Cambridge 'don't feel like a bottom-four club'

Garry Monk managed Swansea, Leeds, Middlesbrough, Birmingham and Sheffield Wednesday before taking over at Cambridge in March 2024

Boss Garry Monk said Cambridge United "don't feel like a bottom-four team" after a late equaliser earned them a draw at promotion-chasing Wrexham.

The U's remain in the League One relegation places after a dismal start to the season, seeing them manage only one point from their first nine matches.

The draw in north Wales was their fourth in the last six games, but the U's have only been beaten once in that period.

"To a man, the guys that started, the guys that came on, even the guys that didn't come on, it was a united performance and if anything, there was a slight tinge of disappointment that we didn't win the game," Monk told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire.

"Even though we are in the bottom four, we don't feel like we are a bottom-four team and I think we've been proving that since the Wigan game when we got our first win, trying to build consistency with points.

"We've got to make sure we keep backing up performances like this and keep trying to build runs of points and performances, and hopefully sooner rather than later we'll be away from where we are in the league at this moment in time."

Wrexham are unbeaten at home in the league this season and Cambridge were only the second team out of 11 to come away with a point - which Monk said was the "minimum" they deserved.

Having gone in front through Elias Kachunga and then fallen behind, the U's needed an 89th-minute penalty from Dan Nlundulu to level things up, his fifth goal since arriving on loan from Bolton Wanderers.

"There's nothing better than being an underdog, teams doubt us and we catch them by surprise," Nlundulu told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire.

"We've got a good squad, good people and good players as well. The start of the season killed us a little bit but we're getting that belief back, getting some players back from injury and we're only getting stronger."

Cambridge have another tough assignment at home to fourth-placed Huddersfield Town on Friday before trips to Charlton Athletic and Leyton Orient in their first two post-Christmas fixtures.

And Nlundulu said he remains fully focused on helping the club, even though Bolton have a recall option for January in his season-long loan agreement.

"Bolton is a great club with great fans as well. I watch out for them and see how they're doing but right now I'm at Cambridge, I'm enjoying my game-time, playing Saturday-Tuesday, Saturday-Tuesday, taking my recovery (time) seriously so I can be ready for the next game and continue to perform the way I am.

"If I was to be recalled (to Bolton), that's a conversation me and my agent will have to have, but I'm glad to be here and looking forward to Friday and taking it game by game."