15th March 2025
Colchester United vs Fleetwood Town @ Colchester Community Stadium
EFL League Two
15:00 KO
£22.50 (includes complimentary programme)
Attendance - 5,636 (106 away fans)
Half-time score: Colchester United 0-0 Fleetwood Town
Goals:
Colchester United: Taylor - 55'
Colchester United: Edwards - 59'
Colchester United: Payne - 85'
Brief match highlights are on YouTube, see link below:
Final Score: Colchester United 3-0 Fleetwood Town
With the season reaching its exciting climax, the opportunities to get back down to see Col U were dwindling, so of course I took up the invitation to see them, a belated yet much welcomed birthday present. The U's are on-fire, 12 games undefeated and with 4 wins on the bounce, I couldn't wait to get in the JCS for the electric atmosphere. The Cowley's have worked tirelessly to turn the clubs fortunes around and there is a real cohesion between the players, staff and fans, the club has its spark back, not seen since the days of John McGreal. The incredible form has shot the U's up the table to only one-point away from the play-offs, a position I didn't dream of at the start of the season, I was hoping for mid-table mediocrity after the last few seasons of relegation battles if honest. There are still 30 points up for grabs, so lots to play for, and today's opponents were going to be a stern test in the solid mid-table Fleetwood Town, who recently smashed 7th place Crewe Alexandra 4-1 away from home! But, with the momentum behind them, I was hoping Col U could continue their incredible run. In the ranks of Fleetwood Town is Brendan Wiredu, an ex-Col U player whose string of energetic performances at the end of the 21/22 helped Col U move up the table and away from the dreaded drop into non-league, now captain at Fleetwood Town, I was sure he was going to receive a warm welcome today.
Today's complimentary programme had defender Jack Tucker on the front cover, on-loan from MK Dons, with captain Tom Flanagan on the mid-page spread.
It was a sunny yet chilly afternoon in North Essex, and the ground was packed out, with multiple blocks sold-out, not seen that for a while! Whilst the pitch is much improved on last season, it was a bit ropey in places with liberally applied sand doing a lot of heavy lifting to keep the surface playable. The players came out to the now traditional flag show, has to be one of the best atmospheres in League Two currently and there was a new Gorillaz themed flag that looked class, Damon Albarn with strong links to Colchester of course.
To the rapturous scenes, the U's lined up in blue and white, with Fleetwood Town in red and white, the U's shooting towards the passionate South Stand in the first-half, game on!
KEY MOMENTS
CU = Colchester United
FL = Fleetwood Town
4' - CU - Edwards with a brilliant run down the left, he cuts inside and powers in a right-footed strike, the keeper was in two minds which way the ball was going and it slams into his chest and out, almost an early opener.
26' - CU - Col U take a quick free-kick, Read out to Egbo, he launches the ball forwards to release Anderson down the right, he gets beyond the defender and shoots, his strike at the near-post is parried by Lynch, it loops back to him and he has a second-bite of the cherry with a left-footed half-volley, but Lynch is equal to the effort again, unlucky.
28' - FL - A cross comes in from the right, it drops to Mackenzie Hunt whose effort is fortunately straight at Macey.
32' - FL - Bonds picks up the loose ball from a Fleetwood free-kick, a cute ball over the top sets Virtue free, but Macey is out like a rocket and he spreads out his huge 6ft7 frame to make the stop, brilliant goalkeeping.
35' - FL - A cross in from Bonds finds Helm, he is in a great position but his effort is tame and Macey makes a comfortable save.
45'+4' - CU - In depths of injury time, extended due to two long injury stoppages, Reed has a chance, a half-cleared ball drops nicely for him, from 20yrds out he hits a peach of a strike but it fizzes just over the bar.
45'+5' - FL - Just before the half-time whistle, Fleetwood with the best effort of the half, Mackenzie Hunt finds Devonport in the middle, he drills in a strong 20yrd effort, it is curling in, but Macey makes a world-class save, at full stretch, to turn the ball out for a corner, what a keeper!
48' - CU - An Edwards cross is deflected to the edge of the box and falls nicely for midfield maestro Jack Payne, his snapped volley curling wide of the post.
49' - CU - Anderson bursts through down the right and is cynically taken out, but the referee waves play-on, was it going to be one of those days?
