Cambridge United will be looking to conclude the Easter schedule with back-to-back wins in Sky Bet League One as they welcome play-off hopefuls Leyton Orient to the Cledara Abbey Stadium…
How to Watch
Tickets are selling at a rapid rate for Easter Monday’s tie at CB5, which gets underway at 3pm.
Buy your tickets online at cufctickets.com, over the phone by calling 01223 566500 (option 1) or by visiting the Ticket Office on the day of the game. All prices increase by £2 when buying in-person on the day.
Unable to attend? Get behind the team from the comfort of your home. The match is being shown live on Sky Sports+ for UK-based fans, whilst overseas supporters can stream the game live on CUFC TV.
Opposition Focus
A unique piece of history, Leyton Orient were founded back in 1881 and have had to evolve numerous times throughout many obstacles. From the Clapton & District League in 1883 to the Football League in 1905, the O’s would remain a thoroughly competitive Division Two side for decades before peaking with a sole season in Division One in the early 1960s. Bad ownership forced the club out of the Football League for the first time in 2017, but they roared back at the second attempt and as recently as 2023 stormed to the League Two table. Under the tutelage of Richie Wellens, they’ve immediately stabilised. After laying the foundations last season with a respectable ranking of 11th, the dark horses of the division have enjoyed a blistering streak that puts them firmly in the play-off picture.
Currently occupying 6th position, a chance to battle it out with the heavyweights in the play-offs is in their hands going into a crucial final three. Level on points with Reading and with Bolton Wanderers, Huddersfield Town and Blackpool not too far behind, the race towards the final spot promises to be an exciting one. Form certainly favours Orient, however, who have gone from strength to strength. A sticky start saw them pick up just two wins from 11, but December is where the momentum truly picked up as they roared to 12 victories from 15. Five consecutive defeats threatened to scupper their promotion hopes, but the London outfit make the journey off the back of three successive wins, with the solitary defeat in seven.
Setting up in a 4-2-3-1 system, Wellens has got his group ticking with some no-nonsense defensive prowess and free-flowing, scintillating attackers who have taken the league by storm. Starting from the back, 21-year-old loan goalkeeper Josh Keeley has been instrumental towards the 17 clean sheets picked up – that’s not been a surprise with a reliable and athletic back four of Ethan Galbraith, Omar Beckles, Rarmani Edmonds-Green and Jack Currie just ahead. Pulling the strings in the holding midfield role is veteran Darren Pratley – 40 on Tuesday – and Jordan Brown, who has already amassed 150 appearances since his 2022 move. Out on the right, Randell Williams is a creative spark and is a similar asset to Daniel Agyei on the other side, whose blistering pace causes problems for full-backs. In the attacking department, Spurs loanee Jamie Donley has been a revelation, nobody in the division can better his nine assists, whereas striker Charlie Kelman, another excellent piece of business in the lone market, is the leading goalscorer with 20 strikes. As a result, it comes as no surprise that Orient are in the mix for a first foray into the second tier since 1982.
Form Guide
- 01/04/2025 – Burton Albion 2-1 Leyton Orient – Sky Bet League One
- 05/04/2025 – Leyton Orient 0-0 Wigan Athletic – Sky Bet League One
- 08/04/2025 – Mansfield Town 2-3 Leyton Orient – Sky Bet League One
- 12/04/2025 - Crawley Town 1-3 Leyton Orient – Sky Bet League One
- 18/04/2025 – Leyton Orient 4-3 Barnsley – Sky Bet League One
The Amber Angle
In never-say-die fashion, the U’s kept their League One fight going as they dramatically sealed a 1-2 victory at Huddersfield Town on Good Friday.
Ebbing and flowing throughout the afternoon in West Yorkshire, it took until midway through the second half for the game to be taken by the scruff of the neck when endeavour in the final third allowed livewire James Brophy to pick out a peach of a curler into the top corner to draw first blood. The Terriers then probed and appeared to have snatched a share of the spoils two minutes from time through Josh Koroma, but United wouldn’t settle and persisted to gain a pulsating triumph in the dying embers through a clean Sullay Kaikai finish to secure back-to-back away wins.
Reflecting on a first success against Huddersfield since 1977, Neil Harris was ecstatic with his side’s endeavour, stating: “It takes some character because that (the equaliser) could have knocked the stuffing out of us. That could have been our season done, there and then in that moment… To bounce back like we did shows that the players are fighting.”
And so, United live to fight another day. The task is still a mammoth one, but with five points to bridge in the remaining three, they’ll simply keep the faith and take it one match at a time as they look to take their fate to the wire.
Form Guide
- 29/03/2025 – Cambridge United 1-1 Northampton Town – Sky Bet League One
- 01/04/2025 – Cambridge United 2-2 Wrexham – Sky Bet League One
- 05/04/2025 – Shrewsbury Town 0-1 Cambridge United – Sky Bet League One
- 12/04/2025 – Cambridge United 0-1 Charlton Athletic – Sky Bet League One
- 18/04/2025 – Huddersfield Town 1-2 Cambridge United – Sky Bet League One
Head-to-Head
- Cambridge United Wins: 21
- Leyton Orient Wins: 17
- Draws: 14
Last Time We Met
Sunday 29th December 2024 – Leyton Orient 2-0 Cambridge United – Sky Bet League One
The U’s concluded 2024 in disappointing fashion during our last meeting as the in-form O’s worked towards a comprehensive 2-0 win at the Gaughan Group Stadium. Despite starting in the ascendency, the men in blue were undone half an hour in when Oliver O’Neill pounced from close range, before youngster Jamie Donley increased the lead mid-way through the second half – an advantage where they showed little signs of surrendering as Cambridge were consigned to a third successive defeat. The line-up on that day: Stevens, Okedina, Morrison, Andrew, Bennett, Smith, Cousins, Kaikai, Stokes, Kachunga, Nlundulu.
Officials
- Referee: Anthony Backhouse
- Assistant Referee: Mark Dwyer
- Assistant Referee: Darren Williams
- Fourth Official: Abigail Byrne