In their first league match for several weeks, the U’s travelled to Ipswich Town’s training ground and lost to near neighbours Ipswich. Their cause was not helped by the sending off of experienced striker Frank Nouble moments after they had equalised.
In the early exchanges the U’s came under pressure struggling to keep hold of the ball. The home side’s pressure paid off getting three chances in quick succession. Nwabueze was found in the box, but he failed to make the most of it. Then his shot from the left was just wide of the far post. However, the third chance broke the deadlock and Ipswich led as a ball in from the right was converted on the far post by Jesse Nwabueze fourteen minutes in.
The U’s then had a very good spell as a ball into the box saw a whole series of shots blocked and finally scrambled clear. There were a couple of shouts for a penalty, but nothing was given. Then a controversial moment as a loose ball in the Ipswich box following a corner was driven into the net by Oscar Thorn just before half time. As the players moved back for the restart the referee suddenly showed a red card in the direction of Frank Nouble. Speculation was that he swore in the direction of the referee who sent him off.
It did not Ipswich long take the lead again, in the fiftieth minute a ball in from the left saw Ben Morris convert in the centre. After a ball was lost in a dangerous area Grossart saved well from Morgan and then Chirewa in from the left was firing wide of the far post. Haddoch with a great ball down the line found Chirewa but again Grossart saved well.
After a foul on the centre edge of the box, Chirewa fired the resulting free kick over the bar. The home keeper venturing out of his box was rounded by Ihionvien whose effort from a tight angle bounced off the top of the crossbar. Ipswich went 3-1 ahead in the sixty-eighth minute after some superb build up play down the right, with Tawanda Chirewa getting on the end of a Morris cross.
However, in the seventy-fifth minute the U’s got a goal back after a superb run down the left by Ihionvien his cross ran out to the right from where it was sent back to the centre for Chay Cooper to make it 3-2. Although the U’s couldn’t rescue a point and right on full time the home team scored again as Ben Morris got in down the left to score.
Colchester United: Jamie Grossart, Trialist A, Trialist B, Frankie Edwards, Al Amin Kazeem, Oscar Thorn, Marley Marshall Miranda, Gene Kennedy, Harvey Sayer, Chay Cooper and Frank Nouble with used subs,: Lordan Akolbire, Bradley Ihionvien, Kaan Bennett and Milton Oni and unused sub Jayden Peglar