55' - CU - GOAL (1-0) - Thankfully not, a direct Col U attack ends with a neat through-ball from Anderson, Taylor is on the end of it and his one-touch strike cuts across Lynch and into the net, brilliant finish from the bagsman to put the U's into the lead!
59' - CU - GOAL (2-0) - Egbo with a streaking run down the right wing, running half of the pitch he hits a brilliant ball to find Edwards on the opposite side, he steps past Broom and hits a daisy-cutter of a strike, Lynch was expecting it either side but it slams into his heels and ricochets into the net, slam dunk from the U's to leave the visitors shell-shocked.
62' - FL - Good move down the left, Mackenzie Hunt picks up a loose clearance and feeds Virtue, he cuts inside the box and fires in a shot at the near-post, but Macey is on hand to make the stop.
85' - CU - GOAL (3-0) - Egbo causing issues down the right again, he tries to find substitute Simpson in the No.9 position but the ball is blocked, it only goes as far as Jack Payne who from 25yrds hits a phenomenal strike to bend the ball round Lynch and into the net, the U's on cloud nine!
89' - CU - Substitute JK Gordon with a turn pace drives into the box, he is clumsily challenged and goes down, looks a stonewall penalty, but the referee waves play-on, shame, could have been a chance for the 4th!
What a game, what a win, and what an incredible atmosphere!!! After a tight 1st half Col U came out swinging in the 2nd half and simply blew the visitors away, the big 3-0 victory an unbelievable 5th win on the bounce, and stretching the unbeaten run to 13, to turnaround this season in a dramatic fashion. The U's were fantastic to a man, Matt Macey made a couple of huge saves in the 1st half, Owura Edwards the main creator throughout the right-back unable to handle the tricksy winger, Harry Anderson had a blinder down the right setting up the first goal and making key passes in multiple attacks, Mandela Egbo was solid at the back but blistering going forwards his runs down the right leading to the 2nd and 3rd goals, Jack Payne and Arthur Read in the middle were intelligent in possession and picked out some brilliant passes, Lyle Taylor played the No.9 role to a tee, Ellis Iandolo and Rob Hunt in front of the defence mopped up everything and Fiacre Kelleher and captain Tom Flanagan were rocks at the back. The substitutes also done well, JK Gordon should have won a penalty, Tyreece Simpson is settling in nicely and youngster Max Jolliffe got some game-time and looked tenacious in the middle. This is a U's team missing Samson Tovide, Teddy Bishop and Jamie McDonnell, which shows the incredible strength in depth of this squad. Fleetwood Town looked a tidy side in the first half, I was surprised to see Brendan Wiredu playing left-back, he was a central midfielder for the U's, but he has still got it. In attack Mackenzie Hunt and Matty Virtue looked the most dangerous and the big man Owen Devonport looked a threat, but overall they struggled with a Col U firing on all cylinders. The victory puts Col U into the 7th place, and into the play-offs as Crewe Alexandra were only able to secure a draw. Now we have crossed that threshold we need to maintain the performance and next up is as tough as it gets, as Col U travel up to West Yorkshire to face the leagues other on-form team, Bradford City. With the hosts offering £5 tickets, it was sure to be a full-house, but if the U's can put in a performance they are in with a shout, UP THE U'S, UP THE U'S, UP THE GOOD OL' WHITE & BLUES!!!
Line-Ups:
COLCHESTER UNITED: Matt Macey, Mandela Egbo, Fiacre Kelleher, Tom Flanagan (C), Rob Hunt, Arthur Read, Ellis Iandolo, Harry Anderson, Jack Payne, Owura Edwards, Lyle Taylor. SUBS: John-Kymani Gordon, Tyreece Simpson, Jack Tucker, Max Jolliffe, Tom Smith, Ken Aboh, Oscar Thorn.
FLEETWOOD TOWN: Jay Lynch, Brendan Wiredu (C), James Bolton, Rhys Bennett, Mackenzie Hunt, Mark Helm, Elliot Bonds, Matty Virtue, Ryan Broom, Owen Devonport, Ryan Graydon. SUBS: Brandon Cover, Danny Mayor, Harrison Neal, Louie Marsh, Phoenix Patterson, Finley Potter, Luke Hewitson.
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