Cambridge 2-0 Forest Green: United survive in League One with final-day win

Sunday 7 May 2023 15:58, UK

Cambridge beat Forest Green 2-0 on the final day of the League One season to complete a remarkable escape from relegation.

The U's were seven points from safety going into the final nine games of the campaign but their win over Rovers, coupled with MK Dons and Morecambe dropping points, means Mark Bonner's side stay up.

They had fallen into the drop zone on January 14 and climbed out of it only on the final day thanks to goals from Harrison Dunk and Sam Smith.

Both goals came in the first half, with Cambridge taking the lead after 25 minutes when Conor McGrandles' corner was scrambled home by Dunk, and it was 2-0 eight minutes before half-time.

Jack Lankester helped the ball on to Smith, who fired a superb volley in off the far post.

Rock-bottom Forest Green did threaten, with Dominic Bernard heading against the bar from close range, and Lankester almost headed a corner into his own net soon after the break.

The remainder of the game petered out into a non-event, with attentions turned to the outcome of scores elsewhere as Cambridge secured a third season in the third tier.

Bonner: Manner of Cambridge survival will stick in everyone's minds

Cambridge manager Mark Bonner:

"We're a club on the up. You look at the number of people here; four sides of the stadium full of Cambridge fans. What a day. I was a bit emotional first half. I said a few weeks back we're going to need to finish as we started, or even maybe more to make sure that we got across the line.

"It seemed an improbable task at the time. Firstly we had to take it to the last week, then we were trying to take it to the last day, then we needed the football gods to shine on us.

"It's a brilliant achievement for us to do it. Hopefully this gives us a chance of building and making sure that next year's a stronger one. What a way to do it, last day of the season. It's incredible, really. It will be one that sticks in everyone's mind at the end of a really brutal season.

"The season, the longer it went on, became one where we said we're going to have to have a fight to stay in it. I'm absolutely thrilled that we have for everybody. I'd say it's well deserved."