My Colchester match report and ratings....

1st Half

Not much to report really. The 1st few minutes we started off well with a good tempo, then the same old story with conceding a "calamity" goal. I think it was Charlton who lost the ball on the edge of the box, there striker took it off him, got into the area, hamerd a shot at Green0 who could only parry and their striker headed in, 1-0. After that it just seemed to be a case of the full backs getting the ball and hitting it long down the line - and that applies for both teams - the only decent move we had during the entire half was a nice move (cant remember who was invloded) a Mckenzie (who was imo very lively and our biggest threat during the half) got a shot away but i think the keeper saved or the shot went across the goal and wide. Towards the end of the half we also had another good opertunity which Henderson wasted. Hendo got the ball in acres of space on the right and had to options, 1) run into the acres of space in front of him and get a shot away 2) attack the space and put in a decent ball for Thorne in the middle, Hendo however had other ideas, he decided to gog a couple of yards into space and put a piss poor ball into the box - that for me showed his lack of ability at running with the ball. The only other moment of note during the 1st half was Doherty had a good header from a corner which brought a good save from their keeper

H.T 1-0

2nd Half

The second half started off exactly the same as the 1st, the team looking like they had a good bollocking at HT and started off with a good tempo, yet with Colchesters 1st attack of the half, their middfielder got a shot away from about 20yards, took a slight delfection off Shacks i think and went in, 2-0. After that we were looking deperatly poor. The biggest incident of note before our goals was Hughes being taken off. In the 1st half he went flying in with a very very late challenge and couldnt have argued if he got a yellow card, the ref just gave him a talking to. Then again he came in with another late challenge, not as bad as the 1st in my opion but still a booking, again the ref gave him a talking to, but after that Worthy brought him straight off. Now the goals, cant remember much about Hucks, just a straight foward threw ball with Hucks v 1 defender which really the defender should have delt with, the defender bottled it, Hucks was one on one, and slots it to the left (as i was lookign at it)
of the keeper, 1-1. After that we picked up the tempo a bit more but were still nothing threatning. We looked much much better after Hucks and Dean0 came on, though Hucks was the main source of creativity as usual, Ashton was quiet apart from his goal but held the ball up well. The second goal, again i cant remember to much about as i was almost alseep by this stage, alls i remember was Henderson doing the most useful thing he had dne all night by putting a good ball over to the back post and Ashton noding home. I think if we would have had another 5minutes after that we could have won, but to be honest a draw was a fair result, but you couldnt grumble with Colchester feeling slightly hard done by.

Match Ratings

Green - For what he had to do, Poor, distrabution was erratic. 5/6
Colin - Didn't have much to do but looked comftable on the ball - needs to learn the lingo quick because against better oposition he would have been caught out with his positioning at times. 6
Doherty - Poor, looked clumsey and gave the ball away 5
Shackell - Didn't look as asured as he did at the end of last season, and lost a few balls along the way, but still our best defender 6/7
Drury - Average - needs to improve going foward! 6
Henderson - Poor, lost the ball on numerous occasions, and wont take on his man, only redemption was the cross for Deano 5
Hughes - In the 1st half thought he played well, put it about and looks more cultred on the ball than Holt (not hard 6 (would be 7 if not for the fouls)
Charlton - Game passed him by 5
Brennan - Got stuck in when he could but see Charlton 5
McKenzie - Our biggest goal threat till Hucks came on, by which time Mckenzie was off the pitch, worked hard and deserved a goal 7
Thorne - Worked hard but never really had a sniff, one his headers though. 6

Subs

Loui Jean - Fast but a few sticky moments with his passing, need to see more of him before making a fair assesment 6
Fisk - Put himself about well but gave the ball away a few times, could be a good prospect - 6
Rossi Jarvis - A more ball playing middfielder, but did try to get stuck in, again looks like he has potential, especially if he fills out a bit more 5/6
Hucks - 7 Took on his man, they didnt no what to do with him when he got going, looked our best player 7/8
Ashton - Quite apart from his goal, looked to be moving around ok, good touch, won stuff in the air, scored a goal you would expect him to score really, needs 70mins against Milan on Friday 6/7

Posted By: Derek_Achora, Jul 27, 11:35:57