Cambridge are back in the Football League after a rather long exile and no one can claim that they are not deserving of promotion. The U’s were by far the best side in the league all the way up until December and at times had a lead as big as ten points on the next side at the top of the table. Richard Money signed some very good players in the summer like Tom Champion, Ryan Donaldson, Adam Cunnington and Greg Taylor and they all provided the new core of a side that had a poor campaign in the previous year. It was clear from the start that the makings of a very strong side were there and the U’s swept aside Halifax 5:1 in an impressive opening game of the season. Yet, it was the defensive solidity and not the exploits up front that were the cornerstone of their success early in the season. The team in Amber conceded a measly six goals in the first 16 games in the league and lost none of them. The home form was absolutely impeccable with the club setting a new record of most home league wins at this level at the start of a season at 13. The performances were not always there but Money was making sure that his side was getting over the line and doing the required thing to secure the points. They were easily the most constant and reliable side in the league while the loan addition of Kwesi Appiah for a period of three months added real quality and flair into the attacking department. The team was functioning very well but the first cracks started to appear towards the end of 2013. The away form started to get rathe patchy and actually the U’s went nearly six months with just a single away win in the league and that being against a poor Tamworth side. Teams started to work them out in terms of shutting them down at home and Luton began to close the gap to the top spot. In fact, the U’s lost the leadership just before New Year’s Day for a first time in the season and soon badly lost pace with a side in much better form. Home defeats to Grimsby and Alfreton in the early weeks of 2014 further shook the confidence of the side. Money, on the other hand, was not helping with his ragged behaviour and often bizarre comments that did not indicate a happy camp. In the midst of that alarming loss of form, the U’s had maintained their run in the FA Trophy and secured a place in the final after an impressive two-legged success over Grimsby. That was against a lowly Gosport Borough and the team secured an easy 4:0 win that saw them lift the trophy. By then, the form in the league has improved and a place in the play-off looked certain since mid-March. The U’s had a pretty strong run of form after winning the FA Trophy but actually finished the regular season on a four-game losing run and without finding the back of the net. Regular keeper, Will Norris, was also out injured and suddenly the promotion dream looked in tatters. The U’s lost to Halifax in the first leg of the semi-final but turned a defiant showing at home in the second and secured a 2:1 aggregate success. The final pitted them against a Gateshead side in better overall form but Money set his team up wisely and they came out 2:1 winners at the end, thus completing the dream of a return to the Football League. It was definitely not plain sailing but the manager was successful in reinventing the team and making them more effective in the crucial stage of the season and it all ended well.
