his team's resilience. The only concern was an injury to Northern Ireland striker Shayne Lavery, who had to be substituted in the second half.

  • Cambridge United drew 0-0 with Bromley on April 17, 2026.
  • The U's have three games left in the season, including home matches against Grimsby Town and Barrow.

The players

Neil Harris

The manager of Cambridge United who expressed confidence in his team's promotion chances.

Shayne Lavery

The Northern Ireland striker for Cambridge United who had to be substituted due to an injury.

Jack Walton

The Preston goalkeeper who was brought in on an emergency loan and made a solid debut for Cambridge United.

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What they’re saying

“Looking at it glass half full, we'll sit back now and see what the next 48 hours brings for the teams around us. We'll go into next Tuesday's game with Grimsby knowing that in the very worst case, a point puts us back into third with two games to go. We've got ourselves into a wonderful position.”

— Neil Harris, Manager, Cambridge United

“We've had a tough run of fixtures and come out in a strong position and that's given us a huge opportunity.”

— Neil Harris, Manager, Cambridge United

“What a great lad, I can't praise him highly enough.”

— Neil Harris, Manager, Cambridge United

What’s next

Cambridge United will host Grimsby Town on April 22, 2026, in a crucial match that could see them secure a spot in the automatic promotion places.

The takeaway

Cambridge United's strong defensive record and resilient performance against league leaders Bromley have put them in a prime position to earn automatic promotion back to League One with three games remaining. The team's ability to grind out results against tough opponents has been a key factor in their success this season.