Wanderers missed out on the chance to move back into the top six as they allowed 10-man Cambridge to hit back and grab a late point, writes Pete Oliver.
Ian Evatt’s men were heading for a fifth away win of the season and an eighth victory in their last 11 games when Aaron Collins followed up his dramatic winner against Blackpool last Saturday with his fourth goal in three games.
That was with an hour gone and shortly after the U’s had seen defender Jubril Okedina sent off for an off-the-ball incident when he took a swipe at George Johnston to see red.
But rather than press home their advantage – or hold onto what they had – the Whites allowed Cambridge to build up a late head of a steam with a boisterous crowd behind them.
And another ball into the box in the 89th-minute proved one too many as Sullay Kaikai found space to steer home an excellent header and further fuel the U’s survival hopes.
As well as a switch of strip to their new-look ‘community’ third kit, Wanderers were also forced into one personnel change on the back of Saturday’s late win over Blackpool with Szabolcs Schön serving a one-match ban and Randell Williams returning in his place.
And Jay Matete also earned a re-call in a midfield that will now be missing captain George Thomason for next Tuesday night’s visit of Mansfield after the skipper also picked up a fifth yellow card of the campaign in a scrappy first half.
The best chances came in the opening minutes as Dion Charles fired an effort over the top for Wanderers and Kakai was denied by a smart save by Nathan Baxter at the other end.
Ryan Loft almost smuggled in a chance at the far post for the home side as they looked to continue their recent improved run which had brought them just one defeat in six league games and renewed hope of escaping the bottom four.
But despite no lack of endeavour in a competitive encounter, it was largely substance over style from both sides with Wanderers not getting their passing game into top gear and seeing only Thomason, Matete and Collins attempt efforts which failed to locate the target.
If the first half was uneventful, it took just a couple of minutes of the second for the game to explode into life.
A neat one-two between Charles and Matete ended with Charles bringing an excellent save out of Vicente Reyes with a strike from the edge of the box. And before the corner could be delivered, referee Paul Howard saw Okedina lash out at Johnston to earn a red card which received no protest.
That left Wanderers with the best part of 45 minutes to try and make their numerical advantage count and it took them just 10 of those to take the lead.
Cambridge looked to sit deep but the Whites’ growing pressure paid off when Charles nicked the ball in the U’s penalty area and Collins continued his purple patch with a first-time shot on the turn into the bottom corner of the net.
That raised the temperature inside the Abbey Stadium and gave the home contingent a cause to fight for.
Wanderers looked as though they would counter it with a period of control. But that didn’t last long enough and, inevitably, Cambridge would find one final fling.
In came in the shape a cross from Danny Andrew after Wanderers hadn’t cleared a long throw and Kaikai delivered the blow that sent the Whites home frustrated and feeling short-changed despite making it just two defeats in 11 games to edge nearer the play-off places.
Wanderers: Baxter; Jones, Almeida Santos, Johnston; Sheehan; Dacres-Cogley (Osei-Tutu 69), Matete, Thomason (Lolos 69), Williams; Charles (Adeboyejo 79), Collins (McAtee 79). Substitutes: Southwood (GK), Forrester, Arfield.
Booked: Thomason, Sheehan, Osei-Tutu, Baxter, Jones
Cambridge: Reyes; Bennett, Okedina, Morrison, Andrew, Brophy (Watts 94); Kaikai, Cousins (Kachunga 81) Smith; Njoku (Lavery HT), Loft (Rossi 53). Substitutes: Stevens (GK), O'Riordan, Kaunda.
Booked: Smith
Sent off: Okedina
Attendance: 5,266 (549 Wanderers)
Referee: Paul Howard