Cambridge boss Mark Bonner takes aim at lack of atmosphere at Peterborough United ahead of derby clashh

Cambridge United boss Mark Bonner has taken aim at the atmosphere created by Posh fans at the Weston Homes Stadium ahead of the Cambridgeshire Derby on Saturday (October 28).

Bonner will bring his Cambridge side, who won for the first time in six league matches on Tuesday night, to Posh on Saturday for the first league derby between the sides since 2001.

You have to go all the way back to April 1990 for the last time Posh were actually beaten by the rivals on their own patch in the league.

In preparation, Bonner has been watching Posh and has not been impressed with what he has heard from the stands.

Cambridge are set to be backed by a sell-out allocation of 2248 fans on the day.

He told Cambridgeshire Live: “We’d have had more if we could’ve done.

"Hopefully we get real good voice and energy behind the team. It’ll be an atmosphere much bigger than the other atmospheres that have been at Peterborough. I’ve been there a few times recently, and there hasn’t really been one.

“It’ll certainly be a lot bigger this time around from the home fans, and our lot will give as good as they get in that sense, so hopefully that drives our players on to a really high level.”

Like Grant McCann, Bonner has challenged his players to play the game and not the occasion but is confident that his side can cause Posh problems.

The U’s come into the match down in 16th place, nine points behind Posh.

Bonner added: “They are one of the favourites for promotion. You can’t get away from that, they’ve talked about it enough themselves.

"They’ve invested significant money in their team and it’s 21 years since we last played them and our journeys couldn’t have been much further apart.

“They’ve been a high-scoring team so that will test our defensive organisation but we believe we have threats that can hurt them too.

“I don’t know how big it is to the club and the supporters, I just know what it is to us. It’s worth three points, but it’s a bit more than that.

"People talk about playing games not occasions, I say play the occasion, that’s why we’re in it.

“You want to play in big games, games that matter, good atmospheres, and you want that to bring to best out in yourself. Let’s go and have a go and see what we can do.

“It would mean three points, that’s the only fact. All the emotional squit is for everybody else. We’ve just got to go and play the game, and hopefully we can get the result, and if we do I’ll tell you what it means afterwards.

“Until then, we know how tough a game it will be, and we’ve got to be ready for a proper scrap and a proper game.”