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Cambridge in 'wonderful position' – Harris

by Luna
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Cambridge United boss Neil Harris said his side have earned a "huge opportunity" to secure automatic promotion with three games left to play.

The U's drew 0-0 with League Two leaders Bromley to remain third in the table, having thumped fourth-placed Notts County 4-0 on Saturday.

They now have back-to-back home games against Grimsby Town and Barrow before ending the season away to Crewe Alexandra.

"Looking at it glass half full, we'll sit back now and see what the next 48 hours brings for the teams around us," Harris told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire.

"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."

Cambridge are looking to bounce back at the first attempt following last season's relegation and have won almost half of their 43 games so far, losing only seven.

"With 10 games to go, we were playing seven of the top eight and it's still tough what's in front of us – Grimsby are fighting to get in the play-offs, Barrow fighting for their lives to stay in the league and Crewe – they might have a chance of the play-offs, they might not," said Harris.

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

Cambridge have the meanest defence in the fourth tier, with just 31 goals conceded, 12 fewer than any other team.

And they again showed their resilience with a clean sheet at Bromley, despite having to bring in Preston keeper Jack Walton, who had not played a senior game since January, on an emergency loan.

Harris said: "The changing room are disappointed not to win but chuffed with themselves for the way we stood strong – and we're really chuffed for Jack Walton because he showed some real character and belief to come into a game live on Sky, first versus third, away from home, and play like that. What a great lad, I can't praise him highly enough."

The one worry for Cambridge was the loss of Northern Ireland striker Shayne Lavery early in the second half.

"We've been in this position lots of times with Shayne," said Harris.

"He felt something in his back and glute and hamstring. We were sensible, he's not pulled up, he's not gone down, and we're hopeful that he's going to be OK quickly but we just don't know [at the moment].

"If he is, great. If not, then it's down to Louis [Appere] and Elliot [Nevitt] to step up and find the goals we need."

He added: "We should have been 3-0 up at half-time. We talked a lot about taking chances when they come. We saw on Saturday how ruthless we were – and we weren't quite as ruthless tonight.

"I'm proud of the group for where we are at the moment, proud of the group for the backs-to-the-wall second half when they are relentless in what they do. They ask serious questions of you and we had to stand strong.

"When we got the ball down and passed the ball in the first and second halves, we looked like a proper football team, a dangerous team, a team better than the level we play at."

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