Colchester United vs. Latics

Sky Bet League Two - Matchday 4

2 October 2020

Latics travel to Colchester in pursuit of their first Sky Bet League Two win of the season (3pm KO).

Last time out, Harry Kewell’s side fell to a 3-2 defeat at Boundary Park to Crawley Town whilst the U’s lost 1-0 to West Ham U21s in the EFL Trophy in their last outing.

Colchester are unbeaten in their opening three league fixtures, winning one and drawing twice.

United also missed out on promotion to League One last season, losing the play-off semi-final to Exeter City.

Head-to-Head

Latics have won 15 of the 49 encounters between the two clubs. 20 have been draws and the U’s winning 14.

The sides met just once last season and Colchester got the better of Oldham at Boundary Park with Frank Nouble scoring the only goal of the game.

The last time that Latics travelled to Colchester they ran out 2-0 winners with Alex Iacovitti and Callum Lang on the scoresheet in a game which dented the hosts play-off hopes and completed three straight wins.

Callum Lang.jpg

Watch Out For

Latics will have to watch out for Callum Harriott.

The Guyana winger began his career with Charlton Athletic and he made 95 appearances for the Addicks scoring 12 goals.

During his time with Charlton, Harriott was loaned to Colchester in August 2015 and he became a popular figure, scoring five goals in 20 games before going back to his parent club in January 2016.

In August 2016, Harriott joined Reading for an undisclosed fee but struggled to make a real impact at the Madejski Stadium and featured just 29 times in three seasons with club, registering four goals in the process.

Re-joining Colchester United in September 2019, Harriot played 22 times in League two scoring three times before the premature ending to the season.

Harriott was capped at England under-19 level but has since represented Guyana at full international level.

A Foot In Both Camps

Current Maidstone United player George Elokobi has had previous spells with Oldham and Colchester.

The 34 year-old made his first Football League appearances with the U’s between 2004 and 2008.

He spent the 2014/15 season at Boundary Park, making 27 appearances before departing back to Colchester United.

His second spell with Colchester lasted two seasons before he departed to Leyton Orient.

In The Dugout

Steve Ball is the man in the dugout for the hosts.

Ball had been assistant manager to previous head coach John McGreal for four years and took the job following the departure of McGreal.

The 51 year-old has represented the U’s at playing level as well as in the dugout, making 64 appearances for the U’s in the 90s.

This is Ball’s first posting as manager in the Football League but he does have experience of managing in non-league with Stanway Rovers, Clacton Town, Leiston and Maldon and Tiptree.

Stadium

Colchester United play at the Colchester Community Stadium which is also known as the JobServe Community Stadium for sponsorship reasons.

Colchester United.jpg

The ground opened in 2008 with the first outing seeing the U’s take on Spanish side Athletic Bilbao.

The ground has a capacity of 10,105 and the record attendance is 10,064 for a League One clash with Norwich City.

Match Officials

Referee: Paul Howard
Assistants: Paul Kelly & Darren Blunden
Fourth Official: Damith Bandara

The man in the middle has only officiated two games this season so far which have been in the EFL Trophy and Sky Bet League Two with a total of seven yellows handed out.

Promoted from the National League last season this means it will be the first time both teams have had Howard’s services.

Paul Howard.jpg

Sky Bet Odds

Colchester are seen as favourites for the Sky Bet League Two side and are priced at 21/20.

Odds on Latics to win at the JobServe Community Stadium and the game to end level are both priced at 12/5.

Danny Rowe scored the first goal in Latics last league outing and he is priced at 6/1 to do the same against the U’s.

Please gamble responsibly, for more information visit www.begambleaware.org

How To Follow The Game

Because the game is classed as behind-closed-doors, supporters can tune into a live match stream with commentary available for all subscribers on iFollow Latics, as Roy Butterworth and Michael Brown talk you through the action.

This match is available as a live stream for the fee of £10.

