John Taylor's men came looking to defend and they succeed beyond their expectations for the first half hour before they managed to bag a goal through Shane Tudor on 31 minutes to shock the home crowd.
Tudor arrived unmarked to finish off a cross from Tom Youngs who had been given the ball through the industry of the hard working Dave Kitson.
The Terriers had pressurised their visitors with little to show for it but they were given a boost when Stevland Angus took down Leon Knight with a vicious tackle from behind and was given his marching orders with his second yellow card on 37 minutes.
Down to 10 men, the visitors only resolved to defend and make life even more difficult for the Terriers who could not break them down.
Kenny Irons tested Lionel Perez with a free kick early in the second half but it was sub Chris Hay who found the net for the equaliser when it started to look like Cambridge would be winning their first away match of the season.
Hay was lurking at the back post in the 76th minute when he reacted quickly to Andy Booth's reverse ball which was hit across the 6 yard yard box.
Hay was ecstatic with his equaliser but Cambridge seemed set to escape with a point until Andy Booth popped in 3 minutes from time to head Kenny Irons' free kick into the back of Perez' goal.
It was a narrow victory for the Terriers who were made to work hard but they deserved the points after recent disappointments.
Read Mel Booth's match report on Monday or use the comments forms on the right or below to make your views known.
MATCH FACTS
TOWN (4-4-2): Margetson, Heary (Hay 60), Jenkins, Gray, Clarke, Holland, Mattis, Irons, Schofield, Booth, Knight
Subs not used: P. Senior, Moses, Dyson, Macari
Booked: Knight
Scorers: Hay 76, Booth 87
Cambridge Utd (3-5-1-1): Perez, Warner, Ashbee, Duncan, Angus, Kitson (Revell 78), Wanless, Youngs (Fleming 51), Guttridge (One 89), Tudor, Tann
Subs not used: Walling, Marshall
Booked: Warner, Angus, Kitson
Sent Off: Angus (second yellow) 37
Scorer: Tudor 31
Referee: Roger Furnandiz (Doncaster)
Attendance: 9513 (275 Away)
Match points are on subsequent pages.
90 mins: Town dropped deep again and invited attacks from Cambridge who piled men up front as the McAlpine crowd waited with baited breath for the final whistle.
87 mins: Andy Booth headed the ball past Lionel Perez for what seemed to be a late winner after all their persistence. A whipped in free kick from Kenny Irons was well met by Andy Booth who rose to the challenge and nodded home.
85 mins: Kenny Irons' poor ball was retreived by Holland who put Knight through but the Cambridge defence massed nearby.
84 mins: Cambridge were unambitious in their stout defending as they continued to seek the hold on to their point.
80 mins: Chris Holland struck the ball over the bar.
79 mins: Cambridge continued to hold out against the Terriers, hoping to escape with a point, but Town attacked well and Andy Booth had them scrambling with a great header across the goal.
76 mins: Chris Hay attacked the back post from wide on the flank and equalised with support from Danny Schofield after a great reverse ball from Andy Booth across the 6 yard box.
74 mins: Danny Schofield shot straight at Lionel Perez.
74 mins: A crossfield ball was wasted by Town.
73 mins: Andy Booth missed his kick and Lionel Perez picked up the ball in a crowd of Cambridge defenders.
71 mins: Danny Schofield won another corner when his strike was deflected off a defender.
69 mins: Danny Schofield's drive came off Andy Duncan for a corner.
67 mins: Cambridge were defending solidly as the Terriers looked short of ideas.
66 mins: Irons delivered a free kick to the back post but Chris Hay's shot was block by Wanless.
65 mins: A well delivered ball for Andy Booth was laid off to Kenny Irons who shot wide.
64 mins: Andy Booth headed into the arms of Lionel Perez.
64 mins: Holland's shot came off a defender after Hay had crossed well from Clarke's long ball.
63 mins: Paul Wanless' corner was headed into Margetson's arms by Dave Kitson.
60 mins: Chris Hay was preparing to come on for Thomas Heary as Town continued to trail. Nathan Clarke took a blow while trying to clear the ball against Dave Kitson.
58 mins: Perez somehow tipped Kenny Irons' sizzler over the bar! Perez rose well for the resultant corner.
56 mins: Mattis' snap shot was well wide after a lay-off from Leon Knight.
54 mins: Leon Knight was crowded out by defenders in the Cambridge area and calls for a penalty were waved away.
52 mins: Town were still being thwarted by Cambridge as Terry Fleming nicked the ball off Irons but the offside flag foiled his efforts to find Dave Kitson.
Shane Tudor scored a shock goal for visitors Cambridge before they went down to 10 men following a nasty tackle from behind by Stevland Angus on Leon Knight. Angus was sent off for a second bookable offence - he had already been booked for arguing earlier in the half.
Tudor raced into the near post to meet a cross by Tom Youngs who had been given great support by the tenacious Dave Kitson who had muscled his way into the danger area.
The Terriers had been shocked but should have seen the increasing danger posed from the probing counter-attacks by
Andy Booth headed against the bar as the Terriers found it hard going against Cambridge.
45 mins: Knight chased a ball down the right side but Perez collected the ball at the edge of his area.
42 mins: Town were being continually frustrated the 10-man Cambridge who were putting everyone behind the ball to protect their lead. The Terriers seemed to resort to the long ball again.
40 mins: Tudor was injured by Nathan Clarke and the Cambridge players lobbied for Clarke to be sent off to no avail.
38 mins: Leon Knight's cross didn't reach Booth or Schofield.
38 mins: Perez lost the ball from the resulting free kick but his defenders helped him recover.
37 mins: Angus struck Leon Knight with a vicious tackle from behind and was promptly sent off by the referee.
37 mins: Kitson's back header flew across the Town box but Margetson was comfortable.
35 mins: Kitson's pass for Youngs was tracked out by Thomas Heary. Cambridge were very efficient on the counter but continued to play defensively.
33 mins: Lionel Perez spilled the ball but recovered quickly after Andy Booth tried to hit the second ball home.
32 mins: Town immediately went on the offensive as Cambridge tried to shut up shop.
31 mins: Shane Tudor nipped in between Town's statuesque defenders and opened the scoring for Town after Dave Kitson muscled his way into a good position and passed to his team-mate Youngs.
29 mins: The visitors were edging closer to stealing a chance on goal.
27 mins: Schofield's shooting chance was headed away. Mattis' shot was similarly fended off.
27 mins: Cambridge's free kick was well held by Margetson.
26 mins: Town were comfortable but still finding it hard to break down their visitors. Youngs and Kitson threatened on the break as Town attacks broke down.
24 mins: Chris Holland was checked by a defender after receiving a long pass but the referee didn't agree.
20 mins: Town were getting their chances in but they were meeting stubborn resistance from Cambridge as their penalty area become more chaotic through the constant Town attacks.
18 mins: Andy Booth's near post header hit the bar after Perez was foxed by Irons' well placed cross.
10 mins: Chris Holland was having a mare. Another poor touch let Tom Youngs in but Kevin Gray made a risky sliding tackle in the area to save Holland's blushes.
8 mins: Knight's backheel put Chris Holland in down the left but his first touch let him down.
4 mins: Holland couldn't keep the ball in play as the visitors started defending deep.
3 mins: Dwayne Mattis missed his kick as Town continued to attack.
2 mins: Town started well with Knight winning a corner after skinning Adam Tann from the left.
1 mins: Tudor strike was dealt with by Gray.
Thomas Heary was named in an unchanged Town lineup despite his conviction for drink driving.
Cambridge opted for a 3-5-2 formation in an effort to win their first away match of the season.
