13th January 2024
Colchester United vs Bradford City @ Colchester Community Stadium
EFL League Two
15:00 KO
£21.50 entry (includes a complimentary programme)
Attendance - 4,625 (459 away fans)
Half-time score: Colchester United 0-1 Bradford City
Goals:
Bradford City: Cook - 35'
Colchester United: Hopper - 59'
Brief match highlights are on YouTube, see link below:
Final Score: Colchester United 1-1 Bradford City
I was not initially planning to go to this game, especially with January a difficult month financially, but with the Cowley brothers at the helm, I simply had to be at their first home game! Generating much excitement and anticipation amongst the fanbase, it was set to be a higher turnout, the BWA (Blue White Army) were going to be unleashing their new flag display, originally planned for the New Year's Day game, and there was a bring your scarf initiative to create a sea of blue and white. All-in-all, I knew the place would be rocking, so I got myself down to North Essex and into my favourite stand, S1. Todays opponents, Bradford City, added an extra element, as they were also in the running to hire the Cowley's, they have a strong following, they are good side and top of the form table and their keeper is ex-U's Sam Walker, so it was not going to be all smiles for Col U, a big performance was going to be needed this January afternoon.
This programme was a bumper one, thicker than usual with none other than Danny Cowley on the front cover, with my favourite player of the season so far, Arthur Read, in the mid-page spread. Still amazed these come as part of the ticket price.
It was a mild winters afternoon, with only a slight chill in the air. The Col U fans, and S1 in particular courtesy of the BWA and the Barside Boys, put on a brilliant pre-match display. There was a new centrepiece, new flags, paper streamers, confetti and a lot of singing and noise, it was cracking and I hope it continues.
The link below shows the display in its full glory, magnificent!
Before long, the players were out, both in home strips, Col U in the famous blue and white stripes, and Bradford City in amber and claret hoops, reminiscent of a rugby union kit.
KEY MOMENTS
CU = Colchester United
BC = Bradford City
29' - CU - A ball over the top from Matt Jay finds Fevrier down the left wing, he darts towards the box and lashes the ball across the danger area, Hopper challenges, but a Bradford defender gets across him to concede a corner.
33' - BC - A well-struck Ridehalgh corner causes chaos in the penalty area, a shot comes in from outside the box, but a spectacular scorpion kick from captain Connor Hall allows him to block the effort.
34' - BC - A brilliant cross comes in from the left from captain Smallwood, striker Cook gets in front of the defender and his headed effort flies narrowly wide of the near post.
35' - BC - GOAL (0-1) - The warning signs were there and Bradford City bag the opening goal to crash the Col U party. A long diagonal from Taylor is contested by Cook, Pointon picks up the loose ball and drives in, Col U get a foot in but the ball deflects back to Cook, whose striker instinct takes over and he lashes in a strike with the outside of his boot, the ball skipping along the ground and skimming in off the far-post, scrappy defensive play from the U's, but a good finish from the experienced hitman.
53' - BC - A swift move from Bradford culminates in a ball crossed in from the right to Chapman open at the far-post, his volleyed effort is smashed into the turf and it bounces fortuitously over the goal.
59' - CU - GOAL (1-1) - A brilliant long ball down the left by Dallison, having a great game out of position, Hopper beats the offside trap, takes a perfect first touch and from a narrow angle hits a left-footed strike across Walker, a real touch of class to get the U's back in it. This was Hopper's first goal since Grimsby away last season, he certainly enjoyed that one scoring in front of and celebrating with the S1 faithful, to a chorus of 'living in a Hopper wonderland'.
85' - CU - Two of the Col U substitutes link-up, great work down the right by Edwards, battling hard for the ball against Tomkinson, he puts a cross in for big John Akinde, he heads the ball back across the keeper, it is heading into the bottom left corner, but Walker gets down well to make the stop.
86' - CU - Akinde looks through, but a stray hand from a defender deflects the ball to deny the break, but nothing is given.....
90' - CU - Col U pressurise the Bradford box, Read goes on a jinky run around the edge of the box and eventually makes the space for a fine curling left-footed effort, it is dropping in underneath the bar, but Walker manages to tip it over to concede a corner.
92' - BC - The ball falls to captain Smallwood who blasts in a curling strike, it flies just over the bar and dips into the net, very close!
Definitely a game of two halves for the U's, a poor first half, the team devoid of ideas, with a much better 2nd half, with the final ball letting the team down again. Tom Hopper played well and scored a fantastic goal to secure the U's another important point, and the substitutes made a big impact, particularly Conor Wilkinson, Owura Edwards and John Akinde. It is clear that this is a big project for the Cowley's and there is a lot of work to do to get this team firing and away from the relegation zone, but it is early days, and Bradford were top of the form table. The team was vulnerable down the wings, and the midfield struggled to compete with a highly physical and big Bradford team, the centre-back Ash Taylor a particular unit. Here's to hoping more reinforcements are on the way to bolster the team as the Cowley's begin the re-build, but I also think we should do well against other teams. The Col U fans were epic again, and certainly drove the team forward to secure a point, much like the point against Swindon, and I'm sure they will keep this up and back the boys all the way, and with this in place surely things will have to get better league position wise. Next up is Salford City away, I wish the boys a safe journey and hope they return with 3-points, UP THE U'S!!!
Line-Ups:
COLCHESTER UNITED: Owen Goodman, Zach Mitchell, Connor Hall (C), Tom Dallison, Jayden Richardson, Cameron McGeehan, Arthur Read, Jayden Fevrier, Matt Jay, Noah Chilvers, Tom Hopper. SUBS: Conor Wilkinson, Owura Edwards, John Akinde, Will Greenidge, Sam Hornby, Marley Marshall-Miranda, Bradley Ihionvien.
BRADFORD CITY: Sam Walker, Sam Stubbs, Ash Taylor, Jonathan Tomkinson, Liam Ridehalgh, Richie Smallwood (C), Alex Gilliead, Brad Halliday, Bobby Pointon, Andy Cook, Harry Chapman. SUBS: Clarke Oduor, Vadaine Oliver, Matthew Platt, Colin Doyle, Tyler Smith, Ciaran Kelly, Kevin McDonald.
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