Alternatively, supporters can also follow the game with live updates on the club's official Twitter account: @OfficialOAFC.

Match Reports

Colchester United 3-3 Latics

3 October 2020

Latics show great character in Essex as Harry Kewell’s side come from behind twice to seal their first point of the season.

There were three changes to the starting XI as George Blackwood, Ben Garrity and Dylan Fage came in for Davis Keillor-Dunn, Bobby Grant and Danny Rowe.

The game came to life early on and with only 16 minutes on the clock, Italian full-back Andrea Badan went down holding his leg after dribbling with the ball and he was replaced by Cameron Borthwick-Jackson.

Colchester had two chances in quick succession, the first arrived when Ian Lawlor palmed a cross to the feet of right-back Miles Welch-Hayes inside the penalty area, but his sliced his strike over the bar with an open goal at his mercy. Just moments after, the dangerous Callum Harriott raced to the byline and played it back to Kwame Poku, but the attacker placed his effort past the post.

Latics had their best chance of the opening half when Sido Jombati dinked a cross into the box from the right and McAleny’s clever movement saw him get onto the end of the delivery, but he could only flick his header wide of the target.

In the 28th minute, Stevenson put Colchester ahead after a slick passing move from the U’s ended in Harriott slotting the midfielder one-on-one with Lawlor and he kept his composure to chip his effort over the goalkeeper and into the back of the net.

It got worse for Latics shortly after as Steve Ball’s side played a corner to the edge of the box to Cohen Bramall and the left-back fiercely struck goalwards, McAleny managed to get his body in the way, but the referee adjusted him to have handled the ball and pointed to the spot. Harriott stepped up and slotted his penalty into the bottom left corner to double their lead.

Harry Kewell looked to change the game at half-time as he brought new face Dylan Bahamboula and Jordan Barnett on to replace Callum Whelan and Borthwick-Jackson.

The introduction of Bahamboula proved to change the course of the game and in the 51st minute as he drove at a defender whilst producing stepovers before he was brought down in the box for a penalty. McAleny made no mistake from 12-yards as he placed it just past Dean Gerken to get Latics back into the game.

Oldham had full momentum and got themselves level just two minutes later. Substitute Barnett delivered a corner from the left, which was flicked on by McAleny, and Piergianni powered his way through the crowd to tap into the back of the net from close range at the back post.

However, it didn’t take long for the U’s to get themselves ahead again and it was a spectacular effort from Welch-Hayes. They worked the ball around well on the left before goalscorer turned provider as Stevenson produced a cross which went straight to Welch-Hayes and he impressively headed into the top corner from just inside the box.

Latics went in search of an equaliser and thought they’d found it when a loose ball in the area fell to the feet of Fage and from yards out, he flicked goalwards, but Gerken pulled off a great save to keep his side ahead.

One-minute left to go and the visitors got their rewards as McAleny got his second of the game. Bahamboula delivered a powerful low cross from the right-wing and it looped up off a defender to McAleny and he smashed into the far corner, leaving their goalkeeper with no chance.

Colchester United XI – Gerken (GK), Welch-Hayes, Bramall, Smith ©, Senior (Norris 58’), Brown, Harriott (Cowan-Hall 70), Chilvers (Gambin 84’), Eastman, Poku, Stevenson.

Subs – George (GK), Sowunmi, Scarlett, Gambin, Marshall Miranda.

Goals: Stevenson 28’, Harriott 37’, Welch-Hayes 66'

Oldham Athletic XI – Lawlor (GK), Jombati, Piergianni ©, Garrity, Blackwood, Whelan (Bahamboula 46’), Fage, McAleny, Badan (Borthwick-Jackson 16’, Barnett 46’), McCalmont, Hamer.

Subs – Chapman, Rowe, Keillor-Dunn, Grant.

Goals: McAleny 52’ (p), 89’, Piergianni 54’

Referee – Paul Howard