Uche Ikpeazu popped up at the perfect moment to head home a late winner in Sky Bet League Two for Cambridge United, who took the spoils 1-0 over Stevenage at the Cambs Glass Stadium.
The U’s lined up without Gary Deegan for the first time in the League since his arrival in the summer having received a scan on a broken foot in the week, but were boosted by the return of striker Jabo Ibehre alongside Ikpeazu.
It was Ibehre who went closest of any one during a quiet first 45 minutes in front of goal. The striker stabbed a shot just off target on eight minutes after Jake Carroll’s long throw-in had been headed down by captain Leon Legge.
Ibehre was on the end of United’s only other foray forward of note, taking Medy Elito’s cross well on the knees before wrapping a half volley on the swivel with his back to goal ten yards out, but he was unable to test Joe Fryer in the Stevenage goal with the effort.
The visitors fired two early warnings in the second half, when Danny Newton flicked a header fractions wide from a corner a minute after the break, before he stung the palms of David Forde moments later.
The game began to open up shortly before the hour mark though and Ibehre looked likely to break the deadlock for the U’s when he got across his man to head Dunk’s cross from the left, but the effort grazed the side netting.
Paul Lewis had an opportunity to hit the target on 61 minutes when substitute Jevani Brown zipped a pass back to the midfielder ten yards out, however he lifted his shot too high with his right foot.
The U’s continued to grow into the half and Ikpeazu looked to have given them a lead with 19 minutes remaining, as the striker laced a mid-range shot towards the top corner only for Fryer to get a hand on the shot to divert it off target.
With the game in the balance heading into the final ten minutes, David Forde produced three miraculous saves within the space of a minute to keep the U’s level.
It turned out to be invaluable as three minutes from time, Uche Ikpeazu wrestled his way through a sea of Stevenage bodies inside the 18 yard box to guide a header past Joe Fryer from Jevani Brown’s excellent in-swinging delivery, to lift the roof off the Cambs Glass Stadium.
Cambridge United: Forde, Halliday, Legge, Taylor, Carroll, Mingoia (Brown, 52 mins), Lewis (Maris, 64 mins), Elito, Dunk (Amoo, 77 mins), Ibehre, Ikpeazu
Stevenage: Fryer, Smith, Martin, King, Wilkinson, Whelpdale, Pett (Beautyman, 90 mins), Samuel, Newton, Henry, McKee
Attendance: 4,039 (474)
Vindis Man of the Match: David Forde