Colchester United U21s were facing Ipswich Town on a cold Tuesday night at Needham Market. The U’s succumbed to a 2-0 defeat despite having the upper hand in many parts of the game.
Colchester started the match in a 4-3-3 formation, that was matched by the hosts, who opted for man-to-man marking.
The opening minutes of the clash saw the U’s create a couple of decent chances, most notably with Oscar Thorn’s cross hitting the post and Donnell Thomas’ effort inside the box being saved by the ‘keeper.
Ten minutes into the game, Colchester’s lapse of concentration resulted in the hosts taking the lead. A loose pass in midfield saw Ipswich quickly transition into the U’s eighteen-yard box before absolute chaos ensued.
Ipswich’s initial shot was blocked before one of the hosts’ forwards attempted to cross the ball, which was blocked again setting up a good-looking volley, which was deflected past Tom Smith and poked in on the line.
Things got even worse for the U’s just before half-time when another quick transition saw Ipswich extend their lead to 2-0. The ball was played down the line and then chopped back across the six-yard box.
Colchester’s defence dealt with the initial threat but didn’t clear it far enough. The ball ended up on the edge of the area with an Ipswich forward unleashing a powerful strike. Tom Smith managed to parry it away but the ball landed directly in front of an Ipswich player who tapped it in.
The second half saw the U’s come out determined to reduce the deficit. Archie had a great opportunity to score when he tried to lob the hosts’ ‘keeper who was off his line. Unfortunately, he put too much power into the effort and the ball flew over the crossbar.
The task of getting back into the game became even more difficult on sixty-eight minutes when Marley Marshall-Miranda was sent off for a late and dangerous tackle.
The U’s then had to resort to a 3-4-2 formation for the remainder of the clash but failed to create any meaningful chances with the score staying the same.
Colchester United Starting XI: Smith, Yates, Kelleher, Nelson, Terry, Kennedy, Oliver, Thorn, Bennett, Thomas
Subs: Collins, Lowe, Mupomba, Dyer
