Harris proud of Cambridge despite Fulham cup loss

Tuesday's game was Cambridge United's first EFL Cup meeting with Fulham since 1971

Cambridge United boss Neil Harris said he "couldn't be any prouder" of his team following a single-goal defeat by Fulham in the third round of the Carabao Cup.

Harris made seven changes to the side which beat Fleetwood Town last weekend and they kept their Premier League opponents at bay until Emile Smith Rowe's 66th-minute winner.

Midfielder Korey Smith played 45 minutes in his comeback game after suffering a knee injury in January, and Northern Ireland international Shayne Lavery got through over an hour in his first start of the season.

"It's so different to League Two, the ball doesn't come in your box aerially, you're not facing restart after restart. We knew a long throw wasn't going to come in the box," Harris told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire.

"We had to be really strong in the middle of the park.We had to make sure that ball went around us [and not through us,] and we had to have the best one v one defenders and best one v one wide players in the team, and Shayne Lavery gave us a counter threat when we could find him.

"We picked a team to suit playing against a Premier League opponent rather than a League Two opponent, and the players performed admirably. Every player was fantastic."

Harris said the U's had already achieved success in the competition by beating Bristol Rovers away and then Championship side Charlton Athletic in the second round, but to go in at half-time against Fulham on level terms was "brilliant for everybody".

Goalkeeper Jake Eastwood made a number of excellent saves to keep them in the game, and Cambridge sent on more attack-minded players shortly before Fulham's goal to try and create an opening in the final stages.

"I thought we nailed it for the first hour and then we had to make the changes. It's hard at that tempo to adapt quickly," Harris said.

"Once the goal went in we did adjust and we were the better team in the last 20 minutes - the only gripe would be that we didn't test their goalkeeper in that last 10-minute period.

"I suppose that just comes from fatigue and playing against world-class players."

Harris praised Smith and Lavery for their contribution, but said starting against Fulham did not mean they would now be fully "back in the running" for selection.

"A special mention for Korey, it was a big ask for him, especially in a game like this. And for Shayne to come in for his first start of the season as well, it was really important just to get 60 minutes out of him," Harris added.

"For us to be successful this season, we need a fit Korey Smith and a fit Shayne Lavery, so I've got to heed my own words and be really careful with them over the next two and half weeks until we really get them up to speed."