Graeson looks ahead to the A12 Derby against Ipswich Town on Saturday afternoon at a sell-out Layer Road - the last time these two sides will meet on this historic ground.

With the season almost over, U's fans are ready and waiting for the biggest game of the season. Forget whether relegation may be finalised - Ipswich are in Town for the A12 Derby. All the pain and hurt of watching the U's over the last few months will be instantly erased by victory over the old enemy - and it’s a chance for one player to write themselves in to United folklore in the last ever Derby match at Layer Road.

It’s been a tough week for United fans. Despite the hard work and excellent performance at West Brom last week, they still lost. That was followed by the news of next season's Season Ticket prices which have angered many U's fans. Quite simply, it won't be value for money and the club have made a big mistake. It looks as though they'll be playing in a half-empty stadium at this rate.

But that mustn't digress from the main business of the week. This was the game was looked for when the fixtures came out. The one we want to win more than any other. We've had to take fifty years of being 'little old Colchester'. On Saturday we play them on an equal footing. They'll be a passionate United crowd in attendance which should ensure passion from the U's players.
Jim Magilton's side are currently just outside the play-off places and would like nothing better than to record a victory which would in turn relegate the U's. However, their away record is pretty ordinary (a reason why they in 7th place and not higher) with just three wins, six draws and eleven defeats. In that time they've scored eighteen goals, and conceded 37. Indeed, over the course of the season, the U's have outscored Town by a couple of goals - oh that they do the same on Saturday.

To be fair, Ipswich's away victories have come since the turn of the year - well, February to be completely accurate. The first was achieved at Sheffield Wednesday where former Sheff United man Alan Quinn opened the scoring early on, Tudgay equalised before human submarine Alan Lee got the winner with nineteen minutes remaining.

As always, you wait months for an away win, and then two come along at once for in the following game, Town left Selhurst ark with all three points following Danny Haynes' goal right on halftime.

Their last away game was at Scunthorpe and Town got the better of the Yorkshire side by the odd goal in three. Pablo Counago went from hero to villain for after putting Town ahead in the 19th minute, he was sent off for spitting at Jack Corke, who also saw red for his involvement in the incident six minutes after the break. Counago will miss the A12 Derby due to suspension but it was a Spanish compatriot Castro Sito who score the winner with twenty minutes remaining - the fullback's first goals since moving to Portman Road in July 2005. Former U's loanee Ben May - on loan at Glanford Park - scored a late consolation for Scunthorpe. Last weekend they drew 0-0 with QPR though I understand that Town had the better of the chances.

Earlier this season, the two sides met in what could be quite easily be defined as a turning point of the U's season. United were cruising up until the 70th. The better side by far they had taken the lead through Clive Platt's tremendous 30 yard strike, and should have added more - the goal scorer missing an empty net at one point. The crucial point came on 70 minutes as Kevin Lisbie raced through one on one and was brought down by goalkeeper Neil Alexander who somehow escaped a red card. Naturally, he then got up to save Mark Yeates' penalty and from there it was downhill as Jon Walters, Liam Trotter and Danny Haynes rescued Jim Magilton.

There have been eight previous encounters between the two sides at Layer Road over the years and the record is identical. Both sides have two wins, there have been four draws and both sides have scored eleven goals. The very first meeting was in September 1937 in the Southern League when the teams played out an entertaining three all draw in front of 11,000.  Town raced in to a two goal lead through Jackie Williams and Jimmy McLuckie before Alec Cheyne pulled one back with five minutes to half time. Alex Wood then missed a penalty for the U's but fired the rebound home to make it two all at the break. Cheyne scored his second of the game with quarter of an hour to go, but five minutes later, George Perrett repeated Woods earlier effort by seeing his initial penalty saved, before putting the ball past U's keeper Ronnie Dunn.

The U's side that day was Ronnie Dunn, Cliff Fairchild, Alex Wood, Kenny Mayes, George Leslie, George Ritchie, Jack Hodge, Arthur Pritchard, George Smith, Alec Cheyne and George Crisp.

Town's team was Fred Houldsworth, Frank Shufflebottom, Ossie Parry, George Perrett, Bob Rodger, Jimmy McLuckie, Jock Carter, Gilbert Alsop, Bobby Bruce and Len Astill who would, of course, go on to play for the U's with distinction following Town's election to the Football League in 1938.

Graeson's Team:
In fairness, George Williams doesn't have a lot of options ahead of Saturday's game. Yes, some of his injured players are coming back to fitness, but the news that Clive Platt is 50/50 doesn't help matters. However, where one door closes for one player, another opens, and Scott Vernon will be desperate for his chance following his move from Blackpool on transfer deadline day.

The main question mark appears to be who to play on the left-hand side. I've said before that I think Medy Elito is going to be a good player with the emphasis on going to be. Defensively he really needs to work on his game with both West Brom and Norwich making hay down the U's left in recent games. Though it’s not his best position, I'd put Johnnie Jackson out on the left, bringing Kem Izzet in to the centre of midfield and tell the bustling midfielder to get stuck in. The U's must not give Town any respect or they will pass them off the park and the midfield battle is going to be a crucial one to win.

Of course, following his impressive performance last weekend Adam Virgo will replace Pat Baldwin at the heart of the U's defence following the latter dislocated shoulder at The Hawthorns.

So my team will read Gerken, Ifil, Coyne, Virgo and John White at left back. The midfield will be Duguid, Hammond, Izzet and Jackson on the left with Scott Vernon and Kevin Lisbie up front. It will be interesting to see how the two strikers link up.

Graeson's Prediction.
This is the one United. There can be no excuses after this. It’s a derby and must be played as such. They must be brave in the tackle, strong in the heart and ice-cold mentally of an assassin in the box. Victory will erase so many months of hurt - and no U's fan wants to suffer the defeat against their nearest neighbours which would finally bring the curtain down on their time in The Championship.

That is not to say that the U's fans can't, and shouldn't do their bit. They must lift the players by enthusiasm, energy and with a song. If a U's player makes a mistake near you - don't ask him what the hell he's playing at. Tell him to forget about, and get on with it. The fans, the management and the Players must be one to achieve success. They can do it - they can beat anyone in this Division on their day - but Saturday is so much more important to us fans that any other day.

I think the U's will rise to the challenge and deal Magilton's men a play-off blow with a clean sheet - and a goal from Kevin Lisbie. Wouldn't it just be right though, for Adam Virgo to power home the goal that secures the win with just a couple of minutes remaining?

Photo: Action Images

Colchester United Polls