Cambridgevs.Stevenage

The U's are currently six points adrift of safety in the League One table, but two wins out of two under Harris has the club believing that they can stay in the division.

Match preview

Harris returned to the club for a second spell in charge after his original replacement, Garry Monk, left the club following a run of one win in 13 league matches.

A shock 2-0 win against promotion candidates Stockport County was followed up with another vital 2-0 triumph over fellow strugglers Crawley Town at the weekend.

Having not kept a clean sheet in 18 matches in all competitions, the new boss has helped mastermind two in a row at Cambridge.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, having gone almost three months without a clean sheet during that run, Cambridge have the fourth-worst defensive record in the league, with 56 goals conceded in 33 matches.

The U's have also scored more goals in two games under Harris than they had managed in their previous five matches in the league.

There was a sense of unfinished business with Harris at Cambridge, as he left the club after just two months into his first spell at the club to return to Millwall.

Finishing 20th and 18th in the past two seasons, it could be argued that Cambridge have just about kept their head above water in League One over the past two years, and the U's being involved in a relegation battle this year is not a surprise because of that.

However, if Harris can guide the club that were eight points adrift at the bottom of League One when he took over to safety, it would be a remarkable achievement.

There is still plenty of work to do to stay up, and the hosts will turn their attention to beating Stevenage on Tuesday evening to continue their revival in recent weeks.

Having been in the race for the playoff places in League One, Stevenage have hit a bad patch in recent weeks that has left them 12 points outside the playoff zone.

The Boro have won just once in their last seven games in all competitions, a run that has seen them knocked out of the EFL Trophy and fall to mid-table in League One.

They ended a miserable February with a 1-0 win over Shrewsbury Town, but the visitors started March with a 2-1 defeat at home to Huddersfield Town.

Following their difficult run of results in recent weeks, a playoff place looks very unlikely for the hosts, and Stevenage's struggles in front of goal are a major reason why they have been failing to get results.

Alex Revell's side have scored just 31 times in the league in 33 matches, making them the joint-lowest scorers in the division, along with Wigan Athletic.

Had this match come a few weeks earlier, the hosts would have felt confident that they would have scored against a Cambridge side that had leaked plenty of goals before Harris returned to the club.

This fixture looks a lot trickier than it did before the change of management, and it is the hosts that now come into the game in the better form.

Cambridge won the reverse fixture 2-0 back in October, which at the time was only their second triumph of the campaign, and they will be hoping to complete the double over Revell's side on Tuesday evening.

However, that victory in October was their only win against Stevenage in the last six years, with the visitors winning six matches in a row against Cambridge before that clash earlier in the campaign.

Cambridge United League One form:

D

D

L

L

W

W

Stevenage League One form:

L

L

D

L

W

L

Team News

The hosts will be without James Gibbons, who is suspended after he was sent off in their win at Crawley on Saturday.

In further blows for Cambridge, Marko Marosi is out with a hamstring injury, while Zeno Ibsen Rossi and Sullay Kaikai also remain doubts following recent injuries.

Meanwhile, the visitors should have Dan Butler available for selection from the start, after he made his return from a head injury from the bench against Huddersfield at the weekend.

Elsewhere, Brandon Hanlan is expected to lead the attack for Revell's side, having scored in the defeat against the Terriers.

Cambridge United possible starting lineup:

Bishop; Longelo, Watts, Morrison, Bennett; Digby, Cousins, Brophy, Stokes, Kachunga; Loft

Stevenage possible starting lineup:

Cooper; Freestone, Piergianni, Sweeney, Freeman; Thompson, White, Edwards, Kemp, Roberts; Hanlan

We say: Cambridge United 1-0 Stevenage

The hosts have made a brilliant start to life under Harris, and we think they will get another win on Tuesday evening.

Written by

Tom Humphrey

Previews by email