Valiant U's deservedly secure the points in the Potteries - Durham's view by durham_exile 3 Apr 2015 23:26
In my pre match write up, I foolishly overlooked Jacob Murphy (perhaps thinking that he was injured) but he turned out to be the hero of this superb and thoroughly deserved Colchester away win.

Prior to the game the U’s had been boosted by the return of Rhys Healey from Cardiff City.

On a separate note aficionados of this site will recall that Elliott Hewitt was recalled by Ipswich because of defensive weaknesses and shortfalls (allegedly). You will understand my surprise that not only did he not make the starting line-up today but strangely he failed to make the bench either. Well bo**cks to McCarthy and his team.

Richard Brindley on loan from Rotherham played at right back and had a superb match, with good defensive cover and when he grew in confidence in the second half, made some telling forward runs.

From my West Midlands base it was a relatively short journey to the Potteries. The weather took a turn for the worse in Stoke and it remained very wet and cold for the entire match.

Vale Park is undergoing some major redevelopment with the main stand incorporating Executive boxes and new seats, approximately half of which have still to be installed.

More bizarrely though was the closure of the area behind the goal which meant that the 173 faithful had to occupy the space to the right of the goal and towards the corner. No explanation was forthcoming for this situation.

The U’s lined up in a 4, 5, 1 formation with Chris Porter leading the line.

Walker

Brindley Eastman Khumalo Wynter

Gilbey Lapslie Moncur Massey Murphy

Porter

Subs:

Lewington, Vincent-Young, Osborne, Szmodics, Healey, Bonne, Sembie-Ferris

Conditions were wet and windy throughout and the pitch was sodden in places. Port Vale settled better and took the game to the U’s. Sam Walker was in good form and for all their huffing and puffing PV created few clear cut openings.

When Chris Birchall did find the net he was clearly offside.

In truth it was not a great half, the conditions definitely playing their part but with the pressure to not lose the game, the U’s looked solid whilst not making many forward forays.

Half time arrived and time for a meat and potato pie and white coffee. The pie was hot with a decent filling and pastry which was not soft and soggy.

Now despite the weather and dismal first half I felt strangely optimistic for the second half and it did not take the U’s long to get the upper hand. George Moncur had worked tirelessly and it was no surprise when his perseverance paid off and he netted from 10 yards after good interchanges with Chris Porter on 57 minutes.

In truth the U’s were growing in confidence and despite the conditions were looking good value for the lead. The home support grew restless and the excellent Murphy twisted and turned his marker before scoring with a delightful angled shot past reserve keeper Johnson on 77 minutes.

The faithful were in raptures and the U’s were in dreamland. On Good Friday cue an exodus of biblical proportions for the fickle home fans. Never mind sneaking out they were pouring out.

Tom Lapslie, who did not enjoy the conditions and took a heavy knock was substituted on 82 minutes by Sammy Szmodics.

Dodds managed to reduce the arrears with a powerful shot though a packed penalty area on 84 minutes and TH immediately substituted Porter for Healey on 85 minutes. Doubtless with an eye on the game against the Tykes on Monday.

Healey was unlucky not to put the game beyond doubt with a shot that shaved the post.

Gavin Massey also missed three good efforts (firing over each time) but his overall play for the team was very good.

Despite an additional four minutes, there was no repeat of the Gillingham drama and Colchester deservedly secured the three points.

The table still looks grim but the U’s have given themselves real hope to avoid the drop whilst incredibly dragging PV into the mix. On my way back to Telford, I listened on BBC Stoke to the doom and gloom from Port Vale fans who seriously believe that they are now relegation candidates. Notwithstanding their 48 points they have lost 5 consecutive games and still require at least 4 more points to be safe.

Port Vale 40 -9 48
Walsall 39 -6 47
Scunny 39 -10 47
Coventry 40 -11 46
Crewe 40 -32 46
Leyton Orient 39 -3 45
-------------------------
Notts Co 39 -13 44
Crawley 40 -22 44
COL U 39 -16 41
Yeovil 40 -32 33

Our games against Barnsley and Coventry now become even more important and arguably we need to win at least 4 from our last 7.

Momentum is key and at last we are beginning to string some results together. It's going to the wire.

Happy Easter

Up the U's

[clap] [clap]

Is there anything worse than being sent to Coventry? - Durham's view by durham_exile 13 Apr 2015 16:30
Colchester suffered a defeat at the Ricoh in a game where they perhaps should have shared the spoils. Little has changed however - we have 5 matches to play and still need to win a minimum of 3 of them.

The weather was bright and sunny and my short journey along the M54 and M6 was delayed slightly by congestion; nothing new along this notorious stretch of Motorway.

Since my last visit a new footbridge has been constructed to take the fans from Car Park C to the Ricoh now home to Wasps RU Club and the Sky Blues. Car Parking though has halved in cost from £10 to £5.

