We are all set to kick off another season in the Football League this weekend with a short trip to face Doncaster Rovers.
And Simon Weaver’s side head into the game in good heart after a positive pre-season that in particular saw notable performances from the new additions to the squad.
Town will also be looking to open the season by taking all three points for what would be the fourth time in four seasons since promotion to the EFL.
Our opponents
Rovers finished last season in 18th position on 55 points in their first season back in League Two and parted company with Manager Danny Schofield at the of the season.
There is optimism though heading into the new season under new manager Grant McCann having defeated the likes of Sheffield Wednesday and Port Vale in pre-season and bolstering the squad over the summer with some standout names.
Last season
In the first ever league meeting between the two sides Town grabbed all three points at the Eco-Power Stadium with a 2-0 victory.
Town followed the win up just a month later with a comeback from 2-0 down to take a share of the spoils thanks to Luke Armstrong and an equaliser on the hour from Tom Eastman.
The man in charge
Grant McCann is the man in charge for Rovers, having returned to the club in the summer to replace Danny Schofield. McCann had previously been in charge during the 2018/19 season as well as having two spells at Peterborough United as well as being at the helm at Hull City.
A former Northern Ireland international, earning 39 caps, McCann had a career that saw him play over 500 league games starting at West Ham before moving to Cheltenham, Barnsley, Scunthorpe and Peterborough United.
Ones to watch
Joe Ironside had a prolific season when he was last in League Two, forming a formidable partnership with Paul Mullin in Cambridge’s promotion charge. Ironside will link up with former Walsall man and last season’s top scorer George Miller in attack, whilst Kyle Hurst and Harrison Biggins will also provide support.
Luke Molyneux will again be a threat from midfield with the club adding George Broadbent from Sheffield United as well as bringing in winger Tyler Roberts on loan from Wolves.
Jamie Sherry has proven quality on the right side of defence whilst Jack Senior will look to make the step up to league football after impressing at National League level.
History
After being founded back in 1879 the club were elected to the Football League in 1901, however lost re-election votes soon after and returned to non-league before finally rejoining the Football League in 1923.
The club would go on to win Third Division North titles in the mid-1930’s and late 1940’s, bouncing between the bottom two tiers from the 1960’s onwards before suffering relegation out of the league in 1998.
It took the club five seasons to get back into the EFL, then securing an immediate promotion from League Two before winning the League One playoffs in 2007 to reach the second tier for the first time in their history.
Team news
Only long-term absentee Stephen Dooley is unavailable for Simon Weaver this weekend with the rest of the squad fully fit and pressing their claims for selection.
