Garry Monk’s first game as Cambridge head coach ended in a 1-1 draw with Northampton.

Monk was appointed on Monday after over three years without a management role, and Jon Guthrie’s late header denied him a debut victory.

His Us side went ahead with their first meaningful attack on 16 minutes, Elias Kachunga firing in after neat interplay between Liam Bennett and Jack Lankester.

Northampton almost scored direct from a corner before keeper Jack Stevens punched Marc Leonard’s delivery away on the line, while Kachunga could have added a second when volleying Lyle Taylor’s cross wide with the last action of the first half.

The Cobblers pressed hard for an equaliser after the break, with Liam Moore’s header deflected off target and Ben Fox shooting wide from the edge of the box just before the hour.

Visiting boss Jon Brady was booked by referee Declan Bourne, seconds before his side drew level eight minutes from the end when captain Guthrie beat Stevens to the ball and headed home Leonard’s free-kick.

Aaron Collins scored his first goal for Bolton as they rejuvenated their automatic promotion hopes with a comfortable 2-0 Sky Bet League One win over Cambridge.

Collins had gone seven appearances since making his move from Bristol Rovers without breaking his duck until netting a 66h-minute match-clinching goal from Paris Maghoma’s assist.

The Welshman had another effort kicked off the line by Liam Bennett as Wanderers returned to winning ways after back-to-back losses at Blackpool and Wigan.

But Ian Evatt’s side never looked likely to suffer a third successive defeat.

Josh Dacres-Cogley crashed a Collins cross onto the bar after seven minutes and Jack Stevens saved from Dacres-Cogley and Ricardo Santos.

Midfielder George Thomason’s right-footed, 18-yard low drive and fifth goal of the campaign finally fired Bolton in front after 35 minutes.

Cambridge, beaten 2-1 when the teams met last month, went close to a 59th-minute equaliser as James Brophy fired narrowly over from Sullay Kaikai’s cross.

Instead, Collins doubled Bolton’s lead to keep the Trotters hard on the heels of top two Peterborough and Derby.

Cambridge inflicted further woe on basement side Carlisle with a fine 4-0 away win at Brunton Park.

Sierra Leone midfielder Sullay Kaikai, who had not scored in his five previous games, fired the visitors into a welcome 14th-minute lead with a sweet right-foot strike into the bottom right corner.

An unfortunate second-half own goal from Sam Lavelle, an Elias Kachunga header three minutes later and Liam Bennett’s late goal made sure Carlisle have now lost their last seven games on the spin.

Striker Lyle Taylor had come close to doubling the lead after Kaikai’s early opener, but his effort was parried by keeper Harry Lewis and deflected wide.

Kaikai and defender James Gibbons both had shots blocked as the U’s forced the pace, before Danny Andrew came within a whisker of scoring with a fierce free-kick which flew just wide.

Josh Vela saw his close-range header well saved by shot-stopper Jack Stevens, while Harrison Neal had a shot charged down for the Blues.

Goalscorer Kaikai had an effort charged down before Lewis saved Jordan Gibson’s header on the stroke of half-time and Jack Diamond rifled wide for the visitors close to the hour mark.

Taylor headed wide before Lavelle deflected Kaikai’s cross into his own net and Kachunga bagged his fourth league goal of the season.

Substitute Bennett pounced with seven minutes left as the U’s bounced back from successive defeats.

Cambridge manager Mark Bonner was relieved to see Liam Bennett narrowly avoid putting into his own net in extraordinary fashion in the closing stages of his side’s 0-0 Sky Bet League One draw at Wycombe.

It was almost a Halloween horror story for the defender in the 89th minute of what was largely a forgettable contest when his wayward slice 35 yards from his own goal somehow bounced over.

That late escape preserved a point for Cambridge, backing up their weekend victory over Carlisle, while it extended Wycombe’s winless run to four games.

Bonner said: “It was a real spooky moment, almost a horror show there at the end, which was always possible tonight.

“It’s a horrible moment and it would have been really unfair because it’s bounced so close to the line and then you have to clear your head really quickly and defend the corner coming in, but I thought we did that well.

“Ryan Bennett has made a brilliant block at the end, JK [Lack Lankester] has got out to block one, Sullay Kaikai has got out to block one and got fouled at the edge of the box.

“Everyone had to put the shift in to do that, so it was a horrible moment that nearly went for them, but over the balance of play a point is probably fair for both sides.

“We felt like we had a couple of good chances to take maximum points and that’s the ruthlessness we need to develop.”

Ryan Bennett produced a towering header for Cambridge, only to denied by the bar and post, while Wycombe’s Garath McCleary had an effort saved by goalkeeper Jack Stevens.

His opposite number, Max Stryjek, then made a brilliant stop to keep out Lankester before Liam Bennett was momentarily left with his heart in his mouth.

Wycombe boss Matt Bloomfield said: “It’s slow motion, isn’t it, when the ball is travelling through the air at that point? Time stops and it’s all slow motion.

“I thought the goalkeeper was going to get his foot to it, ultimately he’s missed it and I don’t really know how it’s not gone in at that point.

“I think the way the boys have played and their effort over the last 10 days, in terms of the four games that have gone, we haven’t had loads of bodies to rotate and keep ourselves fresh.

“We had to change formation as well and I’m incredibly pleased with the application of the players, in terms of how they’re trying to go and retain their identity.

“I think because of the effort we’ve put in for the last four games, us winning the game would have been justified, but we have to be pleased with the clean sheet.”