Cambridge United midfielder Isaac Heath has said the U's "took the game" to Wigan Athletic after a 3-2 League One victory at the Abbey Stadium on 17 August, according to a Radio Cambridgeshire interview published on BBC Sounds.
A confident Cambridge performance
Heath, speaking in a three-minute post-match clip, conveyed a sense of genuine belief from the Cambridge dressing room. The result moves the U's onto their first league points of the new third-tier season and offers an early marker of the ambitions Mark Bonner's side are setting for themselves in 2026-27.
"We took the game to them," Heath is understood to have said, underlining that Cambridge were the more purposeful side across the ninety minutes rather than sitting back and absorbing pressure.
It is a significant attitude to take into a game against Wigan Athletic, a club who arrived at the Abbey having already suffered what their own manager described as being "too easy to play against" in the opening fixture of the campaign. That early self-criticism from the Wigan dugout makes the defeat doubly difficult for the Latics to accept, and Cambridge were willing to exploit any hesitancy.
A five-goal thriller
The 3-2 scoreline suggests a match with genuine drama in both directions. Wigan were not without threat, finding the net twice themselves, and the contest was far from the straightforward exercise that the final scoreline in Cambridge's favour might imply. For Heath and his team-mates, however, the message afterwards was one of collective initiative: the U's sought to dictate rather than react.
League One supporters will note that this is Cambridge's second meeting of the season to generate considerable attention, with manager Tony Harris having already flagged the Wigan fixture as "another step up" in the club's development. On the basis of Heath's assessment, the players appear to share that progressive outlook.
What it means for Cambridge
A first win of the season is invariably a relief as well as a statement, and Cambridge will hope the confidence from this performance carries through into their next assignment. Three points from a game where both clubs scored multiple goals also provides encouraging signs in front of goal, which will matter as the third tier's fixture list intensifies through the autumn.
For Wigan, the search for their first league victory continues. Thomas Caldwell's side must regroup quickly; the third tier offers no time for extended reflection, and the Latics will need to find greater defensive resilience after conceding three for the second time in what is still a very young season.
Cambridge's attacking intent, captured in Heath's brief but telling post-match remarks, will give their supporters genuine reason for optimism as the 2026-27 League One campaign takes shape.
Frequently asked
- What was the score in Cambridge United vs Wigan Athletic?
- Cambridge United beat Wigan Athletic 3-2 in a League One match played on 17 August 2026.
- What did Isaac Heath say after Cambridge's win over Wigan?
- Speaking to Radio Cambridgeshire, Heath said Cambridge "took the game" to Wigan, reflecting on a positive and proactive team performance.
- How are Cambridge United doing in League One this season?
- Cambridge United picked up their first league win of the 2026-27 season with a 3-2 victory over Wigan Athletic, suggesting an encouraging start to the campaign.