Neil Harris: Cambridge made to sweat before sealing promotion

Cambridge boss Neil Harris admitted “the nerves were jangling” before his side were able to celebrate promotion back to League One.

The U’s were held to a goalless draw at Crewe, but Salford’s failure to win at Crawley meant Harris’ men clinched the third automatic promotion spot a year after relegation from the third tier.

Harris was quick to highlight director of football Mark Bonner’s role in helping transform the club after last term’s misery.

“Mark has moved heaven and earth to transform a losing culture and build a structure as well as an identity,” he said.

“I’m so proud of the players and delighted for Mark. It’s a great day for all of us and the fans who have travelled in numbers and who have given us sold-out stadiums at the Abbey.

“The biggest mention of all is for our owners, Paul Barry and Mark Green, who have invested their own money into the club.

“Mark because he has been sucked into it and wants to have a bit of fun, he wants to win. And Paul because he is just the barmiest fan I’ve ever come across. We should be privileged to have him as an owner as what he does for this football club often goes unnoticed.

“We weren’t the better team today, but we had the chances again, even in the 97th minute, to win it which has been the case so many times this season. We’re over the line, although the nerves were jangling.”

Cambridge’s failure to pose much of a threat for most of the afternoon at the Mornflake Stadium left them relying on the outcome at Crawley.

Ben Knight wasted the chance to settle the nerves when his weak 25th-minute penalty, awarded for a trip on Sully Kaikai, was easily saved by Ian Lawlor.

The Crewe goalkeeper also kept out stoppage-time efforts from Kelland Watts and Dominic Ball before former Crewe striker Elliott Nevitt blazed a loose ball over.

The hosts went closest when Josh March glanced Reece Hutchinson’s corner into the side-netting before the break.

Cambridge’s celebrations were delayed as an air ambulance had to land on the pitch to take a home fan who had suffered a medical emergency to hospital.

“Hopefully the fan who has been taken to hospital will be okay,” said Crewe boss Lee Bell. “Football is insignificant in the scheme of things when things like that happen.”

Crewe face a fifth consecutive campaign in League Two after their play-off bid tailed off with four defeats in their last six games.

It looks like being a summer of change for the Railwaymen, with 14 players out of contract, and Bell added: “We’ve got to work hard in the summer and our head of recruitment Josh Kennard will be working hard with the
budget we have. And we will have to work hard to replicate what Cambridge have done.”