Garry Monk admits struggling Cambridge are “running out of time” in their battle to beat the drop.
Even a win would not have lifted Monk’s side off the bottom of the League One table, but a 1-0 defeat at home to Exeter ensured they remained well adrift of safety.
Despite taking Nottingham Forest to penalties in the FA Cup on Tuesday, Exeter’s league form had seen them fall down the table, but a Josh Magennis header earned the Grecians a first league victory of 2025.
“It’s a big blow to us, of course it is,” Monk said.
“It was a massively important match. There is enough time, but we’re running out of time. It’s not over till it’s over, football works like that.
“It’s hard in this moment, everyone in that dressing room feels really hugely frustrated, disappointed. In football you have to dust yourselves down, move on, get ready.
“It was a poor match overall. It looked like two teams that are struggling for form and points. In a match like that the key is the first goal.
“We had our opportunities to score a goal or at least hit that target, we didn’t take that and then they get really one opportunity in the second half.
“It’s not even really an opportunity, it’s just really poor defending from us. It’s a simple cross in the box. We don’t defend the situation and find ourself a goal behind.
“We huffed and puffed after that without any real quality and obviously ended up with a really bad result.
Gary Caldwell demanded Exeter’s first league win since Boxing Day set the standard for the remaining months.
“I have to demand more. I have to build on this and try and take our performance levels forward in the coming games,” Caldwell said.
“I felt like (in) the first 20 minutes the game was there for us to really take control.
“Because of the run we’re on, because of the game on Tuesday night, we couldn’t quite do that.
“The way we ground it out, the way we found a way to win after that was really pleasing.
“We said after Tuesday, as much as we were disappointed at losing the game on penalties, the performance, the spirit, togetherness that we showed had to be the foundation. I think we’re carried that on.
“Now we have to build performance levels and the areas we feel we can still improve. That will come as we keep picking up results.
“Positive results build confidence. The players will feel good about themselves, but we’re back into work next week and we build again for a really difficult game at Charlton.”
Let's start our Daily Laugh today. Arsenal interested in Kepa Arrizabalaga They're back Chelsea confirm signing of Liam Delap (£30m) Rejected by Bruno FernandesAppointed Simone Inzaghi as new head coachIt's been a mixed week for Al-Hilal Accurate representation Cristiano Ronaldo 20+ Years Apart for Portugal..AGED like Fine Wine.The FIRST Dance vs The Last Dance.. Please stay tuned o...
The 2025 FIFA Club World Cup debuts in Miami, USA, with a brand-new look. 32 top clubs will gather together to kick off the ultimate showdown among clubs. Group A takes center stage in the opening matches, featuring giants from four continents. Carrying distinct football cultures and historic missions, they will showcase their prowess on the the pitch this summer.FC PortoFC Porto, is a club based ...
Arsenal inching closer to £38m transfer for 'Mini Odegaard'Arsenal are reportedly inching closer to a £38 million move for Genk starlet Konstantinos Karetsas - who has been dubbed a "Mini Odegaard"According to reports in Greece, Arsenal are 'very close' to securing an agreement for attacking midfielder Karetsas, who can also play as a winger, to join them this summer for a fee worth up t...
Barcelona's ongoing efforts to prise Luis Diaz away from Liverpool have hit a significant snag.Diaz is ranked at no.6 in FourFourTwo's list of the best left wingers in the world right now and has just enjoyed his best-ever season for the Reds, prompting Barca to set their sights on taking the Colombian to the soon-to-reopen Camp Nou.But they may have to turn their attentions to an alternative targ...
Argentina are reportedly set to play a friendly match in Moscow - despite the Russian national team being banned by FIFA.WHAT HAPPENED?All Russian clubs and national teams were suspended from participating in FIFA and UEFA competitions following the invasion of Ukraine in early 2022. However, reports suggest the 2022 World Champions could face Russia in the November international break later this ...
Arsenal have made enquiries about signing Morgan Rogers this summer after adding him to their transfer wish list. The Gunners are intent on signing a new left-winger to compete with Gabriel Martinelli, and they aren't the only Premier League big shots to have taken an interest in the Aston Villa star.Rogers contributed to 18 goals in 37 Premier League matches last season and racked up another six ...
Rangers appoint ex-Southampton manager Russell MartinRangers have hired former Southampton boss Russell Martin as their new manager on a three-year deal.The 39-year-old’s time on the south coast was a mixed bag, securing promotion to the Premier League but failed to adapt and ultimately being sacked.Rangers have now confirmed Martin’s appointment, and he will be joined in Glasgow by as...
PSG and Lucho kick Real Madrid into Mastantuono actionPSG are forcing Real Madrid to meet the buyout clause of River Plate midfielder Franco Mastantuono.The 17 year-old is a top target for Real Madrid this summer, though only after they refused to meet River's asking price a year ago.AS says now Real are prepared to pay his €45m clause knowing PSG have made an attempt in recent days.PSG coac...
Sarina Wiegman has named Lauren James in her Euro 2025 squad (Image: Getty)Sarina Wiegman has named the England squad she will take to Euro 2025 this summer, and Lauren James has made the cut. The Chelsea forward was an injury doubt for the tournament, having not played since suffering a hamstring problem on her last outing for the Lionesses in April, but she will still be on the plane to Switzerl...
🔊 In the opening match of Group D in the COSAFA Cup, Zambia and the Comoros Islands will face off. The teams enter the tournament in contrasting form: Zambia are impressive with their unbeaten streak, while the Comoros team alternate between victories and setbacks. Both sides are highly motivated, as each aims to secure group leadership and advance to the playoffs. The line-ups suggest strategic d...
- 1 Albanian Laura Woods wows fans in Champions League final outfit
- 2 Transfer news & rumours LIVE
- 3 Why Premier League transfer may be off the cards for Victor Osimhen as Man Utd make 'timid' attempts to convince striker
- 4 Transfer news & rumours LIVE
- 5 Maya Jama and Ruben Dias share loved-up selfie
- 6 FIFA confirms 34 team base camp training sites in the United States for 2025 Club World Cup, including nine in Florida and five in Calitornia
- 7 Man Utd continue to be linked with Emi Martinez
- 8 Transfer news & rumours LIVE
- 9 Transfer news & rumours LIVE
- 10 Daily Laugh - Mbeumo and his amazing talent