Cambridge City struggling to create chances as losing sequence continued in FA Cup at Mulbarton Wanderers

Jamie Cureton has conceded that his Cambridge City players are struggling to create chances after their losing sequence stretched to three matches in the FA Cup on Saturday afternoon.

Having opened up their 2025/26 Isthmian League North Division campaign with late back-to-back 2-1 defeats at the hands of Lowestoft Town and Newmarket Town, the Lilywhites bowed out of the world’s oldest cup competition at the weekend with a 2-0 loss at lower-level Mulbarton Wanderers.

And much of Cureton’s ‘disappointment’ with the outcome came from the fact that his side were so dominant in Norfolk, particularly during the second half, and yet they rarely worked the opposition’s goalkeeper.

He told City’s media: “I couldn’t see us scoring (in the second half). As much as we had dominance of the ball – we had possession constantly and we were literally in their final third for most of the game.

“The disappointing thing is I asked the boys the question: How may chances did we have were you felt you should have scored? We didn’t have one.

“The disappointment for me – and it should be for the group – you can’t be in that much possession of the ball, be that dominant and play in their final third for that much, and not create. Ultimately that’s what’s cost us.”

Meanwhile, on the team’s wider problem of carving out opportunities across the previous three games, he added: “It comes from the creativity of the people behind them (the forwards) and it comes from the runs they’re going to make.

“You’ve got Solomon, Smudger, Mikey, Samrai and JT – there’s probably 70 goals there, if not more, from what they did last year. We haven’t created an opportunity for any of them and they’re not creating opportunities for themselves.

“It’s not that we haven’t got goals in the team and people that can score, so it’s how do we get them the chances that they need? The thing we struggled with last year was we didn’t have enough, now we’ve got an abundance of it and we can’t create a chance.

“It comes from everyone within the whole team – whether it’s the forwards not making the right runs or whether it’s the delivery isn’t coming quick enough or it’s not good enough. I look and think if we get that bit right we’ll score goals because we’ve got players that can do it.”

“We had a real big chat – not a row or anything – just a deep chat of this is what we need. As a group you have to understand who is playing and what do they need? And what suits them? What type of ball does he want? What runs does he make? It looks like at the moment we get to that bit and we’re a bit lost.”

While Cureton went on to say that time spent on the training pitch will help to correct the issues, he is also in the market for attacking reinforcements.

And he has revealed that he hopes to have two fresh additions in the attacking third of the pitch by the time that City run out away at Mildenhall Town on Saturday afternoon.

“We’re going to sign two players at the top end of the pitch that are going to give us a lot more. For me it has to be competition because we can’t have players that we have to keep picking if they’re not doing the jobs we want,” he said.

“Two players have become available that for me will add, definitely, so we’re doing our best to get them done.”

Within 48 hours of facing Mildenhall, City will play host to Walthamstow at the FWD-IP Community Stadium as part of the league’s traditional August bank holiday double header of fixtures.

And Cureton has told his players that consecutive wins within the space of three days will give the start to the season a much different complexion.

“There’s the chance in three days to turn everything around. If they win Saturday and Monday, suddenly it’s six points and we’ll be up the league and on a roll,” he said.

“We’ve got a week to get to that point but then it’s two games in three days. Take maximum points from that and it gives you an opportunity.

“We have a chance. We’ll have players back, hopefully a few new ones in and we can change it because you’re going to need to with two games in three days because it’s going to be tough on the boys.

“That’s football – it changes so quickly. You have to be emotionally detached from it a bit and when you’re flying it’s the same thing – you have to stay level within it. For us it’s a great opportunity but they’ll be big pressure because we’ve lost two on the bounce (in the league).

“We’re now going to have two in three days so we’re going to need a group that is going to stick together and have big characters that are prepared to stand up.”