Pre-match insights: 

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• Both teams have lost their first two league games of the season 

• Blackpool are under the interim charge of Richard Keogh following former manager Neil Critchley's departure 

• Cambridge are yet to score in the domestic league 

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Starting lineups: 

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Cambridge United – Vincente Reyes, Liam Bennet, Danny Andrew, Paul Digby, James Brophy, Sullay Kaikai, Korey Smith, Zeno Ibsen Rossi, Shayne Lavery, Connor O’Riordan, Dan Barton. 

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Blackpool – Richard O’Donnell, James Husband, Oliver Norburn, Lee Evans, Kyle Joseph, Ashley Fletcher, Elkan Baggot, Hayden Coulson, Dominic Ballard, Oliver Casey, CJ Hamilton. 

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Match report:

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Cambridge United faced Blackpool in a rainy affair at the Abbey Stadium, with both sides searching for their first league win of the season. Blackpool started off the livelier of the two teams and they reaped their reward as James Husband opened the scoring in the 2’ minute of the game to make it 1-0 to Blackpool. Husband directed a powerful header into the far side of the goal from a corner delivered by Lee Evans. 

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After falling behind, the U’s began to find their feet in the game, putting together a couple of attacks through Shayne Lavery. One passage of play ended in the ball going into Blackpool's net, but the goal was disallowed as it was offside.  

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After a couple of Blackpool chances, Cambridge found an equalizer in the 28’ minute through a brilliant bit of play by James Brophy down the left flank who beat his man before cutting the ball across the box for Lavery to tap in.

A few spells of possession fell Cambridge United's way, which gave the home side plenty of hope for them to take control of the game. However, in the 37’ minute it was Husband again who rose up to head The Seasiders ahead, after the ball was crossed in by Lee Evans. It was the same combination of players, and the same result: 2-1. 

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Just when it seemed as if the away side had exploited the U’s defense enough for one half, The Seasiders increased their lead through Kyle Joseph who latched onto a mistake from U’s Korey Smith, breaking through on goal before emphatically chipping the keeper to make it 3-1 before half time. 

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The second half whistle blew, and the home crowd desperately needed some indication of the U’s ability to fight their way back into the game. However, they didn't get the start to the second half they would have wanted. Blackpool’s Dominic Ballard made it 4-1 in the 52’ minute, seemingly cutting the U’s defense open again. Ballard found himself on the end of a through ball from Kyle Joseph, and U’s man between the sticks found himself beaten once again - this time by Ballard who dispatched into the back of the U’s net. 

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It seemed like a long way back from here, and it needed some effort for any chance of a result for the home side. Effort was something that seemed to come pretty quickly and in the 59’ minute of the game, Danny Andrew provided the U’s with a much needed lifeline. Andrew saw his left footed effort fly into the bottom left corner from a free kick, to make it 4-2. 

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Both teams were fighting to gain a foothold in the match and after ten minutes of end-to-end football, the U’s substitute Brandon Njoku made it 4-3. Josh Stokes managed to steal the ball before managing to tee off Njoku who fired goalwards to decrease the deficit. It was game on from here. 

 

Against all odds since going 3 goals down, the U’s managed to find an equalizer through Shane Lavery once again, who was brilliantly assisted by Emmanuel Longelo. Lavery made it 4-4 to reward the U’s fighting spirit.  

 

In what was an unbelievable roller coaster of emotions, the final whistle blew, and the final score was Cambridge United 4, Blackpool 4. The rain did not stop pouring, and neither did the goals. A monumental comeback for the home side, who forced Blackpool to share the spoils, and both teams picked up their first point of the season.  

Minute-by-minute account:

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• 2’ Early chance for Blackpool as ball is played through and Reyes gets something on it, corner ball for the Seasiders. 

• 4’ GOAL – James Husband gives the visitors the lead! Lee Evans delivers a ball from the corner which gets flicked on by a U’s defender into James Husbands path where he directs a powerful header into the back of the net.  

• 8’ Kaikai gets away and finds Smith, but a poor touch means O’Donnel can claim it. 

• 11’ Lavery sees a shot blocked on the edge of Blackpool’s box. 

• 16’ Lavery has a goal disallowed for offside. 

• 19’ Yellow card for Brophy. 

• 22’ Ballard looks to shoot, Bennet turns it behind for a corner for Blackpool. 

• 24’ Fletcher gets played over the top, blocked by Rossi. 

• 28’ GOAL – Lavery equalizes! A brilliant bit of play on the left side from Brophy who cuts the ball across the box for Lavery to finish with a tap in. 

• 32’ Good spell of possession sees Bennet fire a cross into the box but to no avail as it results in a throw in for Blackpool. 

• 37’ GOAL – Husband puts Blackpool ahead once again through a whipped cross from Evans,.  

• 39’ GOAL – Kyle Joseph latches onto a mistake by Smith who breaks through on goal before lifting the ball over the keeper and into the back of the net, an emphatic finish! 3-1 to Blackpool.  

• 44’ Evans’ free kick is tipped over the bar by Reyes, forcing a corner for Blackpool. 

• 45+1 Yellow card for Bennet. 

• Half time 

• 45’ James Brophy comes off the pitch, Josh Stokes comes on. 

• 52’ GOAL – Dom Ballard makes it four, United seemingly cut open at the back again, as Kyle Joseph plays Ballard through on goal who dispatches past Reyes to make it more misery for the U’s. 

• 57’ Baggot booked for pulling back Stokes. 

• 59’ GOAL – Danny Andrew gets a goal back for the U’s and provides a potential lifeline. A left footed effort from the free kick sees the bottom left corner.  

• 60’ Fletcher volleys way wide. 

• 61’ Blackpool’s Dominic Ballard is substituted for Jordan Rhodes.  

• 63’ Kaikai’s volley flies over the bar. 

• 66’ Rhodes header saved by Reyes.  

• 72’ GOAL – Brandon Njoku scores for the U’s to make it 4-3., Game on! Stokes steals the ball and teas off Njoku who decreases the deadlock. 

• 74’ GOAL – Against all odds the U’s fight back to equalize! Shane Lavery is teed up by Emmanuel Longelo who fires in to claim the U’s fighting status in the match. 

• 80’ Coulson booked. 

• 90+1 Stokes shot easily picked up by O’Donnell. 

• Full Time whistle blows – Cambridge United 4, Blackpool 4. 

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Attendance: 6,033 (477 away fans)