The faithful were present in force (504) and I saw Wessex briefly at half time. The support was superb throughout and right up to the final whistle.

Attendance was 8,933.

TH lined up his charges in a 4, 5, 1 formation

Walker

Brindley Khumalo Eastman Wynter

Gilbey Moncur Lapslie Murphy Massey

Porter

Subs:

Lewington Briggs Harney Szmodics Sembie-Ferris Bonne Healey

When the teams came out Coventry ran to the South Stand where the Colchester supporters were sitting. The reason is that the more vocal number of Sky Blue supporters occupy the far corner of the South Stand which makes the North Stand library esque. Colchester won the toss and ensured that we would be kicking towards the South Stand in the second half.

Colchester started slowly and there were several misplaced passes. I thought that the rigours of the Easter matches had taken their toll on the players. After all the Port Vale pitch was very heavy and the Monday game required considerable application to turn around a negative first half.

Let us not suggest that Coventry are a good side. Far from it, they huffed and puffed without much result, but the U's seemed lack lustre and allowed the Sky Blues to score the all important goal on 35 minutes.

The faithful sang and sang regardless remarking on the empty seats and the library atmosphere inside the 30,000 all seater stadium.

When the goal came it was scored by Coventry Captain O'Brien from 12 yards through a ruck of players and squeezed agonisingly into the bottom corner of the goal with Walker helpless.

Now despite the U's conceding Coventry did not threaten to increase their advantage before half time and there was enough in the game to suggest that Colchester could turn this around.

The half time pie was steak and cost £3.50 but the filling was good and there was plenty of gravy.

The faithful settled down to enjoy a Colchester revival. Almost immediately both Moncur and Massey threatened Burge's goal and he was forced to make two excellent saves.

TH made a double substitution on 67 minutes with Briggs for Wynter and Szmodics for the tiring Lapslie.

Szmodics had a good chance to equalise but Burge again was equal to the effort.

TH made his third sub on 75 minutes with Healey replacing Porter. I think that Porter should have stayed and a mid field player should have been replaced by Healey. Perhaps Porter was injured but suddenly we lost height up front.

Sam Walker was injured when jumping for a high ball with 10 minutes left. He was unable to kick the ball and Eastman took goal kicks. TH of course could not substitute him having used all three replacements. Let us hope that Sam is fit for Chesvegas on Tuesday.

Webb the referee found an extra 5 minutes at the end of the game, mainly due to Burge's time wasting but try as they could the U's couldn't force an equaliser.

So a damaging defeat but the U's are still capable of saving the situation.

Positives Bongani Khumalo is outstanding, Richard Brindley is very good and Tom Eastman is playing superbly.

Murphy and Moncur were quiet but both have played their socks off recently. Plenty of ice baths ready for Tuesday night.

Table:
Walsall 41 -5 51
Coventry 42 -10 50
Scunny 41 -11 50
Port Vale 42 -10 49
Orient 41 -3 47
Crawley 42 -21 47
............................
Crewe 42 -33 47
Notts Co 41 -13 46
COL U 41 -15 44
Yeovil 42 -36 34 (R)

Keep the faith.

Up the U's


[clap]

Cod Army v Super U's - Durham's perspective by durham_exile 25 Apr 2015 23:45
This remarkable season looks like going to the wire once again after an unbelievable game (and double) against the Cod Army at Highbury, the home of Fleetwood Town FC.

The journey to the Lancashire Coast was pleasant, the M6 was relatively easy going and the journey from Junction 33 to the ground was negotiated without incident. Passing the Fisherman’s Friend HQ left us in no doubt that this was the Fish Capital of the UK.

The ground for away supporters is reached via 42 Hatfield Avenue and the Highbury Lounge. Car parking is all street parking and we parked about 200 yards from the ground. Light rain was falling at about 2pm and I made the mistake of purchasing a steak pie made by Hollands. The pie was burnt, the crust had been incinerated and the filling was dry and unappetising. Possibly the worst pie I have ever tasted. The Coffee was wet and warm, but my son’s choice of hot dog and can of cola was a more sensible option.

The ground has a capacity of just over 5,000 and is a mix of terracing at both ends (the Memorial Stand and the Percy Ronson Stand where the faithful were gathered) and seating in the Highbury Stand and the more modern Parkside Stand with VIP Lounge and Executive boxes (the shape of which is reminiscent of Bristol Rovers stadium). The right hand corner of the Parkside Stand houses away supporters and about 50 of the 313 Faithful were seated, the rest stood behind the goal in the Percy Ronson Stand. Attendance was 3,129.

It was possible to get within 8 feet of the playing surface but some supporters managed to get much closer during the game!

TH had elected to go with the squad that have served him fairly well over the past few games.

Despite the fact that TH had publically stated that we had to win the game, he played 4, 5, 1 but Murphy and Massey played in advanced positions:

Walker

Brindley Khumalo Eastman Briggs

Massey Gilbey Fox Moncur Murphy

Porter

Subs:

Lewington, Wynter, Healey, Bonne, Szmodics, Lapslie, Sembie-Ferris

The rain was a little heavier at kick off and the temperature had cooled a little but as the half wore on the rain abated. The pitch was in good condition though.

Colchester started brightly and the back four looked steady whilst the midfield saw plenty of the ball and Chris Porter battled up front. The Cod Army's Chris Maxwell was the busier keeper and made two fine saves to deny first Jacob Murphy and later Gavin Massey who looked as though he might score at the near post before Maxwell beat the ball away.

There was one scare for Walker when Proctor in attempting to turn in a cross, actually succeeded in clearing the ball, otherwise our defence was untroubled.

There was clear tension from the faithful and because of the close proximity of the supporters to the pitch on the terracing many of the insults (from a significant minority) aimed towards TH and the Chairman could be heard clearly.

Now whatever people think of TH, it is unhelpful to bombard him with insults when the players actually need our support.

Still as some proclaimed, “We’re Col United and we’ll sing what we want.”

Half time arrived and the rain had virtually stopped, the conditions had warmed a little too.

Now what we needed was a goal and George Moncur delivered on 47 minutes. I had the opportunity to watch the goals on Sky a little earlier this evening and what they fail to show is the brilliance shown by Jacob Murphy in the build up to the first goal.

If there is the remotest hope that we could sign him from Norwich then we should do so. He collected the ball on the half way line and dribbled past 4 Fleetwood players before crossing superbly for Moncur to side foot through Maxwell’s legs for a deserved 1 -0 lead.

The goal lifted the team and the supporters. Still the shouts of Humes out and foul abuse aimed at Robbie Cowling persisted.

A second goal was required but it did not come, sadly what did come was a Cod Army equaliser on 65 minutes. A goal mouth scramble resulted in Proctor scoring from close range.

The faithful cried out for 4, 4, 2 and the arrival of a second striker. TH replaced the tiring Gilbey with Dion Sembie-Ferris on 73 minutes.

It had an immediate impact but at the wrong end. A smart interchange between Proctor and Ball led to the latter one on one with Walker and finding the corner of the net on 74 minutes and we were 2-1 down.

The excellent Murphy was replaced on 81 minutes by Bonne to more howls of derision from an element of the faithful.

I then entered into a frank exchange of views with four of the protagonists. My argument was whatever they thought of TH they should support the eleven players who were showing commitment and effort on the pitch.

The clock ticked on and on 84 minutes, the lively Gavin Massey feigned to cross but shot towards goal and Maxwell allowed the ball to squirm under him and into the net. So 2-2 and some fans were ejected after entering the field of play in celebration.

If the atmosphere was electric after 84 minutes it became white hot after 87 minutes when Sembie-Ferris drove into the penalty area and was taken out by Pond. A penalty resulted and Porter stepped up to calmly net past Maxwell. In the celebrations that followed one of the four that I had argued with shook my hand and told me that he fu**ing loved me! I think he understood that the players did care and that if the supporters gave their support then they would respond accordingly.

Mr Bond, the referee, who I thought had an exemplary game, managed to find an additional 7 minutes, but the U’s saw out the time without further incident.

Great celebrations followed the final whistle and it seemed that most of the Lancashire Constabulary had gathered outside the ground by the U’s two supporter coaches. The ejected fans were sharing a beer outside the chippie.

The job is far from finished, but it is now in our hands and only two more wins are now required to finish the great escape on 54 points.

After the pie experience we settled for fish n chips from Brough on the way home and excellent they were too.

The situation - it is still three from six teams to join Yeovil in league two.

Table:

Port Vale 45 -9 54
Coventry 45 -12 52
Crewe 45 -31 52
Notts Co 45 -16 50
…………………………….
Crawley 45 -25 50
Orient 45 -10 48
COL U 44 -20 48
Yeovil 45 -35 40 (R)

The vital fixtures:

28 Apr

COL U v Swindon

3 May

MK Dons v Yeovil
COL U v PNE
Crawley v Coventry
Crewe v Bradford
Gills v Notts Co
Swindon v Orient

Our game in hand is against Swindon who are assured of a play-off place, but there is no room for complacency. We must obtain three points on Tuesday night and then the Lilywhites game becomes a one game season.

The stakes cannot then be higher, a win for Colchester forces PNE from an automatic promotion position into the play offs; a PNE win probably relegates the U’s and takes Preston up to the Championship.

A 10,000 crowd at the WHCS and the winner takes it all, you just can’t make it up.

Up the U’s

[clap]